04
What
is
21 B e a u t y
42 G o l d
30 E t h i c a l
49 E t h i c a l
Ethical Products L o o k s G r ee n To carry the fair trade mark As fair trade goes mining Fashion? Aid For 45 T o 06 T o p F i v e 24 Trade Recycle or C o n s i d e r a t i o n s Is the EU helping small When shopping for ethical producers? not to fashion R ecycle 26 A F air That is the question 08 W e L o v e H e a r i n g E thical For fair trade 48 W h y F a i r What’s your eco style? Trade 28 F air 09 S l o w i s J ewe l l e r y ? T rade Tea CRED founder shares his Beautiful Success or failure? story Or a patchwork planet?
13
EcoChic
Business J ewe l l e r y M agazine A celebration beyond profit purity and fairness Together we celebrate your unveiled ethical style 35 F o r u m 52 T h e 14 O u r For The Virtuous E t h i c a l V i ew F uture At EcoChic How to make a better world J ewe l l e r y fashionably Cycle 16 L i t t l e 36 E t h i c a l P urple Dot 54 T h e The freshest UK eco direcJ unction tory And the tale of two IBehind nspiration tomatoes ethical and fair trade jewellery 18 V i n t a g e 39 C a m p a i g n 55 E c o C h i c F ashion trafficking in the A celebration of design and Against chocolate industry recycling S u mme r C e l eb r a t i o n Why buy ethical and fair trade jewellery?
02
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
Illustration by Sarah Harman
Channel 4’s recent Dispatches investigated the working conditions of clothing manufacturing units in the UK. With British consumers keen to buy the latest designer looks at cheap prices, this film exposes the real human cost behind high street fashion. Over three months, secret filming is carried out inside a number of textiles factories and suppliers and the footage shows the poor treatment and illegally low pay of workers as they make clothes destined for major fashion retailers. The working conditions are dangerous, poorly ventilated, dirty and cramped, and workers are paid as low as under half the minimum wage. The film also reveals the high street brands whose clothes are being made by these workers. Dispatches exposes shocking practices more commonly associated with sweatshops in the developing world, but existing right here in modern Britain.
If like me, when you hear about the overt exploitation and human cost involved in the fashion industry globally, you would like to do something about it, but not sure what, read on. If you have made the decision to live a more sustainable lifestyle and to only buy products that are considered ethical then fashion is likely to be something that will have thought about. There is plenty of evidence of practices in the fashion industry that are damaging to both the environment
and people involved but what is ethical fashion and what do we need to consider when shopping for ethical fashion? Understanding the label aims to demystify and is the celebration of the difference we can all make as consumers. Lets change the world for the better together.
Deborah Miarkowska
Creative Director, EcoChic Collection
credits
Creative Director & Editor Deborah Miarkowska Writers Deborah Miarkowska Alice C Doyle Stephanie Fortescue Z a h i d To r r e s -R a h m a n G r e g Va l e r i o Vi c k y M u r r a y Ethical Junction S t o p T h e T r a ff i c Graphics and Illustrations Sarah Harman
© All works copyright of EcoChic Collection (EcoChic UK LLP 0C336932), no downloading permitted.
Understanding
the
L a be l
t h i c a l F a s h i on is an umbrella ter m to describe ethical fashion design, pro d u c t i o n , E r e t a i l , a n d purchasing. It covers a range of issues such as working co n d i t i o n s , e x p l o i t a t i o n , f a i r trade, sustainable production, the environment, and animal w e l f a r e .
by D eborah Miarkowska
04
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.
Why is Ethical Fashion Needed Now?
The high street clothing industry accounts for a massive share of Western retail. Every year, 100 million shoppers visit London’s Oxford Street alone. Globalisation means that materials and labour can be purchased in different parts of the world where costs are very low. Also, industrialised methods of growing cotton mean that fabrics can be produced quickly and cheaply, and in very large quantities. These savings are passed on to the customer, meaning that high street fashion is available at increasingly low prices, and much of it is regarded as disposable. However, Ethical Fashionistas would argue that all this has a cost that we are not able to see on the price tag.
Some
of the
Issues Around Ethical Fashion
Ethical Fashion aims to address the problems it sees with the way the fashion industry currently operates, such as exploitative labour, environmental damage, the use of hazardous chemicals, waste, and animal cruelty.
Exploitative Working Conditions
Serious concerns are often raised about exploitative working conditions in the factories that make cheap clothes for the high street.
Child Labour
Child workers, alongside exploited adults, can be subjected to violence and abuse such as forced overtime, as well as cramped and unhygienic surroundings, bad food, and very poor pay. The low cost of clothes on the high street means that less and less money goes to the people who actually make them.
H a r mf u l Cotton
Production
Cotton provides much of the world’s fabric, but growing it uses 22.5% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world’s pesticides, chemicals which can be dangerous for the environment and harmful to the farmers who grow it. (Ethical Fashion Forum).
Unsustainable Practices
Current textile growing practices are considered unsustainable because of the damage they do to the immediate environment. For example, the Aral Sea in Central Asia has shrunk to just 15% of its former volume, largely due to the vast quantity of water required for cotton production and dying. (Ethical Fashion Forum).
Chemical Laden Textiles
Most textiles are treated with chemicals to soften and dye them, however these chemicals can be toxic to the environment and can be transferred to the skin of the people wearing them. Hazardous chemicals used commonly in the textile industry are:
lead, nickel, chromium IV, aryl amines, phthalates and formaldehyde. (Greenpeace).
L a n df i l l
The low costs and disposable nature of high street fashion means that much of it is destined for incinerators or landfill sites. The UK alone throws away 1 million tonnes of clothing every year. (Waste Online).
Use of Animals
Many animals are farmed to supply fur for the fashion industry, and many people feel that their welfare is an important part of the Ethical Fashion debate. The designer Stella McCartney does not use either fur or leather in her designs. In an advert for the animal rights organisation PETA, she said: ‘we adress… ethical or ecological… questions in every other part of our lives except fashion. Mind-sets are changing, though, which is encouraging.’ Source: Victoria & Albert Museum.
Kate Fletcher
Sustainable Designer, Consultant, Writer, Reader & Key opinion leader in fashion, textiles and sustainability writers: “Sustainability issues in fashion are as much about cultural, economic and social phenomena as material and manufacturing ones. It’s also about Fashion, pleasure, politics, consumption and activism”. “Make sure you see the whole picture”.
Understanding
the
L a be l
Image: Bibico Ethical Fashion
by D eborah Miarkowska
ust last week Channel 4’s Dispatches Jclothing investigated the working conditions of manufacturing units in the UK.
With British consumers keen to buy the latest designer looks at cheap prices, this film exposes the real human cost behind high street fashion. Over three months, secret filming is carried out inside a number of textiles factories and suppliers and the footage shows the poor treatment and illegally low pay of workers as they make clothes destined for major fashion retailers. The working conditions are dangerous, poorly ventilated, dirty and cramped, and workers are paid as low as under half the minimum wage. The film also reveals the high street brands whose clothes are being made by these workers. Dispatches exposes shocking practices more commonly associated with sweatshops in the developing world, but existing right here in modern Britain. Perhaps the tide is turning? If like me, when you hear about the overt exploitation and human cost involved in the fashion industry globally, you would like to do something about it, but not what, read on. If you have made the decision to live a more sustainable lifestyle and to only buy products that are considered ethical then fashion is likely to be something that will have thought about. There is plenty of evidence of practices in the fashion industry that are damaging to both the environment and people involved but what is ethical
06
fashion and what do we need to consider when shopping for ethical fashion?
Ethical fashion is a term that can be used to describe any clothing that is produced and distributed in a way that is more ethical than conventional clothing made often than not for the UK high street. This can include any or all of the following:- organic or sustainable fabrics, made in an factory that adheres to ethical working practices like the SA8000, Fairtrade production that works for the benefit of the community, a proportion of the companies profits donated to charity, made by co operatives, made from recycled materials. As the term ‘ethical fashion’ encompasses so many different aspects, it can sometimes be difficult to work out exactly what is ethical and how to make the best choice son these issues.
If you want to minimise the impact that your clothing has on the environment, you can do so buy buying second hand or clothes made from organic or sustainable
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
Image: Elena Garcia
fibres. The cultivation of conventional cotton uses a large amount of pesticides which are both damaging to the environment and can contaminate water supplies. The growth of cotton using pesticides is also not sustainable and farmers become trapped in a cycle of using more and more pesticides to combat the resistance that the pests develop. Other environmental considerations when buying clothes are the carbon footprint or amount of CO2 emissions associated with their production and whether they are made from natural fibres and so biodegradable after their natural life. You could also look for ethical shoes as the process of tanning leather is also damaging to the environment.
Image: People Tree Fair Trade Fashion
Buying ethical fashion is partly about ensuring that everyone in the supply chain gets fair remuneration. This is particularly important for the growers of cotton and the most well known and established scheme for ensuring this is Fairtrade. There are also a
number of other schemes and co operatives that ensure that those involved in the manufacture of clothing get a fair deal. Buying quality clothes to last is not only the most sustainable way to shop but also allows you to pay a reasonable price for a piece of clothing which can then be passed on to those in the supply chain.
The factories that clothing is manufactured in are often dirty, dangerous and uncomfortable for workers. Some employ child labour, some treat their staff very badly not allowing them basic human rights and some pay less than a living wage. In particular leather tanning uses some very toxic chemicals that can be damaging to the workers as can the glue used to make shoes. Often ethical shies are made using vegetable tanned leather or other natural materials. Some companies provide information on the standards in the factories where their clothes are produced so that you can be sure that staff are treated ethically. in th e coming years look out for the work by MADEBY
Whilst some companies may sell clothing that is ethical in one way or another, for some people this is not enough. It is worth considering whether you want to buy ethical fashion from a company, which makes the majority of its money selling non ethical goods. Many companies will have
strict ethical policies covering all areas of their business and may even include donating a proportion of their turnover to charity.
Green washing is the term used to describe unsubstantiated claims about eco or ethical credentials of their products, by companies for the purpose of marketing. The only way to avoid green wash is to look for further information. Some time the labels or packaging on ethical shoes or clothing will give further information. If not the website is a good place to look. Look for standards and certifications which prove their claims and the companies overall ethical policy. When shopping for ethical fashion, you need to decide what is important to you. The type of ethical shoes or clothing that you buy will very much depend on what you are looking to achieve. By buying Fairtrade, you can ensure that your purchase in benefiting people in another country, by buying clothes manufactured locally, you are helping the local economy and it is easier to check that staff in the factories are treated well. Which ever type of ethical clothing, you choose to buy; any small steps that you can take will have some benefit. Understanding
the
L a be l
by D eborah Miarkowska
s our recent survey shows, Ethical A Fashion means different things to each and every one of you, so EcoChic Collection and our twin EcoChic Magazine celebrates a whole host of ethical fashion labels from organic, recycled, fair trade, vintage, up-cycled, handmade and UK Made. We offer a range of ethical fashion, gifts and accessories in our boutique and discuss them in many dynamic ways in EcoChic Magazine. All in all the issues are complex and range in their multitude from standards in working condition to pesticide use and waste disposal in the fashion industry and beyond. We have worked hard and strive daily to make it easier for you with clear
08
labelling and extensive detail of the stories behind our products. We know time is of the essence for all of you. So to keep things simple we have put together a feature entitled Ethical Business a celebration beyond profit on all things ethical and what each dimension of ethical fashion and the industry stands for. In the name of transparency we have also published our own EcoChic Partnership Questionnaire that each one of our suppliers is asked to complete before we partner with them. Please view this here: EcoChic Partnership Questionnaire-How Green is your ethical business? All our EcoChic surveys hold our copyright.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
by D eborah Miarkowska
Understanding
the
L a be l
an the fashion industry C lead the way to a more sustainable and equita-
ble future by embracing the challenges of climate change, resource shortages and high energy costs. The fashion industry is a product of the modern age. New technologies, global capitalism and factory systems, has given rise to the highly globalised industry we have today which generates over a trillion dollars a year. Our standard production model sees clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold in a third. At its worst this has amounted to factories exploiting workers, fast throwaway fashion, a waste of resources, intensive water, energy and chemical use and the encouragement of unsustainable consumption. What we wear, and how it’s made has a huge impact on our society and environment. An Ethical Fashion Industry has the potential to make great environmental and social change.
