Green Cotton

“We are a grass roots, nonpartisan coalition, of fair trade organizations, vendors, retailers, schools, individuals and consumers”. – Fair Trade the White House

February 2009, Anti-Body (anti-poverty, beautiful body), a fair trade body-care company, initiated a bold move: to create a more just American marketplace by starting with the White House and a grassroots level campaign. Now, six months later, the campaign has gained remarkable steam with everyone from company founders, socially conscious celebrities to everyone in between, joining the movement.

Why Fair Trade the White House? We are inviting the First Lady, Michelle Obama, to declare the White House a “Fair Trade Home” because we recognize that the Whitehouse is a model home for all Americans, and that if the White House can be fair and ethical in its purchases, then its a good reason for others to follow.

So what exactly do we mean by “fair trade”? While it is true that fair wages are part of  being “fair trade”, certified fair trade products go beyond wages to include investments in community and economic development. Fair trade means building direct, long-term, and empowering relationships with economically and socially marginalized producers in developing countries. It also means supporting community development and cultural diversity. All told, fair trade companies and fair trade products support a more sustainable marketplace by directly investing in the communities from which products are made.

How do we know if something is fair trade? There are several labels to look for. First, Transfair USA is the only fair trade certifying entity in the United States at the moment. Currently they are set up to certify a handful of products including coffee, tea, cocoa, other beverages and a few other products. You have probably seen their logo (below). Transfair USA started with coffee then moved on to other food products, but they currently do not do home goods, crafts or textiles. They are piloting a certification for textiles, but that is not yet released. So if you see this logo, you know you are buying a fair trade certified product.

Transfair USA (certified Fair trade product) logo shown above.

The European based Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) www.fairtrade.net also certifies products, but it is less common to see this logo on US products.

FLO logo (above) mostly used for European products.

But what about the thousands of products in our marketplace that are not even eligible for this certification? How do we know if something is fair trade? Well, it turns about there is another organization, Fair Trade Federation www.fairtradefederation.org, which evaluates companies (and not products) for their fair trade practices and commitment to social responsibility. Members of Fair Trade Federation have a demonstrated commitment to social responsibility, fair trade and worker rights. Members of FTF are also allowed to use the FTF logo (here). In addition to FTF, companies can also be evaluated by the World Fair Trade Organization (www.wfto.org).

Fair Trade Federation (FTF) Logo featured above. FTF evaluates companies as fair trade (not products).

Back to Fair Trade the Whitehouse… There are still countless products in the American marketplace that are made under unfair, exploitative working conditions by American or other companies overseas. These entities often  make no long-term investments in these economically marginalized regions of the world from which they are extracting inexpensive labor. This model is very short-term oriented and does not address the long term health and development of these communities. By being more cognizant of where and how our products are made, and choosing to support fair, ethical and sustainable products, we can make a very powerful difference. It may sound simple, but when each of our choices add up, it can make a world of difference. That is precisely why we are asking the White House to consider this as well, since the Obama household has the power to influence so many of us.

Photosource: Whitehouse.gov

Mrs. Obama has already demonstrated a remarkable sense of public service, compassion and charisma at the Whitehouse. With her powerful voice, Michelle has the ability to lead by example (and has already done so!). From her Whitehouse “community” organic garden (involving local city kids), to her support for military families, enthusiasm for increasing national service, and prioritizing her family above all, she is the ideal role model for all. Beyond her accomplishments too is her incredible sense of style: seamless and natural, something we here at Green Cotton appreciate!

So what better person to take on the goal of creating a more fair and just marketplace in America? To help Michelle along in her decision, the campaign is furnishing her with some Fair Trade products to sample and see for her self. During the coming months, the campaign will gather as many online signatures from consumers and organizations as possible to show the First Lady the momentum and support of the fair trade movement.

So check out all the supporting companies and retail shops as well as individuals and other non profits who have already backed the movement on www.fairtradewhitehouse.com. The campaign also offers coupons to some of these great companies like Equal Exchange, Respect Fair Trade Sports and others.

Join in this important initiative by inviting the First Lady to declare the White House a “Fair Trade Home” and help promote the movement. Simply click on the website and sign your letter too! It only takes 10 seconds! Fair trade the Whitehouse has some great materials to print off and distribute, so get them today and start spreading the word! Thank you Anti-body for initiating this great cause.

Source: Fair Trade White House

Created by SUST, a sustainable eco-label, the “Sustainability Across America Tour” (SAAT) journey is to discover the roots of the movement, to meet the people who are the motor behind this lifestyle, industry experts, specialty clothing boutiques and friends along the way, which will be shared via social media like Twitter and Facebook as well as at their blog, getsust.

The “Sustainability Across America” tour is co-sponsored by a host of amazing companies from across the United States: EcoSalon, cmarchuska, Indigenous Designs, I love Ryann, Restore Clothing and Guayaki Yerba Matte tea.

The trip will serve not only to increase awareness of the SUST brand, but act as a grassroots marketing effort to create connections at the store level and garner a greater knowledge about how real Americans view words like “organic” and “sustainable.”

In an interview for the website Eco salon, Laura Jones, SUST’s brand ambassador hopes “ this journey will help promote the collaborative energy that fuels the sustainable movement. The movement itself seems like a very high-level, ethereal concept, but the reality is that it’s individual people, working to build and change the way we think and live. This trip is an effort to extend the hand, to engage our community and to build friendships so that together we can all help one another thrive and achieve in our efforts towards a common goal.”

