Apparel & Linens Program

The Fair Trade apparel pilot program is the first clothing certification with a consumer-facing label that directly benefits the farmers who grow the cotton and the workers who sew the garments. The Fair Trade Certified label is a mechanism for companies to communicate a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility directly to consumers at the point of purchase. In a Globescan study, when US consumers were asked what new product they would most like to see Fair Trade Certified, the top response was apparel and textiles.

Featured Producer

CENFROCAFE - Central Fronteriza Del Norte De Cafetaleros

In 1999, 11 organizations in the northern central region of Peru came together to form the Central Fronteriza Del Norte De Cafetaleros (CENFROCAFE). They started with 220 producers, cultivating an estimated 9,000 quintals of coffee on about 760...

How Fair Trade Has Made a Difference

In order to increase the production and efficiency of members, engineers and coffee production specialists were hired by CENFROCAFE to provide ongoing training,technical assistance and capacity building to members. In 2002, one member would produce 900lbs of coffee per hectare. Since the creation of this program in 2007, members have increased their production by more than twofold. In 2012, members are reporting the production of 2,100lbs of coffee per hectare. This has been a direct result of the training that members have received from this program.

Manufacturers

How to Manufacture Fair Trade Certified Apparel and Linens

Please download the Intro Packet for Factories. The steps of Factory Certification include:

Introduction to Fair Trade USA
Wage Assessment Fair Trade Training - Workers and Managers
Governance Structures for Fair Trade
Fair Trade Audit Performance Improvement
Traceability of Fair Trade Cotton (FLO)
Certified by Fair Trade USA
Produce Fair Trade Certified Product and receive Fair Trade Premium

Brands

How to Source Fair Trade Certified Apparel and Linens

Use Fair Trade cotton. You can either purchase the seed cotton directly from a certified producer group or require that your manufacturer source Fair Trade cotton from certified groups. For non-cotton products, other fibers can be used.
Produce the garments in a factory that meets Fair Trade standards and has been certified by Fair Trade USA.
Purchase products according to Fair Trade terms and agree to pay a 1-10% Fair Trade premium to a worker-controlled fund. The Fair Trade premium level depends on wage levels in the factory. Garment workers decide collectively how to spend these funds. Examples include a disaster relief fund for factory workers, a scholarship fund for workers’ children, infrastructure improvements in their local communities, or a cash bonus.