World Fair Trade Day
Ethical Superstore: You initiated World Fair Trade Day – what is it for?
Safia Minney: It’s actually a huge celebration! World Fair Trade Day isn’t simply about consumers in the so-called North, but about strengthening the Fair Trade producer groups in the Southern countries. Celebrities, media and politicians will be involved, but it’s really about the producers themselves. Whether they are going to gather around the Taj Mahal in India, in Peru or in Zimbabwe, it is a day where Fair Trade and everything it stands for will be expressed. That’s the excitement of it.
The theme of this year’s World Fair Trade Day is Fair Trade and ecology – why?
SM: With the increased concern over climate change, what has become really apparent is that the disadvantaged communities supported by the Fair Trade movement, are the ones living in areas that are now more affected by flood and draught. So we are seeing the adverse effects of climate change on the very organisations that Fair Trade is targeting. But poverty alleviation and environmental protection go hand in hand – with one we are able to support the other.
What about the carbon footprint of Fair Trade products when they travel so far?
SM: It’s important that we look at the overall carbon footprint. The communities that Fair Trade aims to assist are people that have an incredibly tiny environmental footprint. They key is that Fair Trade is supporting hand production, processes that are organic, or use natural and biodegradable materials – all low carbon. Furthermore, Fair Trade producers are given long-term business commitments allowing farmers to invest in such energy-efficient activities as organic farming, low impact forms of dying, or using solar energy.
As ethical fashion is now noteworthy for its style alone, are we at risk of overlooking the role of the Fair Trade producer?
SM: Yes, we sometimes forget about the producer dimension today. It’s healthy that more people are starting to buy ethically and appreciate the extra benefit that is added. Where I do have an issue is when the term ethical fashion is used to talk about mass, factory-produced fashion where only the very minimum labour standards are met with income levels that can’t sustain a living wage in so-called ethical factories.
Is Fair Trade fashion mainstream enough?
SM: Fairtrade cotton fibre is becoming more available on the high street. Brands like Top Shop do have a Fairtrade cotton range, but of course the manufacture isn’t Fair Trade. So Fair Trade fashion is not yet as mainstream as we would like. There is a still a lot of work to do.
You got into bed to do business with Top Shop recently, are you happy that you have made an impact for Fair Trade?
SM: The objective of People Tree has always been to provide as many livelihoods to disadvantaged communities around the developing world as possible. In five years time we may ask whether it will be the ten thousand people that we’ve provided incomes for, or the fact that we have been a catalyst for changing the way that conventional fashion does its business. Perhaps the latter will have more overall impact. But the point is we’ve been able to show the Fair Trade model works on the high street, putting both the people that make the clothing and the environment at the top of the agenda.
What can we do to get involved on World Fair Trade Day this May 10?
SM: It will be really exciting to build more awareness of the Day by rooting out the brands online and learn more about the Fair Trade movement. It isn’t only about the FLO Mark, but also those initiatives that run around it like the International Fair Trade Association organisations.
And the future – what are you looking forward to?
SM: People Tree is continually working to re-educate consumers. Things like encouraging washing at 30 and not 60 degrees whilst using environmentally-friendly brands such as Ecover. Without that, People Tree and Fair Trade groups can’t introduce new and exciting natural dye fashion collections, such as those we have in Japan. I look forward to the day when we have a more informed consumer.
