Fair Indigo has searched the world for the best factories and co-ops producing the highest quality clothing and accessories while paying their workers fairly and treating them with respect. Here are some of our items and the stories behind them:
Cashmere Sweaters:
Made in China at a factory that produces the highest quality cashmere and has the best management and employee relations of any factory that we have visited. Wages were good – well above minimum – but in order to bring them up to our fair trade standards we are paying an extra bonus to every worker in the factory (whether or not they are involved in producing Fair Indigo products).
Tees, Turtlenecks and Cotton Rib Knits:
Made in Peru at a factory that, in addition to paying fair wages, shares its profits with its employees, provides them a free hot lunch, and supplies free on-site medical care for workers and their families
Jeans:
In the long and challenging search for fair trade jeans, we nearly fell victim to the bigger-is-better mantra that dominates the modern denim industry. Most jean makers in the world are huge places where wages may be legal, but take a back seat to everything else. Just as we were about to say "maybe next year", our pant cooperative in Costa Rica told us about a little shop down the road from them where the same 20 or so workers have been quietly making jeans for years. Family-owned, outstanding pay, free lunches, and a free four hours of pay per week. In other words, fair trade.
Velvet Jacket and Skirt, Chunky Sweaters, Silk and Sateen Jackets:
Apparel making isn't very common in the Shanghai area, but we found a family-owned business who instantly understood our mission. In addition to fair wages, the factory is completely air-conditioned (nice in humid Shanghai summers) and a health center is available on-site for employees and their families. The owner is involved in countless charitable endeavors in the community around the factory where most employees live, including funding libraries. He is also famous for "Movie Sundays" where all employees can enjoy transportation and a movie ticket to the latest Hollywood releases.
Twill Pants, Chinos and Utility Jacket:
Due to severe price competition in the last five years, many companies have left Costa Rica in search of cheaper labor and operating costs. In order to help turn this tide, Fair Indigo is proud to support a Costa Rican employee-owned cooperative. The company not only provides the community with employment opportunities, but its co-op structure means that its employees make all the decisions regarding their company’s future: they decide what equipment to invest in, set their own hours, and share in all the profits.
Silk Blouses and Skirts:
The area around Shenzhen, China is booming with construction…new businesses, new housing. Though wages are rising rapidly, many apparel workers are still not sharing in the new wealth. This factory is an exception. The pay is outstanding compared to others nearby. Fully air-conditioned, free meals, a gym facility with an on-site doctor. The owner even pays for workers' train tickets to enjoy the Chinese New Year with their families.
Alpaca Hat, Scarf, Throw and Accessories:
Since ancient times, the alpaca has been the cultural symbol of Peru — its fleece was cherished by members of the Incan civilization and referred to as “The Fiber of the Gods.” Today, alpaca is also the key to helping more than 150,000 of the poorest families in the Andes Mountain region of Peru who rely on the alpaca for their prime source of income. Many of these herders have recently banded together to sell to factories in bulk. By dealing directly with factories, they are able to cut out middlemen and receive a higher percentage of profits. In turn, our alpaca factory also contributes part of its profits back into the community to benefit education and health care programs.
Black Beaded Evening Bag and Bohemian Shell Necklace:
Made in Indonesia by a fair trade organization based in Bali that has been supporting low-income artisans in Indonesia for over 25 years. Most of the artisans live in remote areas in Bali, Java and Lomobok. By creating a market for their beautiful handicrafts we hope to help them create sustainable incomes and keep traditional crafts and skills alive.
Amethyst & Garnet Geometric Drop Earrings and Mother of Pearl Drop Earrings:
Made in Nepal at a technical school based in a community of poor/underprivileged families consisting largely of lower caste citizens. The income from the sale of their crafts is used to support a primary and nursery school and orphanage hostel in addition to their vocational training programs.
Conch Shell Earrings:
Made in a small mountain village in Mexico by a jewelry co-op that was founded in 1987 by seven small farmers and artisans. The cooperative has now grown to 17 members, fourteen men and three women.
Garnet Dragonfly Earrings:
Made in Nepal by affiliates of the non-profit Ghandi Charitable Trust. In 1925 a follower of Mahatma Gandhi had a dream of starting an ashram, or spiritual community, where women "refugees" (widowed or deserted by their husbands) could come with their children and find a safe haven. The ashram he founded continues to provide shelter, food, clothing, medical care, education, and vocational training in weaving and tailoring for the women and their children. Proceeds from the sale of these earrings help support this ashram.
Queen B Bath Products:
Handmade in New Orleans by women who need a second income but aren't able to leave their homes for additional work. Many of these women are single mothers who have become known around the city as Soapbox Moms.
Inara Spa Products:
These spa products support the efforts of women’s cooperatives in the remote state of Maranhão, deep in northeastern Brazil. Inara’s signature ingredient, Babassu, is a rich, moisturizing oil obtained from the kernels of the Babassu palm found in the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil. For centuries, native women have been “breaking the Babassu” to harvest the oil from the palm.
Coffee:
Our entire offering is shade-grown, naturally produced, and of course fair trade - made in cooperatives in Peru, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
In Peru the Agricultural Coffee Cooperative Pangoa was founded by its original 50 members in 1977. Today it has 600 members. Some five years ago, the cooperative initiated its organic program to teach members of best organic practices. Pangoa has also promoted the diversification of production by expanding into cocoa and honey.
In Colombia Fondo Paez was founded by members of the Paez indigenous group in 1992, with the primary goal of recuperating traditional indigenous agricultural knowledge. They are governed democratically with official recognition of their autonomous status by the Colombian government. Coffee is only one of many crops that are incorporated into a diverse, agro-forestry system. Food crops for their own consumption, feed crops for the farm animals and nitrogen fixing plants for the soil are given equal importance to their cash crops; coffee, sisal, beans, and different fruits.
Our Mexican coffee comes from Yachil Xojobal Chu’lchan, which means “new light in the sky” in the Tzeltal language, and has members from the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Mayan indigenous groups. They currently are comprised of 1,552 members in seven municipalities.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and yet the fourth poorest country in the world. Coffee farmers live a very traditional lifestyle. Farming less than 5 acres and living in stick houses. Electricity, running water and indoor plumbing are rare in rural areas.
Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) is an extremely well organized umbrella organization carrying the heavy responsibility of processing support, marketing, and commercializing coffee for 74 cooperatives comprising of 68,691 members and 343,455 family members. OCFCU works exclusively in Oromia Regional State, which accounts for 65 percent of the country’s total coffee growing land and includes coffees from Limu, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Nekemte, Jimma, Sidamo, Neqemte/ Ghimbi, and Harrar. With their fair trade premiums they have constructed four schools, two health clinics and a clean water supply.
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