Choosing us for your apparel needs means supporting a more equitable future for those who produce it.
The choices you make matter.
By choosing us, you are supporting:
Famers
By buying our products, you support democratically-organized farmers, such as Chenta. Fair Trade not only supplies them with a fair price and social premium, but it also facilitates long-term trade relationships and support for capacity building. This support enables Chenta to become more entrepreneurial in its business operations and an important local development actor, working to promote a more diverse and sustainable local economy, as well as gender equality.
Workers
The garment sector is among the most exploitative manufacturing industries. Fair Trade seeks to ensure that workers have sustainable livelihoods and are able to exercise basic labour rights (healthy and safe work environment, right to organize, etc.). We work with suppliers that take these goals very seriously.
Students
As a campus based-cooperative, we support students in three basic ways. First, as consumers, we provide them with access to sustainable garments. Second, as students, we provide them with experiential education opportunities (through placement courses, internships, summer job programs) which help them to understand and experience the opportunities and challenges in developing sustainable businesses. Part of our goal here is to help develop a new generation of sustainable entrepreneurs. Third, we also provide students with research opportunities to investigate sustainable businesses (especially Fair Trade enterprises).
Planet
Historically, the cotton sector has been one of the most environmentally damaging industries and the largest user of chemical insecticides and herbicides. By supporting Fair Trade and organic cotton producers, you not only help to eliminate such dangerous chemicals from the environment, but you also support farmers that are committed to agroecological approaches to farming, which help to preserve local ecosystems and bio-diversity.
