ORIGANAMI
Why Fairtrade Certified Cotton Matters
We don’t need more mass market bed sheets, we need the best quality sheets at affordable prices...
We need better cotton bed linens that last longer, age beautifully, never go out of style, while allowing those who grow and produce cotton to earn a decent living, providing them the means to improve their communities.
Cotton is one of the oldest commodities in the world with roots dating back to 6000 BC, and currently one of the most traded, alongside cocoa and coffee. You probably have some on right now, while you are eating your chocolate and drinking your coffee! And much like the cocoa and chocolate industries, cotton can be volatile and unpredictable, whether it be caused by global price drops, climate events or speculative trading practices.
Origanami is about using cotton that is only of the best quality, organic and Non-GMO, at a fair cost to our farmer producers and for a fair price to our customers; for the whole is greater than the parts. Fairtrade Certified Cotton ensures fiber of the highest quality. Products, like ours, carrying the Fairtrade Mark meet Fairtrade International’s rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards.
The Fairtrade system secures better working conditions and better terms of trade for nearly 2 million farmers and workers worldwide. Fairtrade farmers are protected by the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which creates a safety net for farmers. When the global market for cotton drops and buyers rush to get a cheap deal, Fairtrade farmers are still protected with their agreed upon, above market price.
Beyond a fair price, Fairtrade Premium is paid to the cooperatives who democratically vote on how they would like to invest funds back into their community, like investment in equipment and community resources; whether it be a water well, a grain mill, school supplies or health clinics.
Fairtrade supplies the proactive tools, training and practices for farmers and the community to run smart, successful and sustainable businesses, as well as championing women’s rights.
Fairtrade is farmer-led, meaning that the farmers themselves are decision-makers in critical topics that affect their lives like standards, the Minimum Price, and the Fairtrade Premium.
Fairtrade assists in developing farmers' independence and also helps to achieve Organic Certification, which benefits the local and global environment.
Fairtrade is not a charity; it is a partnership. It is empowerment that lets us all grow together.
And that is why Fairtrade Certification matters to Origanami.