PrAna, one of the first apparel companies to offer Fair Trade USA Certified styles, is working to build support for the movement by celebrating Fair Trade awareness month every October.
As part of its mission to make good stuff in a good way, prAna has partnered with Fair Trade USA since December 2010. Fair Trade Month is a way to highlight the work Fair Trade USA is doing to uplift workers and their communities around the world. This year, the theme for the month is “Buy Fair. Be Fair.”
“When you purchase a prAna dress, scarf or t-shirt that’s Fair Trade Certified, you can know that every step of the way, fair labor conditions, direct trade and fair prices have been audited,” said Nicole Bassett, prAna Sustainability Director. “The Fair Trade USA logo beside a product means that it’s directly and meaningfully connected to the community that made it.”
PrAna has grown its Fair Trade offering from one women's t-shirt in 2011 to nine styles in its current Fall Collection. Fair Trade Certified apparel directly benefits the farmers who grow the cotton and the workers who sew the garments, offering consumers an opportunity to impact lives in a positive way. Since prAna began its Fair Trade program, over $27,000 has been given to workers through the Fair Trade premium. PrAna’s Fair Trade Certified styles are made while upholding the following principles:
- Fair price to farmers for their goods.
- Fair labor conditions and wages for farm and factory workers.
- Direct market access eliminating unnecessary middlemen.
- Democratic and transparent organizations.
- Community development.
- Environmental sustainability.
PrAna actively supports Fair Trade Certified apparel and is a member of the Fair Labor Association. Find out more about Fair Trade month 2013 and learn how you can be involved by visiting befair.org.