Future
Challenges
10
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
Image: Ciel Ethical Fashion
Resource shortages, climate change, demographic shifts, new technologies, and changes in trade barriers and the global economy are all challenges that will affect every aspect of the fashion industry from supply to manufacture. How will the industry react to shortages of cotton and other raw materials, shifting supply chains and new technological development. Will water shortages and high energy prices change the way people care for their clothes. And will the present niche markets of reuse and remanufactur-
Image: Bibico Ethical Fashion
ing of material develop into a mainstream response to higher prices and resource scarcity. These are just a few questions that designers and manufacturers will need to ponder.
S c e n a r i o 1: Slow is Beautiful
Fashion F u t u r e s 2025 Fashion Futures 2025 written by Forum for the Future and Levi Strauus, profiles four global scenarios for the fashion future. It calls upon the entrepreneurs and visionary brands to lead the way in creating a cultural and economic shift towards a more equitable society and global trading system. With such economic clout and influence on consumer purchasing, the fashion industry is ideally placed in promoting social and environmental justice and a shift in values towards sustainable consumption.
Industry to Lead the way Sustainability needs to become mainstream with companies examining production process, seeding innovation for a future in a resource constrained world, and by investing in closed-loop manufacturing and higher social and welfare standards for workers. Consumer behaviour plays a major part in the sustainability of fashion, but how will it be possible to close the knowledge-action gap of global consumers unless an overhaul of ethics and production comes from within the industry itself. This is where designers and manufactures are best placed to influence consumers and investors
towards sustainable production and consumption, lobbying government and driving collective industry action. Some ethical fashion brands such as People Tree have already adopted these business models and the growing rise of Estethica at London Fashion week is testament to the growing awareness within the industry for fair-trade and ethical practices. Sustainable business practice is proven to increase profit margins and market share in a world where green business and corporate social responsible will follow the trend in becoming the norm.
Four Global Scenarios The Fashion Futures 2025 Report details four global scenarios as shown below. The full report provides industry recommendations for adaption and futuristic yet factual visions of clothes grown in vats, 3-D body scanners and waterless washing machines. Will we be Slow is Beautiful or a Patchwork Planet. It will be up to the industry on which fashion world we will see in 2025.
A moralistic world of lowcarbon, sustainable lifestyles and mindsets. Strict carbon regulation and sophisticated tracking and labelling mean that consumers across the world are more aware and concerned with the impacts of the clothing supply chain. The majority of consumers are willing to pay more for a smaller number of high-quality, sustainable clothing items. The fashion industry has had to work hard, both to decarbonise, but also to shift people’s perceptions of the industry, seen as inextricably linked with the rampant, frivolous consumption of the late 20th century. Although ‘living wages’ are now the norm for factory workers, a ‘grey economy’ of cheaper fashion with poor working conditions still exists.
S c e n a r i o 2: C o mm u n i t y Couture Self-sufficient communities thrive in a world struggling to cope with the strain of growing populations and resource shortages. Very high costs of raw materials and disrupted supply chains have resulted in a dramatic fall in the production and sale of new clothing. In its place vibrant local networks of second-hand clothing have evolved: community bonds are strong and creative fashion solutions abound. That said many consumers still strongly desire ‘new’ Understanding
the
L a be l
clothes - now affordable only to the rich or on the black market. Clothing care is low-tech but efficient.
S c e n a r i o 3: T e c h n o -C h i c This is a prosperous world which has benefitted from an early switch to a lowcarbon economy and huge technological investment. Smart consumers are flourishing in this high-tech, open world of few trade barriers and fast-paced fashion fads. All clothing is designed for degrading, disassembly, re manufacturing and/or reuse, supported by ‘smart’ solutions for low-impact clothing care and advanced recycling networks. Man-made fabrics rule the fashion markets, providing personalised, high-tech, affordable options across the globe. Massive levels of automation and sharp declines in the use of labour create pockets of crippling unemployment across economies previously reliant on clothing manufacture and production.
S c e n a r i o 4: Patchwork Planet
12
Image: Junky Styling
Years of conflict, exacerbated by uneven economic recovery from recession and a shortage of strategic resources, have caused the global community to fragment, and there is deep suspicion between cultural blocs. This is a world of rapidly changing fashions - where styles are led by an economically and culturally powerful Asia. Supply chains regionalise to meet consumer demand
for fast-changing, regional, patriotic fashion. The world is struggling to cope with mounting social tensions and environmental constraints. Many wonder how long this pace can last.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
To read the full Forum For The Future Report here, EcoChic Magazine celebrates Ethical Fashion, Sustainable Design & Fair Trade Manufacture, it’s all win win!
by D eborah Miarkowska
coChic Collection is a dynamic ethiE cal fashion and style site, bringing you the best in ethical and fair trade jewellery,
gifts and accessories together with an eclectic mix of ethical fashion brand and real life features in EcoChic Magazine. We actively source new and exciting ethical designers who utilise the latest organic cotton, eco or recycled fabrics, fair trade materials and manufacture with innovative ways to use recycled and vintage materials.It is our passion to unearth gorgeous eco designer fashions and lifestyle pieces to share their stories. EcoChic Magazine demonstrates vibrantly that we can live a stylish life ecologically and support less developed or advantages countries and communities. We particularly love fair trade manufacture and unique and forward thinking use of waste materials; after all ethical and fair trade fashion is all about cherishing people, being environmentally sound and finding innovative ways to reuse & recycle.
EcoChic Magazine is the Inspiring Green
Glossy for EcoChic Lifestyle Lovers In early 2009 EcoChic Magazine was a new arrival to the online consumer magazine market and is driven by the desire to be an ambassador for environmental awareness and a promoter of ethical living in a stylish and sustainable fashion. Each day we present an eclectic mix of stylish ethical fashion reviews, eco travel adventures, campaign news and inspiring ideas for stylish EcoChic living. As a reader, you can feel good knowing you are experiencing a wide range of fresh and lively features that celebrate the world’s most committed stylish ethical businesses, people, charities and brands; all dedicated to cool environmental stewardship, human rights, community growth, sustainability and social responsibility. Each and every one of our features found in EcoChic Magazine has earnt it’s status, shares our ethical beliefs and is as driven as we are by the desire and commitment to share, give back, bring hope and inspire. Understanding
the
L a be l
by D eborah Miarkowska
ince we founded EcoChic in 2007 we S have worked passionately and from the heart on the development of EcoChic.
We feel that EcoChic Collection reflects values that are deeply important and human. We care about peoples lives, communities and families with each one of our products born out of creativity, beauty and environmental concern. This is the place where we can tell you a little about what we are trying to achieve in the background to our business. Businesses are powerful and, although ours is still very small by many standards, they can be a strong force for good. We believe in doing everything we can to protect the environment and to ensure good working conditions for those who work for us. We may not get to perfection immediately but the heart and the will is there and the improvements are happening one by one. Our EcoChic Collection’s are UK designed and many produced by skilled artisans in rural community groups and who have the smallest environmental footprints in the world. They live and work in communities without many of our “essentials” and many
14
do not even have electricity. Their way of life is by consuming locally produced food and using hand production techniques to make a living. Our way of life in the West, with mass consumption and its affects on the environment is affecting the poorest communities in the developing world. Our ethical UK collections have been selected from our UK partner organisations for their environmental, social and charitable credentials, businesses built on solid foundations beyond the motive of pure profit. We are passionate about what we do and our EcoChic Magazine seeks to bring our readers real stories of of ethical and green living to make this world better together. We believe love is all you need to bring hope and inspiration and from this amazing things happen.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
We are one of the few partnerships with accredited fair trade and organic products, sourced from BAFTS, IFAT & SA8000, MADE BY & SKAL which gives great attention to environmentally-friendly production methods. Our partnerships with UK producer organisations are chosen for their ethical trading initiatives and environmental concerns. The EcoChic team, “have a flare for fashion, but more importantly, a passion for people and our environment�. All our paper, business cards, gift boxes and tissue paper are recycled or from sustainable sources. All our packaging is either biodegradable or can be recycled. We try to keep this to a minimum too. We recycle & compost our waste and grow our own organic vegeta-
bles. All our products are genuine fair trade, organic, recycled and sustainable products. We ask lots of questions to be assured of this in our partnership questionnaire. All our products are made by cooperatives and small independent producers. We believe in an artisan made products that involve creativity, passion and utilising traditional skills to ensure quality. Each of our products hold a life changing story which we are delighted to share with you. Our suppliers are selected for demonstrating their environmentally conscious business ethics. Many use shipping as an alternative to air freight to reduce their carbon footprint. Our clothing and accessories product
range is all handmade using less energy in its production process. Whenever possible we source products that are naturally sourced and produced. We support organic farming methods and source organic cotton whenever we can. Many of our suppliers avoid using damaging chemicals in the production process using recycled and biogradable substances instead and we strongly support this. Our suppliers also try to recycle what they can and aim to protect water supplies and forests in the enviroments they work in. We do our best to recycle, reuse and switch off our energy supplies when not needed in our office. Understanding
the
L a be l
by Alic e C D oyle
16
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
t the Launch of the EthA ical Fashion Network at La Fourchette, I got a
provide this sort of information. There is also a local community aspect. We are promoting nationwide but also focus on a local remit to promote local elements and local independent business.
chance to speak to Roz and Chris Sutton, Directors of Little Purple Dot, an online directory of ethical, fair trade and eco businesses.
My professional background is website project management so I already had the skills and background. I have also done quite a lot of voluntary work with the Fair Trade Foundation and Oxfam. I could see it would be useful to have a nationwide directory that listed all sorts of businesses, not just Fair Trade but organic and eco friendly companies. I talked to the Fair Trade Foundation who backed my idea and also thought it would be a good resource. So I decided to set it up as I could do so quite easily.
The site is quite new at the moment. We have been running less that a year, so it has mainly been word of worth and we have grown from there. We don’t want to run before we can walk in terms of promoting ourselves but new companies are coming onboard all the time. We are running the little purple dot directory and networking at events such as this. We also have the ubiquitous Facebook and Twitter in order to pass on our news.
