Whether we like it or not, doing things in a better way costs more money.  At hessnatur we believe paying for quality and the adherence to ecological and social standards.

This is true when it comes to the suppliers we select.  We establish long-term, stable relationships with suppliers whose expertise and respect for their workers we esteem.  While 60% of our suppliers are located within the European Union, our work with suppliers in countries like China and Bangladesh raises some concerns.  And we are often asked, why?

The answer is that many of the specialists for processing certain fibers are located in the countries where these fibers are cultivated.  For example, much of the hemp, silk and cashmere come from China.  Both the cultivation and processing of these fibers exists mainly in China.  What we do is assure that the suppliers we work with in China meet the hessnatur social and production standards.  Hopefully, we are setting an example for workplace environments.

In Bangladesh, we work with Grameen Knitwear, a non-profit subsidiary of the Grameen Foundation.

Clothing manufacturing, which used to be a healthy business in Western Europe and the US, has mostly relocated in areas of the world where labor is cheaper.  That usually means undesirable and socially negligent working conditions.  Although we, too, have been forced to find suppliers further from home, we have in no way relaxed our principles.  We insist that all our suppliers agree to hessnatur social standards.  And that costs more money.  But we see it as an investment in a better life and a better way.  For us, cheaper is never better.

Tags: eco-consciousness, Grameen Knitwear, natural fibers, organic clothes, Social responsibility, social standards

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 3:00 am and is filed under Environment, Material, Production, Projects, Social responsibility. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.