(Image Source: Bloomberg)

BY ANLI XIAO

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Victoria’s Secret uncovered.  An in-depth investigative report from Bloomberg suggests,
Victoria’s biggest secret may be the use of child labor.

The report alleges one of Victoria’s Secret’s organic fiber suppliers, Burkina Faso, is using child labor on their cotton farms.

The company joined the fair-trade program in 2007 to purchase sustainable raw materials and benefit female African farmers, and had printed “Good for women and children who depend on them” on their underwear label.

Bloomberg says a child allegedly forced to work on the farm -- told the network she gets beaten if she doesn’t do the work. But the cotton farmer told Bloomberg :

“‘If I leave the child out, how will I be able to do the work?’”

In 2008, National Federation of Burkina Cotton Producers found that hundreds of children could be vulnerable to exploitation on organic and fair-trade farms, but Victoria’s Secret says it didn’t know -- until now. They tell CNN...

“We are very concerned … If this allegation is true, it describes behavior that is contrary to our company's values and the code of labor and sourcing standards that we require all of our suppliers to meet … these standards expressly prohibit child labor...”

But Fashionista thinks the company is not only one to blame. Since the fair-trade program is founded by Fairtrade International, Fashionista says -- that organization should also be held responsible. But...

“...growers across the country say that while they regularly received technical training on how to maintain organic purity in their crop, nobody from the program gave them rules or training about child labor on their farm–even after the 2008 study was conducted.”