Any kind of business can add themselves, whether they are selling ethical products or using those products in their services. At the moment we have all sort of sectors, we are looking very much at food and fashion. We hope to get trades people onboard too, we have been looking at eco builders and issues such as environmentally friendly paints. The site covers the whole remit of ethical issues as well as all the different business types you can find. We are very much a one stop shop in terms of sustainability. We are going to be linking up with other websites and companies to
Any business can go to the website and add themselves. As a consumer, you can add a business if you come across a good company and then submit them. There is a page on the website to do this and a business is published if it meets the criteria. The criteria for a business to be added is to be ethical, fair trade or environmentally friendly.
We love the fact that each business can add themselves, it is a unique opportunity and great for search engine optimistation. To add your business or to submit a business visit here or contact them directly on their contact form. And why not follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Understanding
the
L a be l
Illustration by Sarah Harman
18
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.e cochiccollection.co.uk
by Ste phanie For te sc ue
here’s something special about walking T into a vintage shop, rows upon rows of clothes nowhere to be seen in those high-
street chains, it’s a treasure trove of lost goodies, nestled in the backstreets of the city. There’s no one particular style, it’s a mish-mash of vibrant colour, eccentric shapes and peculiar sizes. After hours of sifting through, you choose something safe in the knowledge that the odds of meeting someone wearing the same as you are extremely low. The streets of the UK have seen vintage fashion burst into life in the last few years, with a surge of vintage shops beginning to edge their way across the country, it’s hard to miss. Vintage trends make
their mark on the catwalks year after year, but rather than make these clothes new, why not just reuse, revive and refresh the originals?
Once bought, these timeless classics are given an invigorated sense of life. No longer doomed to the same fate as if bought from the highstreet; it’s worn once, goes out of style and is cast aside without a second thought. These old clothes never go out of fashion, the attraction is the basis of their being; second hand, slightly fraying at the edges and maybe even a touch faded, but all only adding Understanding
the
L a be l
to their charm. It’s for this reason they are a celebration of style, allowing their owner to be free of conventional rules. No longer bound to the restrictions of “oh, are you really still wearing leggings?”, but freed in the knowledge that the rules don’t apply. They provide a warmly welcomed contrast and distinction to what’s out there already, and an opportunity to reuse and recycle as opposed to discard and fabricate from
20
new.
The production of freshly new clothes is a lengthy procedure. With many high street companies choosing to use factories in opposite parts of the world and produce under mass
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
It’s not just about making a difference where the environment is concerned, it’s about straying from the crowd. Next time you choose to go down that enchanting little backstreet, you may find your decision to deviate from the main stream gave you more than you were expecting.
Illustration by Sarah Harman
production; you can imagine the carbon footprint the industry leaves behind. Merciless chemicals and pesticides are all too often involved, not to mention colossal amounts of energy. In the UK we throw away vast amounts of clothing, it’s seems almost second nature in today’s throwaway society. The year 2006 alone saw over 800,000 metric tonnes of clothing and shoes deposited into landfill sites across the country . In our battle against climate change, recycling clothes not only reduces waste but minimizes excess production, two crucial elements in the fight to save our planet. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter how hard you try, 100% sustainability doesn’t exist. The fairtrade model works hard to be carbon neutral, but however natural the materials that a company uses, those materials still need to be produced, processed and shipped. That involves energy, fuel emissions, and a carbon footprint. It’s all about degrees of sustainability and subtle ethical choices on a daily level. Every day, we can choose to do small things that will make big difference in the long run, and choosing to go ‘vintage’ is just one way to go about doing this.
by D eborah Miarkowska
Understanding
the
L a be l
New market opportunity opens for recession-hit producers in developing countries as 31% of the UK population say they want Fairtrade certified cosmetics. On the 24th June 2009, the Fairtrade Foundation announced the first beauty products to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK. The Fairtrade Foundation commented: “From today the public will be able to buy products including lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels from 5 companies including Boots, Bubble & Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal’s Yard. Each beauty product contains one or more Fairtrade certified ingredient such as cocoa butter, shea nut butter, sugar or brazil nut oil, benefitting disadvantaged producers from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, 57 beauty products have been licensed by the Fairtrade Foundation and it is expected that many more will follow”. Fearne Cotton, TV presenter and long-standing
22
Fairtrade supporter, says: ‘I am really excited about this new opportunity to transform trade through the way I shop. I’ve tried out several of the new beauty products for myself and love them. Not only are they great quality, but they make me feel good using them because I know that the farmers who grew the ingredients that went into them are now able to improve their lives.’ Beauty products, toiletries and fragrance products play an important part in our lives. In Europe at least 5 billion units of cosmetics[1] are sold each year[2] using around 1.5 million tonnes of ingredients.[3] Increasingly, people are keen to lead a Fairtrade lifestyle and expect sustainable attributes to be an inherent part of the products and services that they buy. In a recent survey by Globescan, 31% of people in the UK said they are interested in purchasing cosmetics carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark. There is huge potential within the beauty and cosmetics sector for producers of existing Fairtrade
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
certified ingredients and also of potential new ingredients or their derivatives to benefit from this new market opportunity. Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: ‘It’s great news that now the beauty industry will get a Fairtrade makeover and the farmers who grow the natural ingredients will get a fairer deal because we think they’re worth it. This exciting launch brings much needed positive change for producers who need Fairtrade now more than ever. The public has said they want to lead a sustainable lifestyle and this is the next step along the path to looking good and feeling great. So go out and treat yourself to these great new products!’ Introducing Fairtrade labelling to beauty products will increase the overall number of Fairtrade products in UK shops and the volumes of ingredients which producers are able to sell under Fairtrade terms, which in turn increases the benefits back to farmers. Ms Nana Yago, a Fairtrade shea nut producer from
Burkina Faso says: ‘When we work together, we can help many people out of poverty. Most importantly, Fairtrade enables us to help ourselves and to support each other. The premium allows us to offer training courses to the women in our group. They learn to write and can see how important it is to have their independence in life. The status of women in our society has now increased.’ Landlocked Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Ms Yago is a member of the Union of Women Producers of Shea Products of the Sissili and Ziro provinces, a group representing 2,000 women. The group was set up to improve the position of women involved in shea butter production, most of whom are illiterate, and reduce poverty in the villages. Traditional shea butter processing is done by village women who gather, boil and sundry the nuts before they are pounded and ground to a paste. The paste is mixed with water to separate the fat, which is then manually churned into creamy butter. Through Fairtrade labelled beauty products, producers will benefit in three ways. 1.Producers will get the Fairtrade minimum price plus a premium, a bit extra to invest in community projects such as schools and healthcare. 2. The companies behind the products will have a partnership plan in place showing how they will additionally support producers to develop their businesses and communities. 3.The Fairtrade Foundation has worked hard to set minimum thresholds of Fairtrade ingredients at levels which allow best selling volume lines of beauty products containing natural ingredients to be certified.
For more information, images or interviews, contact the Fairtrade Foundation press office: www.fairtrade. org.uk
Points of Interest The FAIRTRADE Mark 1. is a certification mark and a registered trademark
of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 70% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people - farmers, workers and their families across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system. Thresholds defined 2. within the Cosmetics policy for a product to be eligible for Fairtrade labelling have been set at the following wet weight formulation levels: · Minimum 2% for ‘wash off’ products (on a whole product basis) e.g. shampoos and soaps · Minimum 5% for ‘leave on’ products (on a whole product basis) e.g. face masks and scrubs These thresholds open up the potential market for Fairtrade labelling to 53% of the total cosmetics market because they are applicable to the best selling volume lines (where higher thresholds would not) and permit a wide range of cos-
metics products to be formulated containing Fairtrade ingredients and their derivatives. Over 4,500 products 3. have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark
including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool, olive oil and beauty products. Seven in 10 house4. holds purchase Fairtrade goods, including an extra 1.3 million more households in 2008, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £700m in 2008, a 43% increase on the previous year. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK and 746 to the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers. [1] Cosmetics defined as all toiletries, skin care, hair care, make up, perfumes and fragrances [2] Source: European Commission and COLIPA [3] Figures are extrapolated from Euromonitor data 2005 and from COLIPA data. UK market share is ~17% of EU market. The combined market share for cosmetics in Germany, France and UK is 57% of the EU market. Understanding
the
L a be l
by D eborah Miarkowska
24
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
FTO represents Fair W Traders from grassroots through to the G8 and
is the authentic voice of Fair Trade, having driven the movement for 20 years. It is the only global network whose members represent the Fair Trade chain from production to sale, working alongside marginalised groups to gain markets to trade in a fair and sustainable way. From a European standpoint and considering Aid for Trade, the question to be currently asked, is the EU helping small producers to trade their way out of poverty?
B r u s s e l s , 10 September 2009
The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) and the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) have issued a new publication entitled ‘Aid for Trade: Is the EU helping small producers to trade their way out of poverty?’ The striking conclusion is that Aid for Trade needs to support growth that is propoor, to help reduce poverty, growth must be pro-poor. This means growth must benefit the poorest sections of society proportionally more than it benefits the better off. Aid for Trade should focus on developing local, national, and regional markets, first, rather than further enhancing exportoriented growth.
Supporting Small Producers is Key
Small producers are an important part of local communities and can play a key role to significantly reduce poverty while contributing
to sustainable development. Small producers experience numerous supply side constraints and there are many pro-poor policy measures and interventions that can help them overcome these difficulties. These range from support to developing and strengthening producer organisations, access to pre-financing and microfinancing, access to information to monitor changes in processing and consumer demands, to access to cost effective transport and improved technology.
A Role of Small
Producers in Policy Making is Essential
Small producers need to be included in the bottom-up design of policies, projects and programmes to make sure that these are effective and pro-poor, meaning that they benefit the poorest proportionally more than they benefit the ! better off.
Lack
of
Consistent Focus
There is a lack of consistent focus on small producers by the European Commission (EC) and key European Union Member States. EC and EU Member States policy and communication documents on Aid for Trade recognise the importance of growth being pro-poor and of supporting small producers. Still, there is not always a consistent implementation of the focus on small producers across policies and projects. This is shown in the publication through an analysis of the past allocation of Aid for Trade funding, where it shows that only some few, small and sporadic commitments and projects are specifically targeted at small producers. The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) speaks out for Fair Trade and trade justice with the aim to improve trading conditions for the benefit of small and marginalised producers and poor workers in developing countries. Based in Brussels, the office coordinates the advocacy activities of the four main Fair Trade Networks: Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International FLO, World Fair Trade Organisation WFTO, Network of European Worldshops NEWS! and European Fair Trade Association EFTA. These four networks bring together over 1.5 million Fair Trade producers from more than 60 countries, 20 labelling initiatives, hundreds of specialized Fair Trade importers, 3000 worldshops and more than 100,000 volunteers. The Interchurch Organization fo r Development Cooperation (ICCO) grants financial support and advice to local organisations and networks promoting fair economic development. Understanding
the
L a be l
by Z ahid Tor re s-Rahman he heated debate around Fairtrade is T getting in the way of a constructive conversation about the very real challeng-
es and opportunities it presents. Passions are running high among the defenders and detractors of Fairtrade. Sparked by a recent report by the rightwing economic think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a long-running debate has be reignited (see the article by Simon Bowers on this site). A couple of years ago, the same thing happened when another right-wing body, the Adam Smith Institute, published a similarly scathing report. As in this earlier case, the Fairtrade Foundation has been quick to refute the report’s claims, publishing a statement with their side of the argument.It is a shame that the public debate is driven by right-wing critiques. The left versus right framing of the debate is unhelpful and distracting, and the emotion it generates is not conducive to serious discussion. You don’t have to be a rightwinger to have concerns about Fairtrade or a leftwinger to love it.
