The term "fair labor" refers to a set of principles and practices that include:
- fair wages
- cooperative workplaces
- healthy and safe workplaces
- environmental sustainability
- respect for cultural identity
- public accountability
How do you ensure that your products are produced with fair labor standards?
We deal with more than 100 suppliers for the 750+ products we carry in our online store. Many of our suppliers are here in the USA, but we also work with companies
in several other countries. While no one set of standards applies to all of our products, we do independently review each company to the best of our abilities.
Some of our products are produced on workers'
cooperatives. For example, all Under the Nile products are sourced and made on Sekam Farm in Egypt. We also carry several products by Maggie's Organics (like our Organic Cotton Socks for Babies and Toddlers), who works with a women's cooperative in Nicaragua.
Additionally, our hemp kids' shoes are made by Ecolution, a company with very high environmental and social standards for all aspects of their business.
In short, we choose our suppliers very carefully, and only after much research into the company's beliefs, policies, and business practices. Most of these companies are small, family-owned, socially-responsible businesses. These qualities are apparent in the goods the companies
produce, the methods and venues in which they market them, the prices they set, and the copy they use to describe their products. "Green" looks "green," and goes hand-in-hand with fair trade!
