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WFTO decision to implement external audits
We heard the news from one of our provider/partners who attended the World Fair Trade Organization conference in Rio. Simply put, there will be a certification system to go along with the fair trade label, similar to the organic label on foods. Read more from Global Crafts:
Conference Report WFTO – Rio 2013 Last week Kevin our cofounder was in Rio for the World Fair Trade Organization biannual conference - it’s a hard life! For those who couldn’t get to Rio, here is a brief report. The most important item on the agenda was the Fair Trade Guarantee System, which has been developed over what seems like a decade since a decision in Brussels in 2005 to create a Fair Trade label and certification system to back the label up. In a critical vote last week the WFTO membership voted to move forward and fund the implementation of the system. This means that within 2-3 years you will no longer need to take our word for what we do, we will be an externally audited member of the WFTO. Not only will we be audited but our systems to ensure our producer partners are Fair Trade and our producers on the ground will be audited. The road to a certified and audited system will be a difficult one, but we believe it is essential as consumers ask more questions and deserve more than a good story that we ask them to believe. For producers the opportunity to carry an international label backed by 3rd party audits provides an opportunity to access broader markets. We welcome the progress towards an audited Guarantee System. There was some great presentations on a range of business and Fair Trade topics, Kevin did not get to attend many as he co-presented two presentations. The conference also voted to strengthen Gender Equality within the Principles. The next conference is planned for Italy in 2015. -
The Natural Step
Through the work of Mike Keen and the Center for a Sustainable Future at IU South Bend, I was introduced to The Natural Step, an international network of organizations working toward sustainability. Their “Four Principles of Sustainability” can be applied to your family, your workplace, your city or school.
At Just Goods, we focus on choosing products that meet these criteria, that’s what we are all about. But, we also apply these ideas to just about every decision we make: marketing, heating/cooling, location, cleaning, use of space, etc.
We’d like to share this chart with you, and continue our conversations with you about sustainability and consumer goods. You can also watch a 2 minute video and learn more at their website.
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Great Links
Want to know more about the cosmetic and cleaning products you use? Want spread the word about consumption and how it affects our society and world? Here are some great links:
http://www.storyofstuff.org/
http://safecosmetics.org/
http://www.ewg.org/
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