Fair Trade In Practice I have met plenty of strong advocates for
26
Fairtrade who have concerns with how it is working in practice, including from among participants at a series of events we ran in Africa earlier this year. These concerns, which we need to address head-on, include the cost to some smallholder farmers of certification, particularly where they are not part of the supply chain of a larger corporate that can help with the process. Standards applied in a one-size-fits-all way, across geographies and crops, have also proven difficult in practice. As one participant put it, “Fairtrade is key to value chain distribution of wealth - it is the implementation of it that needs managing”.
Enterprise Driven Poverty Reduction At the same time, I have spoken to many advocates of free trade who also see the value of Fairtrade. Alan Duncan, a UK aid minister and free trade advocate, spoke strongly in support earlier last month. For one thing, Fairtrade - like no other campaign - has brought the issue of international trade, along with the importance of an enterprise-driven (as opposed to
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
charity-driven) approach to poverty reduction, into the shopping baskets and dinner table conversations of the general public in the UK. The Fairtrade Fortnight campaign apparently reached 1 in 2 adults, with “1 in 4 adults (11.5 million people) going to buy a Fairtrade product as a result of seeing or hearing about the campaign”. That is a huge political support base for those working towards a fairer world trading system: if there is to be any hope in re-energising the Doha round of trade negotiations we need to harness and mobilise this public support.
Multinationals, Can Play Their Part in Poverty Reduction Multinationals are increasingly recognising the powerful role they can play in tackling poverty through their core business operations (and donors are coming to recognise the role of big business too, as I argued in a previous blog). Fairtrade has proven a great way to catalyse this conversation, and is very often embedded in a broader strategy to increase development impact. Starbucks, cited in the IEA article, is the world’s largest purchaser of Fairtrade coffee, but for them this is just one part of the story, with Starbucks partnering with organisations like Technoserve, Conservation International and Root Capital to help farmers increase the quality and yield of their crops. The result is very human
success stories, like that of William Shao, a Tanzanian coffee farmer highlighted in an article by Patrick Collinson on the Guardian website. A growing number of other companies are recognising the importance of applying the principles of fair trade (in some cases with other sustainability labels, such as Rainforest Alliance, or through their own programmes): responsible and transparent sourcing, building long-term relationships with suppliers and distributors, introducing more inclusive value chains and procurement processes that create opportunities for poor people. In short, perhaps the real power of Fairtrade lies in the principles that it represents, and that businesses are beginning to mainstream.
Fair Trade Makes A Tangible D i ff e r e n c e Fairtrade does make a very large and direct difference to the lives of farmers. An independent review of the impact of Fairtrade over the last ten years found “strong evidence that Fairtrade provides a favourable economic opportunity for smallholder farming families that are able to join farmer organisations and can provide products to market specification. A high proportion of the studies reviewed found higher returns and stable incomes as clear benefits enjoyed by many Fairtrade producers, [as well as] increased access to credit, increased self-esteem, benefits for the wider community and organisational capacity
building”. No one in the fair trade movement would argue against the importance of global trade reforms that make it easier for developing countries to access the markets of rich ones and that remove the tradedistorting subsidies that the rich countries pay their farmers (You can listen to Fairtrade’s Barbara Crowther speaking on the case for international trade reform, as part of a discussion on the IAS report on the BBC’s Today Programme). Neither would they argue against the importance of increasing developing countries’ capacity to trade both internationally and regionally, and to retain greater value adding activities within their own borders. The focus must surely be on mobilising the public support that Fairtrade has helped generate in support of these wider issues, while doing something tangible in the mean time. Fairtrade is not, and does not claim to be, a panacea for ending poverty. It does make a direct difference to lives of the farmers it supports. But perhaps the real power of Fairtrade lies in its ability to raise awareness of the importance of trading fairly - among consumers, business and governments. And for this, all of us - on the left and right - should give it the praise it deserves. Zahid Torres-Rahman is the Director of Business Action for Africa and Founder of Business Fights Poverty. This article was first featured on the Guardian’s Sustainable Business Blog. We were delighted to be contacted by Zahid to feature this article on EcoChic Magazine. Understanding
the
L a be l
we’d start the year with an interesting article written in the T i m e s o n W eJtahnouuagrhyt 2nd, by Parminder Bahra, Poverty and Development Correspo n d e n t .
by D eborah Miarkowska
28
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
The focus of this article is on whether the beneficial claims that Fair Trade holds are happening in reality? In our experience of working with Fair Trade groups and in our assessment processes that EcoChic undertakes, Fair Trade business practices certainly benefit workers in terms of the conditions they are working in, receipt of a living wage, working rights and the additional community benefits that are most definitely evident. Over the coming months we will be bringing you stories of our own producer groups, direct interviews and imagery from South Africa and India. Take a look at the following article it makes for an interesting discussion. Supermarkets seeking to promote their ethical buying policies proclaim that their produce is Fair Trade, and customers buy such goods in the belief that they are doing their bit for workers in the developing world. However, an investigation by The Times suggests that workers on plantations that supply Fair Trade tea are not seeing their lives improve as they should. Sales of Fair Trade produce command a premium that is supposed to be used for the benefit of estate workers. It should be passed to them through a committee of managers and workers who decide where and how it is spent. Managers at one tea estate in Kenya said that Fair Trade regulations were too expensive or difficult to implement and that some of their workers found them too restrictive. At an estate in India, Fair Trade inspectors found problems with the way that the premium was managed and many workers complained that they had seen no benefit. Some workers suspect that the scheme is being used to make estates appear socially responsible as demand increases in the West for Fair Trade-labelled goods.
Fair Trade has grown from a small nongovernmental organisation to a global enterprise, with 21 international bodies - including the Fair Trade Foundation in Britain - under the umbrella of the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO), which sets the standards for certification. Estates are checked and certificates awarded by FLO-CERT, which FLO says is independent but wholly owned by FLO. Certification allows an estate to sell tea labelled as Fair Trade, but it is up to wholesalers to decide whether to buy the tea as Fair Trade - or more cheaply as standard tea without the label. Fair Trade estates can also supplement their output by buying from non-certified plantations, although they cannot then sell such produce as Fair Trade. For example, Eastern Produce Kenya, a Fair Tradecertified trader, regularly buys non-certified tea from the Kaprachoge estate, where conditions are far from those stipulated for certification. Tom Heinemann, a Danish film-maker, visited more than 20 estates in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya for his documentary The Bitter Taste of Tea. He found few workers who had benefited from the premium. “Workers get things like a gas cylinder, a Thermos flask or a laundry basket. But these would come after years of not getting anything,” he said. Mr Heinemann also said that the Fair Trade inspections are announced in advance. “The estate owners can tell the workers not to be critical. It is a harsh system - [the workers] are deeply afraid of the owners because they can lose their job.” In Kenya, Mr Heinemann says that it is common to find workers hired for three months, fired and later rehired to avoid laws that would oblige owners to hire workers full-time. Paola Ghillani, the former chief executive of the Max Havelaar
Foundation in Switzerland, the Swiss version of Fair Trade, and a former board member of FLO, says: “The Fair Trade label has grown so fast, but has forgotten to invest enough in growth management like normal companies.” While at FLO, she found herself at odds with the Fair Trade Foundation in Britain. The foundation was unhappy with inspections being conducted by independent organisations and it tried to influence the outcomes of these inspections, she said. “The Fair Trade Foundation at that time, and maybe now, has got too much at stake. They were living from funding, but also from licence fees [they received] each time they gave the label to a licensee. The inspection and certification system is not independent enough.” Despite reservations, Ms Ghillani is still supportive. ” Fair Trade labelling is an inspiring instrument,” she said. The Fair Trade Foundation denies that inspections are not professional. It claims that FLO-CERT is independent and meets the requirements of ISO 65, the international quality standard for certification bodies. It also rejects the claim that workers do not benefit. A spokeswoman said: “Before becoming Fair Trade-certified, estates need to demonstrate that they meet Fair Trade standards to pay decent wages, guarantee the right to join a trade union, ensure health and safety standards, and provide adequate housing and other social provision where relevant. “Educating workers about Fair Trade and the premium is an ongoing process. It is incumbent on management to make sure staff are aware of Fair Trade. However, where Fair Trade sales are low, management and the joint body can feel it is not fair to raise too much expectation of the Fair Trade premium.” Understanding
the
L a be l
BUSINESS A Celebration Beyond Profit
by D eborah Miarkowska
30
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
erhaps we should begin P by saying this all gets a little technical and perhaps
a bit dry, but wrapped up in all these logos, campaigns and causes are International campaigns by a range of organisations worth celebrating. Each and every one aims to make the conditions for fashion workers, who make the clothes we wear better, with at least living wages, fair working conditions, community development and sweat shop free labour. We certainly need to digest it all and support organisations carrying these labels, because as consumers we know that it makes such a difference. Do join us… So on this fact finding mission we need to outline our vision and values and certainly here at EcoChic we are in support of the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ business concept created by John Elkington.
Valuing the Triple Bottom Line This is defined as the ’simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity’ and are central to the way EcoChic Collection conducts its business. All of our collections are carefully selected Fair Trade & ethical products sourced from organisations who have achieved or are working towards certification through the WFTO, (World Fair Trade Organisation), BAFTS (the British Association of Fair Trade Shops) SKAL IMO or SA8000 certification. In working with a specialist CSR advisor
from Two Tomorrows, we have also developed our own EcoChic accreditation framework for our partner organisations, which acts to validate the ethical & environmental position of each brand. This gives us and our customers independent assurance that our suppliers are actually implementing and living up to their stated ethical ideals in production.
Working Towards Eco Excellence We recognise that this may not be a perfect system, but we also acknowledge that the organisations who have signed up to be accredited as Ethical or Fair Trade Organisations, are bound codes of conduct in terms of workers rights and are regularly assessed as to whether they are striving to make continuous improvements. Fair Trade signatories pay a social premium to their producers in the developing world so that communities can decide on how to pay for community developments. To date it is the best accreditation system we have available that supports the welfare of producers in the developing world throughout the supply chain of organisations. EcoChic recognises that there is a distinct difference between ethical and fair trade and values both in the supply chain. We promote and follow the 10 Fair Trade principles laid down by the World Fair Trade Organisation. (WFTO).
Fair Trade & the WFTO The World Fair Trade Organisation, holds its members to account to check they are actually trading fairly with their suppliers. So what are FAIR TRADE principles defined by the WFTO? “Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to and securing rights of, marginalised producers and workers”. (WFTO). Indeed it goes far beyond the boundaries of ethical trade and seeks to work sustainably with environmental concerns and long term partnerships at the heart of the trading partnership. Fair Trade is a partnership between producers and consumers which ensure producers receive good working conditions and fair prices throughout the supply chain. Paying fair prices to the producers which reflect the true cost of production, indeed as we know world market prices often do not cover even the cost of the raw materials. Financial assistance is another important facet of fair trade. Providing credit when needed to allow orders to be fulfilled and to pay premiums to be used to provide further benefits to producer groups.
