In a vast Bangladeshi factory hall thrumming with sewing machines, garment workers churn out seemingly endless pairs of mountain hiking trousers for customers in Europe and North America.

The apparel industry accounts for about 80 percent of Bangladesh’s exports, earning US$36 billion last year, dropping little despite the unrest from the US$38 billion exported the previous year.

Rwanda is working hard to build up its garment industry More than 100 sewing machines rattle away at a factory on the outskirts of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. A cooperative of 83 of the African ...