As we will soon be working under de Fairtrade (Max Havelaar) mark with Clean&Unique, the collective of young designers we are part off, we where at the on-board session at the Max Havelaar office beginning of this week.
Max Havelaar is the Dutch name for the in wider Europe known Fairtrade mark. In the Netherlands Max Havelaar is added to the logo. And when the Fairtrade logo is on cotton products it always states certified cotton as in contrast to other Fairtrade products with cotton only the farming process can be Fairtrade certified at this moment.

What is it exactly the Fairtrade mark stands for, and in what way do the workers in developing countries profit from the work of Fairtrade?
Fairtrade makes sure the farmers in developing countries receive a minimum price for their coffee or cacao beans, bananas or cotton for example. Besides this minimum price the farmers also receive a premium.
This premium has two important purposes.
1. Give the farmers the opportunity to take their future in their own hands.
The co-operations can choose where they spend the premium on. This can be on schools, infrastructure or ways to improve the cultivation techniques. Most of the time the premiums are spend on the organization and production, but also schooling is an important cause.
2. Unite the farmers, which is important to be able to train the farmers and to enable them to share their knowledge and techniques. This will result in more profit per acre.

Which are the Fairtrade standards?
On the people front Fairtrade stands for:
- Honest wages
- Banish forced child labour. Child labour means that a child is forced to work on the land and is kept away from school. This is different than when children help their parents on the land after school in busy periods
- Safety at work
-Equal rights among employees

On the Eco front Fairtrade stands for:
-Protection of soil and water
-Lessen the use of pesticides
- Lessen waste and more recycling (an example is the recycling of water in a banana cooperation)
-Stimulation of organic farming (this is not mandatory, only stimulated)
Often Fairtrade products are at the same time organic. E.g. 70% of the Fairtrade coffee is at the same time organic certified. The Fairtrade standards often lead to a positive effect on the natural resources.

Fairtrade Cotton
In the field of cotton Fairtrade is not seeing to the whole production process yet.
On this point in time only the cotton picking process can be Fairtrade certified. The spinning, ginning and manufacturing process is not.
A requirement for Fairtrade certified cotton is that it can only exist of Fairtrade cotton, which is not mixed with non certified Fairtrade cotton. It may only be mixed with materials other than cotton. Fairtrade certified cotton is not necessarily organic. When it is Fairtrade as well as organic this is most of the time stated on the washing label.
Fairtrade is aiming to develop a methodology to also be able to certify the other parts of the cotton production process. This is complicated and therefore there are some pilots going on. We will be part of one of these pilots, which is all very exciting and we will certainly keep you up to date on this matter.

We do think Fairtrade does great work as we very much believe in empowerment.

Coming Thursday, April 8th, TOMS is asking people to go the day, part of the day or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience a life without shoes firsthand, and to help spread awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child's life. When you participate and come to our store barefoot you will receive a 10% discount on your TOMS shoes Thursday April 8th 2010.
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what TOMS shoes is all about.

Why shoes?
Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk. Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot. Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation. Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

There is one simple solution...SHOES.

The change to Fair Trade and Organic cotton is paying off for the farmers and families. In Mali, the biggest cotton country of Africa more and more farmers are taking a step forward towards a production of fair trade and organic cotton. Last week Max Havelaar and non profit organisation ICCO where on a fact finding mission in Mali. Mali is one of the pourest countries in the world but the long staple makes Mali having one of the best cotton. During their visit Max Havelaar spoke to N'Koro Bagayogo, head of a cooperation of cotton farmers. He is telling that the women could not go to the fields beacuse of the pesticides and even washing the clothes of their men could lead to dead. Villages get into money problems and when the cotton price was low or the crop let down the costs for pesticides and chemical fertilizers could not be paid off. Due to the arrival of Max Havelaar these stories belong to the past for more and more villages in Mali. Because of the work of Max Havelaar the farmers are getting a fixed price for their cotton and production is slowly growing. For the whole story please check on P+

09 May 09 is World Fair Trade Day. This day is dedicated to the people and organizations who have made Fair Trade to what it is today. World Fair Trade Day is to show that Fair Trade is a solution to poverty and to environmental degradation and bad practice. All over the world events are taking place today to celebrate World Fair Trade Day. World Fair Trade Day is also a day which shows us that we can have our voice be heard. We can vote by buying Fair Trade products.

At the Clean&Unique "Passion" meeting last thursday Kalpona Akter from Bangladesh, former worker in a textile factory, told us her story. Kalpona has been working for years in a textile factory and is now working for the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity. When Kalpona was 12,5 years old she started working in the textile factory to support her family. She started with a salary of €3,- per month. She told us during the meeting that there were lots of days, when she was making more than 20 hours. On these days she did not even have time to go home and sleep or shower between working days.

There was only one toiletcard for fifty people, which the supervisor kept. When someone needed to go to the toilet permission had to be asked from the supervisor. Nowadays the minimum wage in textile factories in Bangladesh rose to about €20,- a month. Ninety percent of the companies pays it's workers in time, and cases of physical and sexual harassment decreased in recent years. So some change luckily came already. This is achieved because workers and consumers wanted this Kalpona explained us. In 2006 there was an enormous rise from workers in Bangladesh, as at the same time from the other side consumers where putting pressure on western brands. But more change is still needed Kalpona assures us. And help of consumers is very much needed. Boycotting products from Bangladesh will not help the people in Bangladesh, as 76% of the export products in Bangladesh are garments, Kalpona explained. But it does help if we keep putting pressure on the brands and companies, who buy and produce their products in Bangladesh, to take their responsibility. Kalpona is now telling her story when she is travelling through Europe to inform consumers here about the working circumstances in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh she educates workers regarding their rights and encourages them to join labour parties. We were very much impressed by Kalpona's story and her as a person. Let us all give her a hand and wonder where and how are garments are made when we buy them.