COTTOVER ®
COMPLIANCE
FAIRTRADE
We could go on and on about Fairtrade. It’ s that amazing, and we’ re delighted about the fact that Cottover is able to contribute. In short, Fairtrade is an international certification of raw materials grown in countries with widespread poverty. The certification means that the product is produced in accordance with high social, economic and environmental standards. But Fairtrade is so much more, always protecting the people behind the products.
Approximately one quarter of the world’ s working population is employed in agriculture, and it’ s in this category that Fairtrade has its focus. Behind the products we consume on a daily basis there are people who grow and produce goods such as coffee, bananas, wine and the cotton in the clothes we wear. Different criteria have been developed for farmers in cooperatives, employees on plantations and for different raw materials. All criteria focus on man.
Fair conditions for all
All human beings have the right to fair conditions at work and in life. You, me and everyone else. An important part of Fairtrade’ s work is to ensure that both farmers and employees can lift themselves out of poverty, and thereby improve their working and living conditions. Helping people to help themselves, one might say.
By bringing farmers together in Fairtrade-certified cooperatives so that they can sell their cotton collectively, they gain access to a larger international market with the potential for increased sales. They also receive a minimum price for the raw material, which acts as a safety net for the farmer when the world market price is low.
Today, millions of children work instead of going to school, because their parents’ income is simply not enough to support their families. At the same time, we know that education is one of the most important factors in reducing poverty. With higher incomes, children can actually go to school.
The sale of the raw material also generates a premium for the farmers, which is often used to build schools. The premium can also be used for business investments or community development projects, such as health care, education, improved infrastructure and conversion to organic farming.
The tough cotton industry
The industry for cotton farmers is tough and millions of small-scale farmers in countries with widespread poverty depend on cotton for their livelihood.
The cotton flower grows on shrubs that thrive in dry climates, where there is a natural shortage of water, creating a moment 22 as conventional cotton cultivation usually requires large amounts of water. In addition to water, large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers are required. As you can see, conventionally grown cotton wears hard on both people and the environment.
Cotton prices have fallen sharply on the world market in recent decades, and today the price of cotton is a third of what it was in 1980. As a result, growers and workers are less able to support themselves and their families. But Fairtrade is making a difference, through the minimum prices and premiums we described earlier, among other things. The Fairtrade premium can be used to advantage to invest in drip irrigation, which can save up to 70 % of the water consumption.
Primarily, Fairtrade certified cotton is produced in India, where Cottover’ s cotton comes from. Individual growers cannot become Fairtrade certified, only cooperatives, and the cotton is usually grown in small family farms. In addition to the minimum price and premium, Fairtrade also has clear rules on the handling of chemicals and requires health promotion measures for everyone in the cooperative. Fairtrade criteria also encourage long-term trading relationships that secure sales, and therefore income, over time.
For people and the environment
Is Fairtrade and organic the same thing? No, it is not, although they are often interlinked. Fairtrade’ s main focus is poverty alleviation and working conditions- which means the people behind the product. Several environmental requirements must also be met, such as water efficiency and a ban on genetically modified organisms( GMOs). Growing organically focuses on the environment, but is often better for the farmer as well, as it means less use of chemical pesticides.
A majority of Fairtrade-certified cotton farmers are also organically certified. The uniqueness of Fairtrade certification is that it ensures that farmers are actually paid better, which organic certification does not guarantee. Dual certification- Fairtrade and organic- covers both aspects. All the cotton in Cottover’ s collection is certified under both Fairtrade and GOTS, which means that it’ s organic. However, only the best is good enough, which is why Cottover is also certified according to the Svanen and Oeko-Tex- simply to cover as many sustainability aspects as possible throughout the production chain.
Choose Fairtrade and make a difference
If you ask yourself why you as a consumer should choose to buy Fairtrade, the answer is that it’ s a simple way for you to make a difference to another human being. By choosing Fairtrade-labelled products, you help to improve the working and living conditions of those who grow and produce the goods you consume daily. In addition, you contribute to more children having the opportunity to go to school instead of being forced to work. If you ask us, that sounds like a good thing for the future.
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