F2F: In what way can the textile-apparel industry benefit from maintaining fairtrade ethics?
Abhishek Jani: Until now Fairtrade's primary focus has been on the cotton farmers, who are often the hidden link in the textile-apparel supply chain despite the need for companies to address sustainability issues at the level of cotton production and ensure farmers get a fair deal. Nearly 70% of farmer suicides in India take place in the cotton producing regions.
Over the past couple of years, we have also started developing a more substantive Fairtrade textile standard to bring greater protection and benefits to textile workers. The main benefit to the industry in maintaining Fairtrade Standards would be having a more motivated workforce who would be the direct beneficiaries of such initiatives. In addition, by subscribing to the Fairtrade Standards, businesses would also signal to retailers and brands that they are willing to invest in the welfare of their workforce; commit to not undertaking exploitative labour practices; and adhere to higher ethical and sustainability standards in a transparent and accountable manner, thereby boosting their image and reputation. In the long run, adhering to such practices and being transparent about it can also give a competitive advantage.
F2F: Fairtrade India has been around for a while, though it started off officially only last year. What has been the response of the industry so far?
Abhishek Jani: India is yet to catch up with the global trend of associating brands with their sustainability footprints. Though there are sustainability pioneers in the country, by and large the industry currently places little value on developing strong brand identities in the field of sustainability and there is lot more to be done to improve India's global image around sustainability issues. The response from industry has been little less forthcoming and in many instances the conversations are at a very nascent stage of even explaining why sustainability is important. However, with increasing consumer awareness we hope this scenario would change.
F2F: Who are the major players working with you in the textile-apparel industry?
Abhishek Jani: Though we are working with many of the leading industry players, they are mainly acting as suppliers to the global brands and are yet to incorporate Fairtrade for their own brands and domestic sales. Interestingly, our current associates for Indian market are some young social entrepreneurs who are using fashion as a tool for finding solutions to some of the problems our cotton farmers and workers in the textiles value chain are facing. These pioneers include No Nasties, Dibella India and a number of other such young brands.
F2F: Are you working closely with any industry body? If so, can you share details?
Abhishek Jani: We collaborate closely with like minded organisations in the sustainability field and have proactively partnered with them in setting up an Organic and Fair Cotton Secretariat to champion concerns around sustainable cotton in India.
F2F: How can cleaning up the supply chain in the industry benefit one and all?
Abhishek Jani: Having a clean, ethical and sustainable supply chain would not only have a benefit for the workers and farmers who would be able to earn an income with dignity, security & freedom, and would also have the capacity to plan for their future and the future of their families. It would benefit the textile-apparel industry in India by raising their reputation and reducing their risks. Furthermore, it could become a USP to promote that all textiles and apparels are made with a higher standard of social compliance which is independently verifiable. Finally, for consumers – they would get an assurance that the fashion and products that they are supporting/buying are in line with their belief systems and not based on exploitation of a fellow human being's desperation.