Social Understanding
the
L a be l
Projects One of the biggest successes of fair trade is in it’s support of producer organisations in their social development and community projects. Indeed many fairtrade organisations provide health and education facilities through the Social Premium. The promotion of the empowerment of women is to be aplauded. In supporting general growth in business management the fairtrade model and those who work to this model advise their producer organsations on product development to increase access to markets, aswell as encouraging environmental responsibility & sustainable projects. Relationships are key to the sucess of fairtrade and the committment to long- term relationships and trading partnerships to provide stability and security rather than a short-term commercial advantage is to be celebrated. Alongside this fairtrade campaigns to highlight the unequal system of world trade, to promote transparency of business practice, mutual Respect with all our partners and producers and last but not least there is a strong emphasis on justice for all involved in the production and supply process. Trade and sustainability not aid is the back bone of the fairtrade model. Find out more here.
The British Association of Fair 32
Trade Shops (BAFTS) The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is a network of independent fair trade shops across the UK. Find out more here.
Fairtrade Labelling (FLO)
Trade? Ethical trade or ethical sourcing, as it’s sometimes called, can mean different things to different people. Some use it as an umbrella term to include all types of business practices that promote socially and/or environmentally responsible trade. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) use it simply to refer to the responsibility of buying companies has for the rights & welfare of workers in their supply chains.
The Ethical Trading Iniative Base The Ethical Code Trading Initiative
Actually provides an independent guarantee that the farmers get a fair deal and awards the Fair Trade Mark. Find out more here.
The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade union organisations. ETI exists to promote and improve the implementation of corporate codes of practice which cover supply chain working conditions. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the working conditions of workers producing for the UK market meet or exceed international labour standards.
What is Ethical
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
• Employment is freely chosen • Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected. • Working conditions are safe and hygienic • Child labour shall not be used • Living wages are paid • Working hours are not excessive • No discrimination is practiced • Regular employment is provided • No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed. EcoChic passionately believes that all of these principles are vital in any trading relationship. By each of our products we indicate the level of accreditation that our suppliers have achieved: For more information here.
Social Accountability & SA8000 An SA8000 certification proves that your Social Accountability System has been measured against a best practice standard and found compliant. Issued by a third party certification body/registrar, the certificate lets customers know they can trust that you have implemented the necessary internal processes to ensure basic human rights for your employees. SA8000 is based on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child and various International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. SA8000 covers the following areas of accountability: Child labour, Forced labour, Workplace safety and health, The right to organize, Discrimination, Workplace discipline, Working hours, Wages, Management system for human resources. Find out more here.
Organic Certifiers: SKAL, Organic Exchange & the Soil
Sustainable Textile Certification Using GOTS IMO Organic (Global OrCertification ganic Textile Standard), and Organic Exchange Certification Control Union Certification Association
Organic certifiers like SKAL and Organic exchange, check the farming and also the flow of goods to ensure that the cotton in your product actually comes from an organic farm. Find out more here.
With more than 20 year experience in organic inspection and certification in developing countries, IMO acts also as competent expert for all aspects related to organic certification and development of local organic movements. To find out more, Click here.
Control Union Certifications, f.k.a. Skal International, offers you a global one-stop-shop for a wide range of certification programs. SKAL certificates are accepted by authorities in nearly every country. Textile certification: Control Union Certifications can offer you two certification programmes for your sustainable textile production. To make sure that these programmes are workable in practice they were developed them in cooperation with experts of the textile industry, consumer organisations and environmental groups.
EKO
The Organic Exchange certification programme allows you to claim a traceable percentage of certified organic cotton. The “Supply of dyes and processing aids� module is not a real certification programme. Rather, it is an assessment of conformity to the Sustainable Textile programme for specific dyes and processing aids that are used in the production of textile and textile products. To read more, Click here.
Recycled Over 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year. This is why we support fashion made from recycled clothing and fabrics. Not only does this support fabulous creativity but it cuts down the need for landfill space, reduces the pressure on virgin Understanding
the
L a be l
sources resulting in less pollution and saves energy. Environmental Certifications & Accreditations: ISO 14001 Certified. ISO 14001 is part of a series of international standards on environmental management. It provides a framework for the development of an environmental management system and supporting audit programme, although we need to be clear that it doesn’t necessarily mean environmentally friendly production. Read more: ISO14000
Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 The Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 is a testing, auditing and certification system for environmentally-friendly production sites throughout the textile processing chain. Read more: www.oekotex1000.com
Forest Stewardship Council The trademark of the Forest Stewardship Council indicates that the wood used in a product came from a forest managed according to strict environmental, social and economic standards. Read more: www.fsc.org Carbon Reduction Label Working with The Carbon Trust, the Carbon Reduction Label verifies the total carbon dioxide (CO2) and
34
other greenhouse gases emitted during its life, from production to final disposal. Companies that display this label are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of those products within two years. For more information go to: www.carbon-label.com
Made in the UK In the UK we have some fantastic designers, craftspeople, using handmade & traditional skills that go back generations. Living in a globalised world brings a real sense of vibrancy and and foremost we champion the use of trade to help people out of poverty.We also think it’s important to recognise skills and talents closer to home and to support independent artisans with real talent and creativity in the UK and their communities too. By buying locally, is real sustainability in action as there’s the added bonus of not needing to ship and fly things around the world. So, it’s good for people and good for the planet too. We believe it’s all about finding a balance in our shopping habits and selecting and celebrating the work of a range of ethical brands, from fair trade, organic, recycled, UK Made.
Charitable Concerns Did you know…. There are over 200, 000 charities in the UK alone. According to Save the children 1 in 3 children in the UK live in poverty.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
There are many organisations that we work with that support a number of hugely worthwhile charities. EcoChic are delighted to be partnering with UK businesses that are adopting ethical, environmental and charitable trading practices here in the UK. We carefully assess our UK suppliers using our own assessment criteria based on the IFAT and Ethical Trading Initiative standards and with the support of our expert CSR advisor. Please see our magazine for more details. LA Jewellery, based in Wales are inspirational in their approach to their staff offering payment by piece, six month bonuses and staff working hours to suit the work/life balance to inspire creativity using traditional skills. Their focus is also on their environmental responsibilities and charitable concerns as well as careful thought into the sourcing of their precious metals. We are inspired by the beauty and ethos of their work. EcoChic Collection Partnership Questionnaire, How Green is your business You will see our own logo against the those organisations that are too small to hold other certification, but please be rest assured we work very hard to find out about the ethical and environmental position of each brand we work with.
How to make a better world fashionably by Vick y Mur ray
Forum for the future is a dynamic CSR organisation. Generally industry now recognises that global challenges like climate change, food and energy security and population growth will mean big changes for the way they operate. Forum for the Future’s role is to help them find their way to a sustainable and successful future.In working with businesses and public service providers to understand and manage the risks that change will bring, to find new opportunities in tackling these global challenges, to implement their own commitments to social and environmental responsibility, and to work with others to overcome barriers to action, towards a more sustainable society. Vicky Murray, Features writer for the Forum For the Future writes poetically on the use of fashion to make a better world. I heard a fact last night that warmed the cockles of my heart. According to Emma Freud from Comic Relief - speaking at a fundraising event run by TK Maxx - despite these credit crunch times, as a nation we’re reaching deeper into our pockets. This year’s Comic Relief looks set to be the best yet. This got me thinking…
is this recession-busting generosity translating into more ethical purchasing too? After all, whilst donating to charity is certainly worthwhile, making sure our everyday purchases are more sustainable could potentially do more to alleviate poverty across the globe, by ensuring that the people who make our products are paid a fair wage for doing so. Recent research from War on Want showed that in 2008 garment workers producing clothes for our UK highstreets were not being paid enough to live on. The workers they interviewed in Bangladesh were being paid between £13.97 to £24.37 per month. The average (£19.16) was less than half the ‘living wage’ calculated for a Bangladeshi garment worker with a family (£44.82). With this in mind I found it pertinent that London Fashion Week coincided with Fairtrade Fortnight this year. The good news is that it looks as though the clothing industry is beginning to take action. Defra launched the industry’s Sustainable clothing action plan last year, after more than twelve months of consultation. Companies such as M&S, Tesco and Nike have all committed to specific
actions. Tesco, for example, has made 15 separate commitments ranging from using sustainable and recycled materials to developing Green Factory guidelines, and reportedly stocked up on ethical clothing supplies at Estethica - London Fashion Week’s sustainable fashion section, where the Action Plan was launched. So to bring this back to my original question, does this mean we’re shopping more ethically despite the recession? Well, it’s a fairly safe bet that at least part of the reason retailers are taking action is because they think there’s a market for more sustainable clothing. To move things on a step further and create the biggest impact, the larger retailers should learn from the pioneers, like Howies and People Tree, who scrutinise their supply chains to make sure that all their clothing (not just Fair Trade or Organic ranges) is made in a way that benefits people and planet. If they did, shopping for the clothes we need could potentially give us the same warm fuzzy feeling as donating to fabulous causes like Comic Relief. Now there’s a happy thought for any fashionista! Understanding
the
L a be l
The Tale of Two Tomatoes by Ethic al Junct ion
36
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
t h i c a l i s f a s t becom E i n g a b r a n d name - a c l e a n s i n g a g e n t that can
b e s t r a p p e d t o a product o r s e r v i c e t o a l leviate the g u i l t o f c o n s u m ption. Does it m e a n t h a t t h e mythi c a l e t h i c a l c o n sumer is e m e r g i n g , a c o nsumer w h o t r i e s t o a c t and buy e t h i c a l l y i n a l l aspects of t h e i r l i f e ? O r d oes there s i m p l y e x i s t a growing d e m a n d f o r “ e t hical” prod u c t s ? F o r t h e t wo are not the same. The Co-op’s latest annual “Ethical consumerism” report now shows that the ethical sector in 2005 (Ed’s note - I did say it was from the vault!) was worth £29.268 billion, a growth of 11% on 2004 exceeded the sales of ‘over-the-counter’ beer and cigarettes. Whichever way you look at it, something is changing amongst consumers.
The Hidden Ingredients
Recent legislation in the food industry introduced universal food labelling; specific ingredients, whose quantities must be revealed are clearly listed on all food sold from the shelves of our supermarkets. Now we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies and if we choose to, we can make better educated decisions about our diets. Suddenly it makes sense why my Mum banned me from drinking Ribena all those years ago. The labels show clearly what has physically gone in to the product: salt, sugar, fat and protein. Of course, there is more to it than they can display, but it is a vast improvement on the rather cryptic link between Coca-cola and some of its original ingredients. But what about everything else that went in to producing that product?
Where are the raw materials sourced from? In what conditions are they grown, mined, raised, fished and processed? What about the number of miles it travelled to get on the shelf? What about what the! producer does with the money? What about the “ethics” that brought that product to market?
What is Ethical?