She sees the future of sustainable design as “already going mainstream, continually making inroads into the fashion industry with something that not only feels good and has a sense of style, but is better for the environment as well”.

On Wednesday, July 22nd 2009, “Sustainability Across America” kicked off its national tour with a visit to Indigenous Designs in their beautiful solar powered office space in Santa Rosa, California.

Scott Leonard, CEO of Indigenous Designs explains that Indigenous is not simply a business, but part of a movement that is reshaping the way the world works. Scott has been immersed in the green movement for over 15 years and he gets to business setting us SAAT members on the right path, showing us the ins and outs of the industry.

The first SAAT stop was made at Northern California’s Redwoods National Park. The National Park Service is engaged in an extensive watershed restoration project to increase the longevity of this ecosystem, restoring the hillsides and stream channels to their natural condition before the construction of logging roads prior to the establishment of the park.

Then they went to Crater Lake National park (Oregon), Rogue Breweries (Newport Oregon), Toujours boutique (handmade jewelry and organic cotton hand-spun products) (Nye Beach Oregon). In Portland, they met Aysia Wright of Green Loop to talk about her history with Organic Fashion, they went to Umpqua Hot Springs outside of Diamond Lake in the Toketee Forest, they caught a windsurfing competition in the Columbia River Gorge…

It is just the beginning (Started August 6th), the tour will last 3 months. Haven’t heard any new updates yet, but stay tuned for more as the tour goes on…..maybe SAAT will stop at Green Cotton headquarters in MA?

Zooey Deschanel, star of the just-released film 500 Days of Summer, is the latest in a slew of celebrities to lend her voice to ad campaigns for Cotton Inc. The actress and chanteuse brings her trademark quirkiness to a commercial that showcases her own take on “The Fabric of Our Lives” jingle.

Deschanel is known for her eclectic, vintage-inspired fashion sense, which the Cotton ad cheerfully harnesses, seemingly to lend this cooperate conglomerate a little indie-cred. What’s troubling here is that cotton, often touted as “natural,” is produced with more harmful chemical pesticides than any other crop (see our recent post on organic cotton certification, and learn more at Organature.com). Having a lovely songstress chirp an upbeat jingle about it detracts from a major environmental issue. When Deschanel warbles “The fabric of our lives,” the appropriate enjoinder would be, “it’s full of pesticides.”

But Cotton Inc. is no stranger to green-washing: see their “Give Us Green…But Make it Fashionable” summer 2008 ad campaign. These ads featured phrases like, “When it’s cotton, you’ll know it’s green (even if it’s pink)” and “Cotton. Style that comes naturally.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

From CottonInc.com: “Through our research, we’ve discovered that the same consumer who’s concerned with the state of the environment also places an even higher priority on fashion when purchasing,” states Ric Hendee, vice president, marketing services, at Cotton Incorporated. “We’ve developed these three new ads to convey that cotton has always been and continues to be the natural choice for fashionable, eco-friendly clothing.”

Now, Deschanel is not the only celebrity currently shilling for Cotton—country singer Miranda Lambert and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan are also featured on TheFabricofOurLives.com. But Deschanel stands out from the pack due to her unique style and lifestyle choices. The actress dabbles in veganism (she recently issued an all vegan, gluten- and soy-free challenge to the cooks on Top Chef!), and animal-loving vegans tend to be environmentalists by default. Eating vegetarian is one of the easiest ways to go green, as it helps cut down on resources used to feed the rest of the world. It makes sense, then, that vegans also tend to care about issues like global warming and using eco-friendly textiles.

When it comes to clothing choices, however, veganism and environmentalism aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Vegans reject animal products in general, so that includes wool, silk and leather; fans of eco-fashion might tout some of these fabrics as earthy and natural, while a vegan is more likely to purchase a handbag or shoe made out of harmful PVC (polyvinyl chloride). We’ve discussed the growing vegan fashion trend here at Green Cotton before, and it’s a debate that needs more information exchanged on both sides of the issue. So just because Ms. Deschanel chooses to eat vegan does not mean she will always choose organic fabrics (even if the Cotton campaign leads us to believe that cotton was “green before it was even in style.”).

I’m not intentionally picking on Zooey Deschanel, because that would be hypocritical. Not everyone can afford to buy organic fashions, since natural fibers cost far more than conventional ones. As someone with many allergies and chemical sensitivities, I admit that 90% of my wardrobe is cotton; it has to be. But the conventional kind isn’t necessarily doing me and my sensitive skin any favors. I own a few organic garments and hope to collect more; I do try to offset my carbon footprint by shopping in vintage and thrift stores when I can. And someone like Zooey Deschanel is a major fashion inspiration who can afford to shop where and how she wants, and makes the perfect spokeswoman for vintage fashion. Imagine if she lent her voice to a campaign for authentically organic cotton? I look forward to seeing how Deschanel’s career unfolds, and hope that her future choices only positively impact the growing eco-fashion world.

Photosource: thefabricofourlives.com

Other sources used for this post:

Understanding GOTS organic cotton certification

Ecorazzi

Post By Erin Dale