Fair Trade + Ecology: the formula works!

Bravo and thank you IFAT members! You are absolutely spot on: Fair Trade + Ecology is the right formula the only formula in fact to solve our world's major defect: the inherently exploitative nature of our global economy.

We (in the 'western world') have built our wealth by passing on our costs to someone else. Take fashion for example: how did our favourite fashion labels become so powerful on the high streets? The trendy $100 denims may have been bought for $5 or less from the factory, so who's paying the true costs?

Garment workers, cotton farmers, and whole communities are certainly paying a heavy price, with their cheap labour, their sweat, their health, and their natural resources.

By combining the use of sustainable raw material such as organic cotton with fair and transparent supply chains where all actors - cotton farmers, garment workers, designers - are celebrated as integral partners in the business venture, many Fair Trade clothing labels are putting this formula into practice. Farmers and workers are paid a fair price, enjoy better health care, and are able to develop their infrastructures: efficient irrigation systems, water treatment plants powered by renewable energy. Water resources are protected, soil fertility improves, biodiversity is recovered. These incredibly valuable resources will allow future generations to grow their own food, drink clean water, live side by side with thriving wildlife, and better cope with the upcoming challenges of climate change.

How fair can a garment be if cotton farmers are poisoned by pesticides considered too dangerous to use in Europe? We at the Pesticide Action Network are grateful to IFAT members for recognizing that environmental protection must be at the heart of Fair Trade.

Fair Trade + Ecology = the sustainable way forward: the equation works! Let's demonstrate it to the world.