Cotton
In which U.S. state was the cotton for the T-shirts grown?
Mississippi
To which country was the U.S. cotton shipped to be turned into yarn?
Indonesia
In which two countries were the T-shirts actually sewn together?
Bangladesh and Colombia
What is sometimes called the "unsung hero" of the global economy because it is a cheap way to move goods around the world?
shipping containers
Approximately how many T-shirts can a single average U.S. cotton farm produce enough cotton for in one year?
Nine million
What is the professional term used in the garment industry for what ordinary people call "thread"?
yarn
What is one major reason why many women in countries like Bangladesh leave their home villages to work in garment factories?
To earn money to support their families or pay off debts, often seeking a better life than subsistence farming
Roughly how much does it cost in shipping to move one T-shirt from the factory to a store in the U.S.?
7 cents
What percentage of U.S. cotton is genetically modified?
90%
Approximately how many miles of yarn are in a single Planet Money T-shirt?
6 miles
What is the minimum wage situation in Bangladesh?
It was rising from about $39 to $68 a month
Why aren't airplanes used for shipping products like t-shirts?
Too expensive
Which country exports the most cotton in the world?
United States
Why is the spinning process mostly done by machines rather than people?
The machines are more precise resulting in a higher quality shirt.
In which country, Bangladesh or Colombia, do garment workers have a better standard of living?
Colombia
How do products get from ports to businesses in the U.S. to be purchased by consumers?
Train or truck