Ethical practice is about more that just fair-trade, it is more than organic, it involves holistic appraisal of every aspect that goes into the trade and industry behind a product or service, in Marxist terms it is the “means of production and distribution”. There is no one definition for “ethical”, as an adjective it’s very nature is open to interpretation, although there is no doubt that to be ethically led means to be trying to “do the right thing” at all points of the supply chain. As of yet, however, the consumer cannot easily get a fair appraisal of the ethics that lie within and behind a product as easily as they can find the ingredients that lie within it. So the question must be: Do consumers really know in what proportions they are demanding “ethical”? What measures the ethical quality of a product? Minimal environmental impact? I think so. Respect for fellow living creatures? Probably. Fair treatment of all labour involved in the production process? Definitely. So the key to a truly ethical product lies in the production process and the “worker” is core to that as we are, mercifully, not entirely mechanised yet. It would be fair to say then,
based on ethical demand requiring suppliers to adhere to these practices, the worker is going to come off quite well. Fair wages, workers rights and limits on the amount of hours worked are just some of the benefits available. However, we haven’t addressed price yet.
Addressing the Price
Price, whilst the least tangible of all costs that we can relate to a product, is more often than not, the deciding factor in the relative success of any product or service. Price, traditionally, drives both demand and supply. Price as a financial measure is ultimately a measure of the relative cost of a product. It is a generic summary of the resources that have been consumed bringing the product to market; it is not necessarily related to or indicative of the “ethical” cost of a product. Waitrose now boasts that its products are “honestly priced” and, in case you hadn’t noticed, their locally produced organic products are not cheap. Organic food will probably always be more expensive than non-organic, the animals have more space and the intense battery and shed systems are banned; the avoidance of pesticides and chemical fertilisers means that more human labour needs to be utilised for the same kilo of production so organic farmers will always have to charge more, until of course the full environmental cost of agri-chemicals becomes factored into industrial farming by legislation. Fairtade coffee on the other hand is very different, in non-Fairtrade coffee the amount paid to Understanding
the
L a be l
the grower of the beans makes up a mere 7% of the total cost, for Fairtrade coffee including the minimum price and the social premium this rises but to only 11%. Yet this small rise is not reflected in the increased cost of Fairtrade coffee over non-Fairtrade, why? When the Co-op first introduced Fairtrade coffee into its range, it had a 1p difference in price from the rest of its coffee range. One conc! lusion to draw is that some of the traditional large retailers are cashing in on ethical consumerism to increase their margins. Take the cost of two different tomatoes; one is 20p, the other 35p - one is from Africa the other is from Somerset. One was bought from Tesco Express, the other from an independently run local produce shop. One is sprayed in pesticides; the other has been exposed to the elements. One was grown on land that is patrolled by thugs and funded by a bank you have never heard of; the other was grown in a field about two miles north of Hove in a farmers field whose family had owned it for generations. The food labels, if tomatoes carried such things, would be identical. It’s the “Tale of
38
Two Tomatoes” and if they had ethical labelling they would read very differently indeed.
Does Ethical Demand Really Exist?
So perhaps, as with the latest food labelling laws, the public need to be exposed to a standardised measure of the ethical costs of a product, or should we say the ethical compromises made to ensure that it could be successful according to its derived financial price. We can then see if ethical demand really exists. If effective ethical demand really does exist it will not be price driven, it will driven by the other costs normally associated with supply. Fashion too would be relative to what was achievable within ethical parameters, not simply within the realms of possibility.
What Can I Do About It?
At Ethical Junction we believe that ethical demand does exist. But, like the fundamental economic problem, it is not a perfect world. Moving in the right
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
direction is all anyone can do to create an ethically driven supply and demand chain - lots and lots of tiny steps in the right direction - millions of consecutive ethically driven decisions that help to shape the economy. And this can only be done if we co-operate. Ethical Junction represents more than one thousand enterprises that have signed up to do just this which is move in the same ethically guided direction. Choosing an Ethical Junction member as a supplier helps build the chain and consequently feeds into the development of core ethical principles held by thousands of people.
Ethical Junction (www. ethical-junction.org) is a not-for-profit community interest company that has established itself as the UK’s leading network of ethical businesses. Ethical Junction was established in 1999 and has an active network of over 1,100 companies and organisations that operate ethically and provide a range of goods and services which are environmentally friendly, sustainable, fairly traded and socially responsible.
Against Trafficking in the Chocolate Industry
by Stop The Traf f ic
Understanding
the
L a be l
s we are celebrating A Fair Trade Fortnight, the EcoChic team are sup-
porting a number of campaigns to raise awareness of the difference Fair Trade makes. Stop the Traffic have invited us all to take part in their campaign to bring an end to the trafficking of children in the chocolate industry. TRAFFICKING IS growing. 2-4 MILLION men, women and children are trafficked across borders and within their own country every year. More than one person is trafficked across borders EVERY MINUTE, which is equivalent to five jumbo jets every day. The trafficking trade that earns twice as much worldwide revenue as Coca Cola.
Why Fair Trade Chocolate?
you buy chocolate-give one to the shop. Let all the shops selling chocolate in your neighbourhood know why you are buying fair trade chocolate. ■Read Chaga and The Chocolate Factory to children.
Nestlé Kit Kat’s Go Fair Trade Late in 2009 we received the great news that Nestlé is to convert Kit Kat to Fair Trade and this is due to the vigorous campaign by STOP THE TRAFFIK. On Monday morning (December 7th) chocolate giant Nestlé UK will finally announce that Kit Kat is to be slavery free or fairly
Eat chocolate, eat lots of chocolate, but buy, eat and give fair trade. ■ At the moment fair trade is the best trafficked free guarantee we’ve got and it shows the Chocolate Industry that we want chocolate but we only want traffik free chocolate! ■ Because your choice - for traffik free chocolate matters! ■ Check out our Good Chocolate Guides to find out where to buy fair-trade chocolate. ■ Party, protest and fundraise. Host a chocolate fondue party and tell others about the chocolate campaign. ■ Drown your town in coupons! Download and carry our coupons around in your wallet/purse and every time
40
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
traded from January 2010.
A Partial Success Story But this good news is only partial. Though Nestlé have bowed to pressure from the STOP THE TRAFFIK campaign to clean up their act, they will also announce that this will only apply to their ‘four finger’ product. In other words, two finger Kit Kats and all of their other chocolate products will continue to exploit the chocolate slaves of the Ivory Coast from where Nestlé source most of their cocoa. Over the last few years STOP THE TRAFFIK campaigners have put pressure on the big chocolate manufacturers around the world to eradicate the worst
forms of child labour on the cocoa farms of Ivory Coast, West Africa where thousands of young children are trafficked, enslaved and abused to harvest the cocoa that makes over a third of the world’s chocolate. Tens of thousands of our campaigners have written letters, sent emails and text messages, twittered, facebooked, made phone calls, worn t-shirts and, most importantly, refused to eat anything other than traffik-free brands of chocolate.
Cadbury & Dairy Milk Goes Fair Trade In response, earlier this year, Cadbury launched fair trade Dairy Milk in the UK and Ireland. However, when STOP THE TRAFFIK’s global campaigners continued to demand this policy be applied globally,
it didn’t take long for the Dairy Milk fair-trade certification to spread to other parts of the world. Weeks later Mars capitulated to STOP THE TRAFFIK’s “March on Mars” campaign, promising that their Galaxy range will be Rainforest Alliance certified in 2010 with their whole product range traffik free by 2020. We know, from a number of inside sources in the industry that these changes are directly due to the pressure that STOP THE TRAFFIK has exerted at community level. Since summer 2009 STOP THE TRAFFIK has turned the heat up on Nestlé - a global giant with a poor human rights record - and in recent weeks has launched a new and hard-hitting Christmas campaign designed to bring the giant company to task. STOP THE TRAFFIK has learnt that from January 2010 the four finger Kit Kats will be fair trade and that this will be made pub-
lic on Monday. However, Nestlé still refuse to budge on their two finger biscuits. Steve Chalke - Founder of STOP THE TRAFFIK and the United Nations Special Advisor on Community Action Against Human Trafficking responded by saying: “We welcome the Nestlé announcement. We are relieved for the cocoa farmers and children in Ivory Coast. The surrender of Nestlé demonstrates that by making a simple consumer choice ordinary people can hold multi-nationals to account. Though we understand that it is hard to make all products ethical overnight, we want to see that this is more than a token gesture. So, we intend to keep the pressure on Nestlé until their commitment is global and product wide, like their competitor Mars. No chocolate should have the bitter aftertaste of slavery. Therefore our campaign continues”
Understanding
the
L a be l
by D eborah Miarkowska
airtrade and fairmined gold is officially F launched. First we had bananas and chocolate and
at last it is officially official, the fairtrade and fairmined gold mark is launched. Greg Valerio and his partners at ARM (The Association For Responsible Mining) and the Fairtrade Foundation have spent the last decade campaigning tirelessly to bring about the Fairtrade Gold Mark and on March 17th 2010 all the hard work and campaigning has paid off, the Fairtrade Gold Mark is now officially launched. View our gorgeous ethical jewellery collections here. Congratulations from us all at EcoChic Magazine to the Fairtrade Foundation, ARM and especially to our friend Greg Valerio, we salute you and think you are a national treasure. Greg shares the biggest gold story that the world has ever known. “I want to commend Fair Trade Foundation for their unwavering support for the
42
idea of FairTRADE Gold. As the founding director of CRED Jewellery, a leading fairtrade UK jewellery company, FTF have been at the forefront of making this important development a reality. The jewellery supply chain needs opening up. We need transparency, full disclosure and real economic justice for the millions of small scale miners who represent the majority of the workers in this sector. Fairtrade will help to deliver this to them and it cannot come to quickly. Bring it on. “Well done to everyone at Fairtrade Labeling and ARM. Today the ship is launched. We now have the best story in the gold world.�
Fair Trade and Fair Mined GoldStandardsWhat Does This Mean
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
Alleviating poverty faced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners and minimising environmental impacts of gold mining towards traceable gold was our long term vision launched over a decade ago. This week the Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) launches the first ever third party independent certification for gold, opening up market opportunities for millions of impoverished artisanal small-scale miners and their families. The new Fairtrade and Fairmined gold standards will mean that interested licensees can apply for certification of gold products such as jewellery, commemorative coins, ingots, medals, trophies and religious artefacts. An industry market survey of 96 companies across 11 countries identified consumer products such as wedding rings, dress rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets as potential products. Globally, over 100 million people who depend directly or indirectly on artisanaland small-scale gold mining are characterised by high levels of poverty and are trapped in unfair supply chains, and struggle to get a fair price for the gold they mine. The democratic organisation of miners, combined with added premium and increased access to markets, will allow miners’ organisations to improve the technology and working conditions at their mines, and also to develop community projects in education, health, environmental restoration and other forms of income. This would lead to more enduring and sustainable development in mining communities. Artisanal and small-scale
miners produce just 15% of global gold supplies, but make up 90% of labour in gold extraction. Through Fairtrade and Fairmined certification, miners can improve their economic, social and environmental conditions.
Support to Small Scale Miners Miners will get a better price for their gold, with increased security of the Fairtrade guaranteed minimum price. The Fairtrade minimum price for the pure gold content in unrefined gold is set at 95% of the London Bullion Market Association’s (LBMA), fixing at the FOB export point. Miners will receive a Fairtrade social premium, calculated as 10% of the applicable LBMA fixing. For Ecological Gold, gold that has been extracted without the use of chemicals and with strict ecological restoration requirements, an additional ecological premium, calculated as 5% of the applicable LBMA fixing on top of the Fairtrade premium must be paid.
