Epistemic Justice in Supply Chains

Sor Juana fought against a system that denied women's intellectual authority and right to be heard as knowers and thinkers. This concept applies directly to global supply chains where workers and affected communities are rendered invisible, their knowledge of exploitation dismissed, their testimony ignored. Epistemic justice in consumption means actively seeking and trusting the testimony of those whose labor and land our purchases depend upon. It means believing workers when they report dangerous conditions, honoring indigenous communities' knowledge about environmental impacts, and valuing local expertise over corporate claims. When a garment worker describes factory conditions or a farmer explains how pesticides poisoned their water, they are offering knowledge we need and deserve to hear. Ethical consumption requires dismantling the epistemic hierarchies that privilege corporate narratives over lived experience. This means platforming worker testimony, supporting brands that center worker voices, and treating supply chain knowledge as sacred testimony rather than uncomfortable complexity to be hidden.