Namaste was set up in 1996 with the aim of trading constructively with our producers in India and Nepal to ensure that all parties share the benefits of trade, while making ourselves a living doing something interesting and a little out of the ordinary. As Namaste has grown in size we have been careful to retain our core values.
l Each year we travel to India, Nepal and now Thailand to work with our suppliers in the design and production of the latest season’s products. The goods are designed by our in-house design team, in partnership with the craftspeople in each country. The workers involved in the production of Namaste’s products are skilled artisans who enjoy higher wages than realistic average local expectations. Men and women are paid the same rate for the same job per hour and no child labour is involved in the production of any of our goods. We work with producers to ensure each working environment meets reasonable standards of health and safety. We visit all workplaces and encourage producers to use environmentally friendly products and practices, for example, wherever possible, vegetable dyes are used in the production of soft furnishings. Cotton rag waste is recycled to produce our handmade paper products and some of our rugs.
l Namaste operates a policy of paying our suppliers on time and payments are usually made in advance in order for the supplier to buy the raw materials without getting into debt and pay their workers on time. By placing regular monthly orders and by replacing discontinued products with new products from the same supplier, we provide the continuity of demand and therefore secure employment that is so important in the development of growing businesses in the Third World. We have met serious supply problems, such as variable quality of production, with patience, practical advice and suggestions for improvement, which has enabled our suppliers to grow in tandem with Namaste.
l In 2002 Namaste provided a large advance of capital to our main Nepalese supplier in order to buy land plus machinery and build a new Cotton Knitting workshop. This supplier started his own business at the same time as Namaste. We have grown in tandem since then and our advance payments have enabled the new business to survive despite them suffering repeated bad debt problems from some of their other Western customers.
l We encourage our suppliers to be self-sufficient by helping them to constantly update their products to keep up with the ever-changing global marketplace. Many of our suppliers have benefited greatly by the fact that we allow them to sell our exclusive designs to areas of the world that we do not supply. We have also assisted some of our suppliers by participating in International Trade Fairs with them, where our presence and designs have helped to attract new buyers at no cost to the supplier.
l A central tenet of our fair trade thinking has always been to buy as many products as possible from the primary producers. This policy involves cutting out the ‘middlemen’ or merchants who often cream off the vast majority of the profits, leaving very little money for the people who actually produced the goods. Each year so far, Namaste has increased the percentage of products bought from the primary producers and we are pleased that we now buy over 95% of our products in this way. At present it is simply not feasible to purchase 100% of our products from the primary producers due to logistical factors, which make such direct purchases uneconomical. We will however keep this situation under review and make improvements as and when they become practical. 100% of our clothing and bags are bought directly from the primary producer and these include all of our Nepalese products.
l Namaste has been recognized by the British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) as a fair trade importer. We are a member of the BAFTS Importers Directory.
If you have any queries regarding our fair trade policy then please feel free to call Namaste and ask to speak to Sam. We can provide supporting materials on our ethical policies for retailers to display upon request. Please visit our website at www.namaste-uk.com which we are constantly developing. There will soon be point of sale information available to download from the website with relation to fair trade. Any suggestions would be more than welcome
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Shared Earth
As a fair trade company, Shared Earth has ethical as well as commercial aims. In particular, they seek to ensure all their suppliers get safe working conditions, a reasonable wage and that minorities and children are not exploited. Where possible, they also seek to allow the community as a whole, as well as the individual, to benefit from their trade. They also strive to minimise the impact that their business has on the environment by trying to ensure that their suppliers use materials and production methods that have as little effect as possible on the environment. Shared Earth has suppliers making a wide variety of goods in countries such as Kenya, Bali, India, Zambia, Nepal and the Philippines.
Shared Earth is a member of the British Association of Fair Trade Shops and of the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT)
www.sharedearth.co.uk
An Ethical Difference
An Ethical Difference sources its jewellery products from producers in and around Bali. The raw materials of wood, shell, stone and bone are collected from the surrounding islands to create beautiful, original hand-crafted jewellery. The work provides much needed income for the local people, some of whom travel from neighbouring communities to earn a day's wage. An Ethical Difference is a member of the British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).
www.anethicaldifference.com
amba nature
www.ambanature.co.uk
Fair Trade South Africa
Fair Trade South Africa was launched in December 2003 by British and South African nationals involved with poverty relief projects in South Africa and working for both the SA and UK governments.
We experienced many development initiatives that cultivated talented individuals producing wonderful goods, but their potential was restricted by limited access to overseas markets. We aim to bridge this gap.
We have established offices in South Africa and the UK to provide a direct link between small producers in South Africa and potential customers in the UK. Our UK office takes orders and provides customer care, while our South African office coordinates the work of the producers and deals with transport logistics.
The producers we represent support the poorest sectors of South African society.
They all demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm to improving their livelihoods from a starting point of very little opportunity.
All our producers are currently based in the Western Cape, the location of our South African office. We plan to rapidly scale our operations to other provinces.
www.fairtradesouthafrica.com
Sunlover
A well established company that has been using fair trade principles for many years. They work closely with producers and also have their own workshops in Indonesia. Sunlover supplies a wide variety of products including lamps, mirrors, musical instruments, stationery and ornaments.
www.sunlover-uk.com
Maya Organic - Producers of Moogli Toys
Maya Organic is a not-for-profit organisation in Bangalore, empowering local people for better livelihoods and ensuring that their children go to school. The artisans function as worker-owned collectives. Maya Organic facilitates their development by identifying their learning needs, and enhancing their skills (computing, finance, leadership, etc.) The collectives have access to health insurance, savings and investment schemes. The collectives are committed to decent work standards and do not employ children.
www.mayaorganic.com