Miners
Empowering Themselves Miners have the opportunity to empower themselves through their organisation. They form groups to give themselves better bargaining power with traders, to get a fairer return for their produce, and gain greater control over the jewellery supply chain. Though the price of gold is widely known in gold mining com-
munities, miners often receive less owing to the number of middle-men between the miner and exporter. Once everyone takes their percentage, the miner may receive as little as 70% of the LBMA. Fairtrade and Fairmined certification will provide miners the chance to ask for prefinancing from prospective buyers, and provide miners with a minimum price for their product creating more competition in local markets and so improving trading relations to the benefit of the miner. Certified miners must use safe and responsible practices for management of toxic chemicals in gold recovery, such as mercury and cyanide. Chemicals have to be reduced to a minimum, and where possible eliminated over the years. Miners earn an additional ecological premium when they recover gold through gravity only.
Conflict Free Gold The Fairtrade and Fairmined gold will not contribute to conflict or violence. On the contrary, where certified organisations are located in conflict areas, increased economic stability, transparency and traceability from sale of their certified gold may help contribute to peacebuilding. Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation said: ‘Companies and consumers will embrace this golden opportunity to make a real difference to miners’ lives. The launch of Fairtrade and Fairmined standards for gold provides a lifeline for communities who find themselves at the mercy Understanding
the
L a be l
of unbalanced markets, when agriculture and other livelihoods are not viable. Many face exploitation from middle men who pay below market prices and cheat them on weight and purity of the gold content. Mining community members lack basic sanitation, clean and safe drinking water, poor housing, little or no access to education and healthcare and are financially unstable. The Fairtrade and Fairmined standards are an important development tool, and will complement other development interventions. ‘Our research shows that customers believe buying jewellery for a special occasion holds greater value and significance if it carried the Fairtrade and Fairminedhallmark. People said that the label reassures both the giver and receiver that the miners are getting a better deal.’ Cristina Echavarria, ARM´s Executive Director, said: ‘The Fairtrade and Fairmined Standards are the best standards in the market today for gold in terms of development impact on mining communities. They even set an example for the large-scale mining industry on issues such as traceability. Fairtrade and Fairmined is the premium among consumer labels, taken up by the most conscious consumers, a growing market segment that is setting future trends. Through them artisanaland small-scale miners all over the world will gain legitimacy and recognition by the mining sector and governments so that a historically disenfranchised group, often abused by illegal groups, can finally get recognition for its contribution to the livelihoods of millions, and access the hearts and minds of consumers who want to ensure
44
that through their jewellery purchase, they can improve the lives and the environment of mining communities. Their decision is already impacting the whole of the mining and jewellery industries. This is a fundamental reason why we at ARM are so proud to have achieved this partnership with FLO and why the miners are so keen to deliver responsibly produced Fairtrade and Fairmined gold to ethical jewellers and consumers.’
ARM P i l o t i n g the Standards Across Nine Mining Organisations
The standard was piloted by ARM with nine legally established mining organisations in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and will now be open to applications all small-scale and artisanal gold mining organizations in Latin America. More producer organisations from Latin America are expected to join the system in 2011 and beyond. As from 2010 ARM will establish a network of pilot projects in Africa, and later in Asia. Manuel Reinoso Rivas, President of the Association of Artisanal Miner Producers of Central and Southern Peru, and ARM Board member says: ‘Fairtrade and Fairmined certification motivates all artisanal and small-scale miners, men and women alike, to press for better working conditions and above all improved healthand safety. We need to learn how to use clean, non-polluting technologies that will not only preserve
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
our environment but also help us recover increased quantities of metals. We are determined to cut the number of accidents and reduce the impact of occupational disease and help our workplaces and our communities to provide our fellow miners, our families, our wives and our children witha secure quality of life and an environment free from major risks and able to coexist with ours and others productive activities. In fulfilling this responsibility we are contributing to a better quality of life and setting an example to our own children and to future generations.’
Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold a Celebration
Fairtrade and Fairminedgold will be initially launched in the UK and then rolled out to other countries with a long term vision of capturing 5% of the gold jewellery market over a 15-year period, totalling 15 tonnes of Fairtrade and Fairmined gold annually. Fairtrade and Fairminedgold will be colabelled, bearing boththe FAIRTRADE Mark and the FAIRMINED Mark in order to present to the consumer the strength of the partnership between the two organisations. What a time of jubilation! It is indeed a victory for justice and a celebration of the difference that the Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold Mark will make to millions of artisanal miners. Please view our ethical jewellery ranges in our Boutique.
by Greg Vale r io
he gap between fact and emotion is T huge in the jewellery trade. It is one of the characteristics of our industry that
within the industry, no jeweller worth their salt throws away scrap, they recycled the value through the refiner or bullion house. In many cases however once that metal is scrapped it is then blended with fresh sources of metals so what comes to market as new metal can often be a mixture of recycled and new metal.
in many respects remains un-reconciled. There is no doubt in my mind that the rise in recent years of the ethical and fair trade jewellery debate has been largely due to the emotional and moral disconnect between source and finished product. When it comes to filling this apparent void, there has been a rush of well-intentioned ideas and the use of recycled metals is very close to the top of many jewelAs the GFMS table below demonstrates, lers lists of actions that can be taken. In silver coming to market does so through a fact there are now a number of jewellery number of sources, primary mining and as brands as well as metal trade suppliers the principle by-product of gold, copper, claiming a strong responsible ethical mes- lead and zinc mining. In fact only 28% of sage around the phrase ‘100% recycled’ silver that hit the world market in 2008 From the outset I wish to be clear that I was from primary silver mines. The rest believe using 100% recycled metals in (72%) came through the secondary chanjewellery is a definite ethical improvenels. ment. Yet I am also of the opinion that it As the following statement from the Biris has a limSilver Output by Source Metal ited impact on ethical performance within the jewellery and broader metal trade. The process for scrapping gold and silver is well known Source: GFMS Understanding
the
L a be l
mingham Assay Office shows: ‘Silver volumes exceeded gold by nearly 600,000 articles in the period, representing an unprecedented 58% of articles hallmarked in the UK. Considering that silver items weighing less than 7.78 grams do not need to be hallmarked the true amount of silver introduced to the market is well in excess of this and the trend looks likely to continue’. This recent increase in silver jewellery is being supplied not only from then recycled source but also from the secondary sources of silver like, gold, lead, copper mining. In essence what I am saying is that the demand for new metal coming into the supply chain, outstrips the amount of silver being sold back in to the system through recycling. This is also born out from figures in the UK industry for 2008 gold consumption. The UK consumed 36 tonnes of gold of which 10 tonnes was recycled or scrap. Again the demand outstripped the recycling inputs. Of course there seem to be many reasons why this is, given that many people rightly point out that there is enough metal above ground to cover off the total jewellery demand. I offer these few observations as to why recycling will only ever be part of a more comprehensive approach to supply chain ethics.
46
1
People do not treat jewellery like tin cans. For many people they don’t recycle/scrap as their jewellery is sentimental or is treated as investment. To scrap jewellery is in many respects selling your future or your history, only something you do when you are extremely desperate.
2
The way the financial markets are set up to speculate on the price of gold and other metals, going up or down means there is always investment money to be made on trades that act like a ‘Hoover’ sucking all they can into the economy. This means new metal is always required. 2008 saw around 2600 tonnes of gold mined in one year.
3
Given that the majority of people employed in mining are small-scale miners driven to work in very marginal circumstances because of poverty, gold is cash in the ground that feed families and pay rents.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
I have always found fascinating to note that largescale mining employs the fewest amount of people and drives over 80% of the value, whilst smallscale mining employs the majority yet is left with the crumbs from the table. The Old Testament prophets and the odd rock star would have a comment or two to make about this imbalance on the scales of justice. These simple facts alone have a huge influence on how far recycled metals can and will impact the overall ethical position of a piece of jewellery. Recycling certainly has value, it does not take any fresh metal from the ground, but it also does not challenge the overall economic structure that creates such a voracious appetite for new gold and has absolutely no impact on the poverty issues that drive people to small-scale mining. In today’s current ethical landscape I believe the strongest ethical position that a jeweller or a brand can adopt is to use fair trade, independently certified sources wherever possible and in the absence of a source that meets that criteria to adopt recycling as a practice. In short; Recycling = good practice Recycling + fair trade = current best practice Companies that supply recycled and/or certified fair trade metals to the UK market are Hoover & Stron and CRED Jewellery. Sources; The Birmingham Assay Office UK hallmarking figures Jan to March 2010 here The Silver Institute. World Silver Survey 2009 A Summary.
U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e L a be l J ewe l l e r y
Understanding
the
L a be l
by Greg Vale r io n 1999 my friend Christian and I travIjewellery. elled to India on a trip to buy fair trade We insisted upon visiting a
local garnet mine to better understand the source of our jewellery. It was a horrendous parade of child indentured labour and gender exploitation in a 110f degrees of heat with no clean water. Hell is a real place. Since then I have campaigned for real change in the jewellery sector. Fair Trade is a simple idea that has the power to revolutionise an industry that has a moral and ethical disconnect between the source of the product and the customer that wears it. It is the idea of putting the small-scale miner at the heart of the jewellery story. Its the idea that the environment and eco-system from which our precious metals and gemstones emerge is not there to be abused but cherished. It is the idea of connecting the source with the high street and putting more value into the hands of the small-scale miner and guar-
48
anteeing a better deal for them. It is my desire and the to make it culturally unacceptable to buy a piece of jewellery that is not socially and environmentally certified as responsible. Since starting out on this journey in 1996 I have seen huge changes in an industry that is notorious for being conservative and secretive. We are dedicated to calling for change and to recording the movement as it happens. The EcoChic team support CRED every step of the way and work together for the same aims, it is a pleasure and a privaledge. CRED is an exceptional story with a luxury jewellery collection that is both pure and beautiful to it’s core. View the CRED Collection in EcoChic Boutique here. Image courtesy of CRED Jewellery, with special thanks.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
by Ste phanie For te sc ue
Understanding
the
L a be l
o one can deny that N when a shiny new piece of jewellery glimmers in
the corner of your eye, the beauty and glamour of it just swathes you in layers of desire, attraction and longing. Sadly, there’s one emotion that’s often overlooked - guilt. The outward appearance of jewellery more often than not contradicts what lies behind it, a web of ugly blood sweat and tears underneath a surface elegance, charm and allure. What goes into making such a beautiful item is a world apart from what it appears, not only for the people involved its creation, but the environment too.
The production of gold alone causes monumental damage to the world we live in. Waters are poisoned from the use of acid mining and surrounding areas become infiltrated with fatal amounts of chemicals such as cyanide. Immense piles of toxic waste are left over from mining and dangerous chemicals such as sulphur and oxides of nitrogen, key components of acid rain, are released into the air as gold is extracted. As if the physical effects weren’t enough, the devastating effects on local communities are just as bad. Suffering the destructive consequences on the environment first hand., livelihoods are lost, individuals taken advantage of and whole communities destroyed. Mining companies have little regard for locals and more often that not, bring devastation and corruption. A far cry from the beauty of the final product. Since the launch of the
50
1.
2.
3.
1. CRED Ful Earrings Gold £80.85 2. CRED Ful Pendant Gold £80.85 3. CRED Ful Necklace Gold £165
first Fair Trade coffee label in 1988, its popularity has grown increasingly. With sales of certified products topping £500m in 2007, it’s far more than just coffee on the shelves nowadays. When major names began to take on the ‘ethical’ approach to consumerism in later years, the Fair Trade range widened even further into areas such as the fashion industry.
