Fair Trade | Entertainment and Style Gossip

June 4, 2009

Eco Clothing | A Rare Commercial Success Story from the Third World

When you think of the countries of Rwanda, Nepal, and Colombia – let’s be honest – you probably don’t think commercial retail success, do you?

With some help from leading ethical fashion and eco-clothing retailers like Adili, things are beginning to change for the better, at least for the textile industry.

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These three countries represent the forefront of the Fairtrade movement, a movement which is especially prevalent in clothing manufacturing. For those not fully aware with the ‘Fairtrade’ movement, in a nutshell Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade is a movement which addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

With the power of Fairtrade ethical standards behind them, Rwanda, Nepal and Colombia are leading the Third World charge into mainstream textile markets. Forward thinking clothing manufacturers are discovering the benefits of relocating to areas not traditionally associated with mass clothing production.

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South America, and Colombia in particular, is an area of the world rich in natural resources and vibrant culture, however, decades of instability and lack of foreign investment means it’s only now starting to fulfill its potential for trade and development.

Nepal is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It also has some of the most kind-natured people you could find anywhere. Unfortunately, it also lays claim to one of the world’s most contentious and unstable political structures on earth. As you might expect, this has been a major setback of all areas of Nepalese society, especially commerce. 31% of the population lives below the poverty line and unemployment rate sits at almost 50%. Again, the Fairtrade movement is beginning to take a firm hold here and conditions are beginning to improve.
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Rwanda is a country known more for civil war than clothing manufacturing. Adili is one company looking into and betting on the future of this very promising country. Despite still being very poor, Rwanda is emerging as a vibrant African success story. It’s had a tragically troubled past but is now moving ahead, with many Rwandans striving to build a sustainable future for themselves.

Everyone deserves to be treated well at work. But for the 40 million plus workers in the global garment industry, excessively long hours, wages that are too low to live on, harassment, abuse and discrimination are all too common. The causes are complex but there’s no doubt that our insatiable desire for ever cheaper, ever changing fast fashion plays a huge part.

As you choose you next outfit, keep in mind that in recent years a number of High Street clothing brands have started making clothes the ethical way. Best of all these clothes are superb, stylish pieces that make you look good and feel great. Isn’t that what fashion should be about? Look for ethical branding ‘Fairtrade’ standards whenever possible.

By purchasing fairly traded products you’re supporting the movement.

The people of Columbia, Nepal, Rwanda and other developing nations thank you in advance.

SOURCE: AscensionOnline.com

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April 8, 2009

Fair Trade Products | Where Ethics and Capitalism Meet

Filed under: Entertainment News — Tags: adili, ascension, eco bags, eco fashion, eco goods, eco products, ethical clothing, fair trade, fairtrade clothing, green baby, green clothing, green people, howies, komodo, leela, patagonia — admin @ 12:06 pm

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It is no secret that ethically and environmentally responsible goods and services have gained traction with the buying public for some time now. The Fair Trade movement has been one of the most powerful responses to the problems facing commodity producers. It gives consumers an opportunity to use their purchasing power to tilt the balance, however slightly, in favour of the poor. In 2009 we may have the luxury of having ‘ethical choices’ on our shelves, but the fight to get ‘Fair(ly) Traded’ items available to the mass market, like most movements, has a long and eventful history.

The ‘Fair Trade’ standard signifying official ethical and ecological standards have been met actually has roots in European societies - long before the first structured alternative trading organizations emerged following World War II. Many of the fundamental concepts behind Fair trade actually show a great resemblance with pre-capitalist ideas about the organization of the economy and society.

The current Fair Trade movement was shaped in Europe in the 1960s. Radical student movements began targeting multinational corporations and concerns that traditional business models were fundamentally flawed started to emerge. The global free market economic model came under attack during that period and Fair trade ideals, built on a Post Keynesian economics approach to economics where price is directly linked to the actual production costs and where all producers are given fair and equal access to the markets, gained in popularity.

The slogan at the time, “Trade not Aid”, gained international recognition in 1968 when it was adopted by the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) to put the emphasis on the establishment of Fair trade relations with the developing world.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, important segments of the Fair trade movement worked to find markets for products from countries that were excluded from the mainstream trading channels for political reasons. Thousands of volunteers sold coffee from Angola and Nicaragua in ‘Worldshops’, in the back of churches, from their homes and from stands in public places, using the products as a vehicle to deliver their message: give disadvantaged producers in developing countries a fair chance on the world’s market, and you support their self-determined sustainable development.

