Seed Heritage
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australian retailer selling women's and kids' clothing.
Seed Heritage can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Seed Heritage? Send a right of reply.
Compare Seed Heritage with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Seed Heritage says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Seed Heritage's own-label clothing is made by third-party factories, chiefly in mainland China, with others in India, Vietnam and Australia; it does not publish a supplier list or the share made in each country. Its modern slavery statement bans cotton from Xinjiang and Uzbekistan and refers to third-party audits and Sedex membership, but names no audit schemes and reports no findings. Parent BrandBank scored about average (32/100) in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and the brand has no living wage commitment or worker-voice programme on record.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Parent BrandBank Group scored 32 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, close to the 31.5 average (31 in 2024). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Steambrook Pty Ltd (Seed Heritage) and French Connection Australia file a joint modern slavery statement; it says own-label goods are made chiefly in mainland China and bans Xinjiang and Uzbek cotton, but gives no supplier counts or audit results. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Seed Heritage - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: BrandBank Group 32/100 (average 31.5); BrandBank owns Steambrook (Seed Heritage)
- How ethical is Seed Heritage? (Good On You) · search the archive · Labour rated 'Not good enough': partial tracing, no public supplier list, little progress on living wage
Published by Seed Heritage or its owner
- Seed Heritage Modern Slavery Statement (Steambrook Pty Ltd, 2024) · search the archive · Own-label goods made by third parties chiefly in mainland China; bans Xinjiang and Uzbek cotton; Sedex member; no supplier counts or cases
- Seed Heritage Modern Slavery Statement (December 2022) · search the archive · Joint statement with French Connection Australia; no living wage commitment or supplier list
- Seed Heritage - Sustainability · search the archive · Sourced from China, India, Vietnam and Australia, no shares; Brandbank supplier code; manufacturers audited; no supplier list
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Seed Heritage ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/seed-heritage, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded kids and baby
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Seed Heritage.