The eco friendly high street
Fairtrade clothing has become the new battleground for Britain’s top retailers as demand for ethically certified cotton has doubled in the last 12 months.
The idea of paying farmers a fair deal in the emerging countries, which pays farmers more, is now struggling to keep pace with the needs from shops such as Marks & Spencer, Next, J Sainsbury and Debenhams.
The number of cotton producers that have been awarded the Fairtrade mark in the last year has increased by a third but demand is going to outstrip supply. M&S alone will need a third of the world’s current supply to meet its targeted sales.
Tamara James, business development officer at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “The amount of interest from the UK market means that we will need to certify more farmers.”
With the big players moving into the Eco friendly markets it may well mean that the small companies that pioneered the the way will now struggle to hold onto their suppliers.
At Acorn we have seen in the promotional market the bigger suppliers are moving forward to supply the rapidly growing demand. Student bodies and councils that we supply have increased their interest several fold.
One of the major clothing suppliers, Continental have moved very quickly, having always been an ethical manufacturer they have introduced a range which has grabbed an instant market share. The Earth Positive range of clothing is not only Faire Wear but organic cotton is used throughout the range and all the garments are low Carbon. They score maximum points in all areas.
Contact Acorn to learn more about personalising Earth Positive clothing.