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Fairtrade cotton - a look behind the label
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Your Fairtrade cotton T-shirt attracts admiring looks wherever you go. Even better, you can be happy in the knowledge that the cotton it’s made from is providing a stable income for whole communities, because it’s benefiting the most disadvantaged people in the cotton supply chain – the farmers.
At Agrocel, a Fairtrade cooperative in Gujurat, India, Chakuben and Laljibnai Narranbhai make natural pesticides and fertilisers for cotton from chilli, garlic, and even cow dung and urine. The fair price the couple receive for their work has brought new opportunities for their family. ‘I did not get any education but I want my children to. Because of the Fairtrade price, I can send them to school’ says Laljibnai. These natural pesticides are saving the co-operative money, protecting workers’ health and are kinder to the environment than conventional practices. Fairtrade standards encourage farmers to continually cut down on their use of pesticides and if possible, work towards full organic production on their farm. Other farmers in the Agrocel co-operative make their fields attractive to insect-eating birds in order to protect their crops.
The Narranbhais and the other members of the Agrocel co-operative rely heavily on cotton for their income. They receive 37% more for their Fairtrade certified cotton than they would have earned on the conventional market. This additional money, along with the Fairtrade premium, has allowed them to invest in their farms and the future of their communities.
At Agrocel, 99% of the cotton produced is Fairtrade, and 30% of that is organic. Farmers growing cotton certified as Fairtrade are also encouraged to grow other crops such as maize, sesame and cumin. It’s better for the soil than always growing cotton, and means they have something to fall back on if the cotton crop fails. The premium has funded training in farming techniques for members of Agrocel, to help them get the best yields from their cotton. In this arid area of India, rainwater is precious. Using the Fairtrade premium, Agrocel members have planted fruit trees. They earn extra money by selling the fruit and the trees play their part by preventing soil erosion and replenishing ground water levels. Some of the farmers also own farm animals, which they use to help them in the fields. The Fairtrade premium is also used to provide veterinary checks for these animals.
After the cotton leaves the Agrocel farmers, it goes to be spun into yarn to make Fairtrade cotton clothing. Some cotton will go to factories that supply supermarkets and high street shops, while other cotton will be made into clothes sold by fair trade organisations. These are companies that take Fairtrade beyond the cotton farming stage covered by the Fairtrade standards, and apply the Fairtrade principles of supporting producers, investing in communities and decent working conditions to the people making the finished products.
One link in such ethical supply chains is Assisi Garments, also based in India. They make beautiful clothes for companies like People Tree. Assisi Garments was founded to give jobs to deaf mute and poor women who were considered unfit for marriage by their families. From an initial staff of five, now 150 people work for Assisi. Agrocel’s cotton might pass through the expert hands of Sonya, a tailor. The money Sonya saves from her wages allows her to provide for her family and save towards her dowry, without which, she would not have a hope of getting married. Thomas, Sonya’s colleague at Assisi, is a pattern master. He lives in the men’s dormitory with free rent and meals. This means he can save his wages for when he has a family to feed and educate.
| One link in such ethical supply chains is Assisi Garments, also based in India. They make beautiful clothes for companies like People Tree. Assisi Garments was founded to give jobs to deaf mute and poor women who were considered unfit for marriage by their families. From an initial staff of five, now 150 people work for Assisi. Agrocel’s cotton might pass through the expert hands of Sonya, a tailor. The money Sonya saves from her wages allows her to provide for her family and save towards her dowry, without which, she would not have a hope of getting married. Thomas, Sonya’s colleague at Assisi, is a pattern master. He lives in the men’s dormitory with free rent and meals. This means he can save his wages for when he has a family to feed and educate. |
If you want to know exactly who stitched your Fairtrade cotton clothes, why not do it yourself? Gossypium sells kits of ready to sew shapes made with organic, Fairtrade cotton from Agrocel, for you to piece together a pretty dress or top to wear with pride. Also available are lengths of cotton for you to go as wild as you wish and create the outfit of your dreams, Fairtrade-style.
Currently the Fairtrade standards are designed to benefit the cotton farmer, however the global Fairtrade system is currently researching ethical supply chains to help draw up future international Fairtrade standards for textiles. When you buy cotton carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark you know cotton farmers always benefit. Going a step further and buying Fairtrade cotton from dedicated fair trade companies means your choice is making an even greater difference, not just to those who grow the cotton but also to other marginalised workers across the world.
©Autumn2008 Fair Comment