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The initiative was groundbreaking as for the first time Fair trade coffee was sold in supermarkets and mass-retailers, therefore reaching a larger consumer segment. The move from Fair trade concepts to the ‘Fairtrade’ (one word) labelling and branding standard also allowed consumers and distributors alike to track the origin of the goods to confirm that the products were really benefiting the farmers at the end of the supply chain. The initiative was a great success and was replicated in several other markets.

Fair Trade certification of commodities began in the Netherlands in 1988 in response to plummeting prices in the world coffee market. The TransFair seal was later launched in Germany. Today 19 countries have their own labeling initiatives, operating with shared criteria under the Fairtrade Labeling Organization umbrella.

As a result of this hard work, global Fair Trade has finally been brought into the public consciousness and sales have soared. The increase has been particularly spectacular among the aforementioned ‘Fairtrade’ labelled goods: In 2007, Fairtrade certified sales amounted to approximately €2.3 billion (US $3.62 billion) worldwide, a 47% year-to-year increase.

Increasingly, it is evident that High Street and online retailers are getting onboard with the principles behind Fair Trade. We can only hope this trend will continue into the future.

SOURCE: The Fairtrade Foundation | Oxfam | Wikipedia

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March 30, 2009

Eco Chic | The Rise of Fairtrade Style

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: adili, ascension, ciel, eco bags, eco fashion, eco goods, eco products, ethical clothing, fair trade, fairtrade clothing, green baby, green clothing, green people, howies, komodo, leela, patagonia, people tree, sika, suki, terra plana, tisserand — admin @ 3:54 pm

Not so long ago, a good day’s shopping was represented by unbridled credit card abuse and armfuls of carrier bags, preferably glossy paper ones with smart rope handles.

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That was last just year, wasn’t it? Oh, how times have changed. In 2009 consumers have become the new eco-warriors and the latest must-have accessory is a social conscience. Saying you’re off on an eco-holiday scores more cool points than taking a carbon-belching flight to the Caribbean for a fortnight. And celebrities aren’t just endorsing ethical products, they are fronting high-profile campaigns on issues that matter, whether it’s saving the planet, stopping child labour. Sometimes, they even ‘go Bono’ and help awareness for eradicating Third World debt and disease.

Together, they are making big business sit up and take notice.

Conscience consumers

According to a recent survey by American Express, 33 per cent of us now regard ourselves as conscience consumers. Buying the right thing is the latest way to do the right thing. And it’s fashionable to be seen doing it.

It’s no wonder the rag trade is feeling this pressure to go green. Women’s clothes are now 40 per cent cheaper than they were a decade ago and we now buy twice as many. And as profit margins are squeezed ever tighter, campaigners are keen to point out that the price of cheap clothes is being paid by those at the bottom of the supply chain.

That bargain dress doesn’t look quite so pretty once we start to wonder whether the cotton was picked by a child in Uzbekistan then stitched together by someone working enforced overtime for less than a living wage in a sweatshop Asia.

The clothing industry is also one of the worst offenders in terms of environmental damage.
According to the UN, enough cotton for one jeans requires 10,850 litres of water and an unhealthy dose of some of the world’s most hazardous pesticides and carcinogenic chemicals.

Growing cotton accounts for 24 per cent of global insecticide use and is believed to account for one million cases of poisoning and as many as 20,000 deaths a year. And for what? In Britain alone, 500,000 tons of unwanted clothing end up in landfill sites each year.

Not surprisingly, as awareness increases, so does the demand for organic and fair trade fashion. And where once ethical clothing was deeply untrendy in terms of cut, fabric and style, some brands have now become respectable enough that even people who don’t care about the environment but do care about fashion - want to get their hands on them.

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It doesn’t hurt that stylish A-listers such as Jade Jagger, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell have all been seen wearing the latest ethical labels - Ciel and People Tree are favourites. Meanwhile Bono’s wife Ali Hewson has launched Edun, the socially conscious designer clothing line now stocked by Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods.

Ethical E-co Chic

Online, where the movement has always been active, websites like Adili.com are catering to the eco-chic crowd in every way possible. As the movement grows, even more ethically centered vendors add to the available product line. Fairtrade goods, organic beauty products, ethical jewelry, women’s fashion, men’s fashion, kids, gifts, house & home are represented. The fashion, nightwear and home collections are attractive, prestigious and contemporary. Websites like Adili.com are living proof that you can unite great eco credentials and great style. And, that making things with concern for the environment doesn’t need to make them expensive.

With the current state of the economic climate and the environment, when the chance arises to help both at once, we should all jump on it. We say, long live the Eco-chic movement.

SOURCE: Adili.com

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