Many shoppers have come to see Fair Trade as the more ‘moral’ path to take in the twisted route of
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
consumerism, but what exactly is it that makes it the ‘right’ path to take. Products bearing the certified label are part of the process in trying to close the gap between rich and poor. By ensuring farmers and workers aren’t abused, and providing them with opportunities that the conventional trade system normally cheats them of, economy can then flourish in developing countries as it should be able to. Fair Trade jewellery respects these aspects by paying fair prices to workers which reflect the true cost of production, supporting them in their social and environmental projects and promoting gender equality in pay and working conditions. By doing this, access to markets is increased and commitment to long term relationships provides stability and security. Above all, Fair Trade campaigns to raise awareness of the unequal system of world trade which positions profit above human rights and threatens our planet.
Fair Trade puts the beauty and elegance back jewellery. It’s based on decency and legitimacy, a sturdy grounding compared to the shaky foundations of treachery, corruption and exploitation. Remarkable pieces come from the values and essence that are so often forgotten in conventional trading methods. Unique, hand made or locally sourced, you’re guaranteed a guilt-free shopping experience when buying Fair Trade.
February 14th 2011 is a date for the diary and one worthy of celebration. The Fairtrade Foundation and Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) have collaborated on a joint venture to introduce certified fair-trade gold for the first time in 2011, to protect the rights of miners and maintain the environment. The new system will give mines the opportunity to apply for recognised Fairtrade status, and retailers the chance to offer consumers certified gold for the first time. Applicant mines will be visited by independent certification auditor FloCert, to ensure the mine is compliant with the Fairtrade standard. The Foundation is also currently in talks with the Assay Office to develop a Fairtrade
standard. Right now there isn’t any traceability, and jewellers don’t know where their gold has come from. Having a certified gold source will reassure customers and add value to retail jewellers’ businesses.”
‘jewel-stamp’ that will sit next to traditional hallmarking and prove validity. Greg Valerio, Fairtrade Foundation business development manager said at our the first Ethical Fashion Network for Sussex, “the introduction will increase transparency, and allow retailers to prove to customers that their gold comes from a Fairtrade source. He said: “This is the first time there has been a Fairtrade gold
Over several years we have been sourcing the most exceptional handcrafted fair trade jewellery and it gives us great pleasure to showcase our range here.
Understanding
the
L a be l
by Greg Vale r io
eing a fair trade and B ethical jeweller is not easy. It takes time, money
and conviction to move towards a place where our knowledge of the impact our business has on our supply chain is as detailed as our knowledge of our finished products, customers and profit lines. Some have argued that it is not the responsibility of the jeweller to engage in the many complex issues that the long and complicated supply chains throw up. Yet as we all know, first through the impact that ‘conflict diamonds’ has had on us and now the emerging issue of ‘dirty gold’, our customers will be increasingly influenced by media and campaign groups on issues around jewellery. As retailers we are the front line in answering the consumer questions. If we cannot answer and demonstrate progress on social and environmental issues we may find ourselves being left behind as the industry moves forward and as a result losing customers. In this piece I want to explore in headline terms the virtues of Fairtrade Gold and the value of recycled gold as practices for us to explore as jewellers.
Fair trade is an economic response to a development
52
need. In short it represents a way to deliver economic justice to the poor and marginalised communities. When I began to research what Fair Trade jewellery should look like, it did not take me very long to discover that the huge hidden issue in the jewellery supply chain was the issue of artisanal & small-scale miners (ASM) being treated extremely badly by local and national authorities as well as large-scale mining companies. With over 100 million people globally dependent on ASM for a livelihood it is the second largest employer in the world. The reason fair trade as an idea has been so successful is because it combines a) a set of clear standards applicable to the product in question (gold in our case) b) it provides for a social premium, paid directly to the miners for their communal social benefit c) it uses 1/3rd party independent auditors to confirm that the claims that are made against the product are true d) the process is voluntary and based upon the conviction that the participant believes in the process and wants to make their contribution to sustainability in our world. Below are some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) that fair trade gold will directly address and why socially and environmentally responsible jewellers will look to stock fair trade gold.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
G
1.
oal Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
G o a l 2. Promote gender equality and empower women.
G 7. G o a l 8. Develop a global partnership for de-
oal Ensure environmental sustainability. velopment.
Recycling Reduces new gold coming in to the supply chain. Approximately 30% of global gold production is recycled, however at this stage it is not enough to supply market demand. For example the UK consumes around 36 tonnes of gold (10 tonnes of this being recycled). However as there is no official statistic gathering system currently in place it is difficult to assess exactly what the overall measure is or impact that recycling is having on the supply chain. Whilst recycling does bring environmental benefits, it does not have any impact for those living in ASM communities where many people are landless and agricultural activities are not viable, leaving ASM as their only alternative to informal employment in city shanty towns.
If a company is intending to move to a more recycled option then they should make the point to seek out a supply company that guarantees 100% of what they offer is actually recycled. The way scrap gold is handled by most operators is that they mix it with fresh sources of gold when it comes to re-refining. Given the lack of physical traceability in the gold supply chain this could mean dirty gold getting into supplies that are sold as recycled, thereby undermining the ethical positioning of recycling.
For the jeweller moving towards a more ethical supply chain the virtuous circle of sourcing, to maximise the impact on your supply chain as well as create the halo effect for your customers is fairly straight forward
and in principle is as follows. Three simple principles to improving your ethical credentials Firstly, always seek to source certified metals. This way you are not only improving the demonstrable ethical improvements in your business, you are also saying to your customers you are widening your range of products. Experience from fair trade shows that customers are genuinely attracted to businesses that can show a commitment to social and environmental concerns. It also means you do not have to compromise on design and style as most suppliers of certified metals are now able to do short run fabrication on sheet and wire for example. Secondly, in the absence of a certified product, use 100% recycled material. Although recycled does not have the developmental or social impact that fair trade
has, it does prove a clear movement in the right direction on environmental sustainability issues, which are very important given the fact that all metals are mined and mining is a very intrusive and often very polluting activity. As now doubt we have all heard at some point, reduce, reuse and recycle! Thirdly, always ask the physical traceability question. In fact traceability is the defining issue in the ethical debate in the industry. If the jewellery suppliers cannot prove traceability, then how can we look our customers in the eye and claim an ethical product. Traceability is the cradle that nurtures the ethical debate and delivers the social good. The more we make traceability our mantra as jewellers, the more we will see the industry change to support the needs of our customers.
Although the principles for improving our ethical credentials as jewellers may on paper be fairly simple, implementing these principles can often be far from simple. It does take time and patience to achieve tangible improvements in these areas. By setting realistic targets it is more than possible over time to convert some, if not all, our product to the certified, recycled and traceable principles outlined above. There is a great deal of satisfaction to know that moving towards ethical principles in jewellery is delivering tangible change for the good. Sources for certified metals. CRED Sources / Oro Verde Sources for 100% recycled metals: Hoover & Strong Understanding
the
L a be l
image is courtesy of Avasarah.com
by D eborah Miarkowska
s the saying goes, “diamonds are a A girl’s best friend” and gold and silver are the most sought after precious metals
in the world. View our gorgeous collections here. Behind the finished product, mining for gold, silver and the extraction of diamonds is in reality a dirty business. There are countless stories of exploitation and use of child labour throughout the world in the jewellery industry today. In spite of the short-term economic benefits it may bring, the mining and processing of precious metals and gems is hazardous for workers and communities alike and can often devastate important ecosystems. Yet boycotting the use of mined minerals would deprive literally millions of artisanal miners and gem manufacturers of desperately needed livelihoods. Ethical Jewellery is all about a marriage of ethics and aesthetics. As campaigners for Fair Trade and ethical practices in the jewellery industry; EcoChic Collection is collaborating with a growing number of ethical jewellers, who are championing the cause for a fair trade jewellery industry and who can help us achieve our dream of 100% independently certified Fair Trade jewellery. View our gorgeous ethical jewellery range here. Oria Ethical jewellery is a wonderful example. Oria are dedicated to making beautiful, fine jewellery in a socially responsible way and passionate about respecting nature. They take the greatest care in sourcing the most ethically pro-
54
duced materials available. In doing this they are supporting small-scale, fair-trade companies that have good working conditions, pay decent wages and do not engage in the use of child labour. The metals, diamonds and coloured stones that Oria use in their ethical jewellery can all be traced from the mine to the consumer. CRED is a true pioneer in the fair trade jewellery industry and has campaigned tirelessly for fair trade jewellery practices and environmental sustainability over the last decade. CRED uses their demand for minerals to help improve the livelihoods and protect the environments of the people whose lives are affected by our business activities. These are just two beautiful examples of pioneers in the fair trade and ethical jewellery industry and their work is literally changing lives.
E c o C h i c C o l l e c t i o n M a g a z i n e www.ecochiccollection.co.uk
Our ethical jewellery collections are growing and growing and we are just delighted. Please take a look at our beautiful range of Ethical & Fair Trade Jewellery. Our first image is courtesy of Avasarah.com, who like us are promoters of jewellery designers who wish to make a difference in our world.
Image courtesy of CRED Jewellery
by D eborah Miarkowska
s the saying goes, “diamonds are a A girl’s best friend”, and gold and silver are the most sought after precious metals
in the world. Everyone loves beautiful jewellery. It does not matter how expensive it is, or whether it holds diamonds rubies, or if it is a necklace or pair of earrings. However, more and more people who love jewellery have now become concerned that the pieces they are wearing have contributed towards damaging the environment and the exploitation of workers and craftsmen in other countries. We believe these are issues that everyone should be aware of and if this is something that is important to you, then you may want to know more about ethical jewellery and fair trade jewellery. View our gorgeous ethical & fairtrade jewellery collections here.
A lot of jewellery that is produced can involve the exploitation of human and natural resources. For example, when gold is mined in Peru, cyanide is used in the process which can cause a number of health problems for the miners working with it and to the natural environment. Similarly, some open pit gold mines have caused so much destruction to the land; they can be seen from space.
Many sweatshops all over the world are used for manufacturing jewellery, and
the wage and conditions of their workers experience needs to be taken into consideration, afterall it is a fundamental human right. Nowadays, lots of people are becoming more concerned about such issues and wish to buy ethical jewellery which are certainly worthy of their support. Ethical jewellery is made from co-operatively run gold mines. This minimises the damage caused to environment. Other sustainable materials are also being used, for example, recycled glass and off cuts of wood. The producers of ethical jewellery are paid fair wages, which are in line with the cost of living in the countries the jewellery is being produced in.
Earlier in March 2010 the fair trade jewellery industry had something quite extraordinary to celebrate, with the launch of the fair mined and fair trade gold mark. View our earlier feature, Gold goes green as fair trade goes mining. Investment such as training and improving workplaces is made within the communities where fairtrade jewellery is made and the social premium goes along way to supporting the needs of local people. We’d love you to join us in our celebration of ethical and fairtrade jewellery. Go here to view our gorgeous range of fair trade and ethical jewellery. Celebrate ethical jewellery and fair trade jewellery prduction, it is an exceptional story. Understanding
the
L a be l
Understanding
the
L a be l