If you want to buy environmentally friendly green clothing or products and have been doing some research and wonder just what Fair Trade is and whether it’s going to fill the bill, this may help you out. (For more on green clothing and what it is, take a look at http://greenclothingguide.com/).
The primary principles of Fair Trade are that it was designed to be more fair to developing countries’ producers of marketable items, be they coffee, tea, rugs, women’s clothing, infant clothing, fashion jewelry, organic baby products, or any other item, coupled with the need to support the sustainability of the environment. International standards have been developed to protect the rights of those working to produce Fair Trade products such as: not permitting child labor, promoting gender equality, protecting worker safety in the workplace, and implementing human rights practices according to the United Nations. They also encourage more fair pricing than formerly practiced, allowing producers more access to direct markets, and providing support and development of producers’ skill sets, among others. There are guidelines on managing end-to-end process of production through ecologically sound principles of land protection and conservation, and ethical purchasing of raw materials.
To protect the consumer, production standards provide guidelines on merchandise quality and consistency so products meet customary values of the contemporary, international market. These guidelines are used to educate the producers, sellers, and consumers throughout the supply chain, and are monitored by international Fair Trade organizations.
Whether you are buying Fair Trade women’s clothing, coffee, jewelry, or any other product, it is wise to review the labeling if you want to be assured that what you are buying actually meets internationally agreed upon Fair Trade standards. The Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). (FLO) Fairtrade Certification Mark is used for Fairtrade product labeling.
The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) FTO Mark is for Fair Trade organizations that have registered and agreed that they are 100% Fair Trade organizations in all their practices.
Buying “green” or environmentally friendly clothing or products, if that is your choice, can be a daunting experience, but a rewarding one. There are many types of clothing and products that are labeled as such, but you as a smart consumer, would benefit from knowing exactly what you are looking for and how to tell whether it fits your needs; that depends how and where the clothing is produced, under which standards, and whether production is monitored.
The labels tell the story.
Whether you are already a fan of international clothing or products, or have never explored them before, and you care about their ethical and environmentally friendly production, the Fair Trade market is an exciting one to explore. There are many wonderful and beautiful clothing and product offerings in the international marketplace. There are many great modern organic products out there to choose from!Participating in the Fair Trade market as a consumer can be a jump into a whole new experience, helps the world economy and those of developing countries, and opens up new ties with other cultures.