Patagonia has made an effort to change that.
When hearing the word Fair Trade most people will probably think of chocolate or coffee first before thinking about clothing. However, when purchasing a fashion product marked with a Fair Trade label you can improve the life of a whole community day-by-day. In order to make a difference as a brand Fair Trade is an important instrument for Patagonia to ensure higher wages, better life standards and guarantee health regulations. Therefore, from now the complete Patagonia swim-product line will be sewn in “Fair Trade USA” certified production sides.
The process is as follows: for each Fairtrade certified product with Patagonia Label, Patagonia will pay a surcharge to the production site. These premiums are then paid directly into a workers' fund.
The workers can actively participate in the program and decide on the use of the funds. This allows them to appreciate and understand the benefits better. In 2018, over 49200 workers received improved work standards due to the collaboration with Patagonia. The value of clothing collected and donated last year was approximately $438,000.
Happy workers at the production side © Patagonia
In fall 2014 Patagonia has started with 10 Fair Trade models made by one factory. In 2017 this number has inctreased up to 300 models from 13 factories.
As Patagonia benefits from global trade as a company, it is only fair if the company helps to improve the living conditions of the workers in the factories that produce the products.
Fair Trade swimwear by Patagonia © Patagonia
Patagonia would like to motivate other brands to follow their example and also to be active in this area. With their commitment, they want to show that Fairtrade not only contributes to an improvement in the quality of life of the workers, but will also have a positive impact on the company's earnings.
Patagonia is a company that is aware of the social and environmental impact of its business, and that is why they are consciously committed to it. Since 1985, Patagonia has used 1% of its revenues to maintain and restore natural resources and protect our environment. As a result, over $200 million has been donated to the environment since 2002 until today.
Click here for the Patagonia Fair Trade swim product line!
