Fair Trade Apparel Certification On Its Way

Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit organization that certifies that products made in developing countries meet pre-determined standards related to wages and environmental impact, is several years into an effort to bring its standards to the clothing industry. Apparel laborers in developing countries are often drastically underpaid, work long hours without time off and are frequently underage, says Heather Franzese, who developed the Fair Trade USA's apparel program. In her work, Franzese has discovered horrible factory conditions, including workers exposed to toxic chemicals and polluted air. In some countries, such as Malaysia, workers emigrate from other countries, and have their passports withheld by the factory owners. They are then forced to work, what Franzese called "bonded labor."
It is with an understanding of these injustices that Franzese developed the Fair Trade USA model for clothing suppliers. For factories to be certified, they must train the workers and managers, go through an audit of conditions once a year, and implement necessary changes which satisfy Fair Trade requirements. All employees at Fair Trade certified factories receive a Fair Trade "premium" paid by the brand hiring the supply services. That extra money goes into a single, collective bank account which factory laborers control. The workers are responsible for deciding whether they will use their Fair Trade premium for a community need or pay it out as a cash bonus to each employee.
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