One of the central events of the visit was a day-long conference,
jointly sponsored by ILRF and the Economic Policy Institute, about the
impact of U.S. trade policy on garment workers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A
majority of the conference was based on the SOMO “Footloose Investors”
report.

Both the conference and the report focused on the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the recent boom in foreign investment to the
ferment industry following its implementation. AGOA removes barriers to
trade between the US and Africa, prompting various African governments
to put forth a great deal of effort into attracting the garment
industry to their country. Major questions that were explored in the
conference and the report include, have these efforts been beneficial?,
Who was really gained? And, what are the consequences of attracting an
unstable, “footloose” industry?

Overall, the conference was extremely interesting; policymakers,
corporate and union representatives were able to openly discuss the
current economic climate in Africa while receiving questions,
commentary and occasionally harsh criticism from local activists and
researchers. Having the perspective of the African worker and union
member physically represented, rather than superficially assumed,
helped to establish a meaningful dialogue between all conference
participants.