| CERITIFIED ORGANIC HITS US SHELVES |
| Written by Kim Poldner | |
| Monday, 30 November 2009 | |
Last week, TransFair USA, the third-party certifier of Fair Trade CertifiedTM products in the United States, announced that it is extending the “Fair Trade lifestyle” into cotton clothing, bed and bath products. The first Fair Trade Certified apparel and home goods products are expected to hit U.S. retail shelves in spring 2010. To ensure the highest impact program for Fair Trade Certified garments, TransFair USA is now seeking public comment on its new draft factory standard. The pilot standard is published on TransFair USA’s web site beginning November 16 for a 45-day public review and comment period. For the first time ever, two points of the supply chain — cut-and-sew workers and cotton farmers — will benefit from Fair Trade premiums. U.S. companies that source Fair Trade Certified apparel will pay a percentage on top of the cost of the garment as a Fair Trade premium, which goes directly to factory workers who decide democratically how the funds are spent. Additionally, cotton farmers will earn a guaranteed minimum price and Fair Trade premium to invest in community needs such as schools, health centers and infrastructure. TransFair USA is the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade Certified™ products in the United States. TransFair USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified goods were paid fair prices and wages. Comments (1)
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Thanks so much for the wonderful coverage of our new standard for Fair Trade apparel. In the title you say that "Certified Organic Hits US Shelves" but it is actually Fair Trade Certified, not organic. Like organic certification, Fair Trade has environmental standards for the production of cotton, such the elimination of use of harmful pesticides. But in addition to that, Fair Trade also includes economic and social standards such as a fair wage for workers, fair working hours, and an additional premium for the communities to invest in social development projects like scholarships, schools or medical clinics.
Thanks again for this article - we're very excited about the news!