A Question of Ethics
Listed under: Interviews
Published: Monday, November 05, 2007
The topic of ethical practice has never been hotter with clothing giant Gap the latest brand to fall foul of lax checks on suppliers. So how can you get it right?
As Beads Unlimited celebrates its 21st year of trading in the bohemian North Laine area of Brighton, owner Geoff Ellis should also be patting himself on the back for doing his little bit to make the world a better place. As well as operating a policy which sees ten percent of profits from every fourth Saturday go to charity, Geoff's business also makes a point of investigating the working conditions of the craftspeople who make the beads. “We make sure that we go out to see the suppliers at source; visit the manufacturers to see how the beads are made,” he explains. “One advantage is that we can see what's possible: whether we can ask for a deeper shade or a bigger size or a different shape. It's also to make sure that there's no great exploitation going on. Many of the production centres are in places with, let's say, less luxurious living conditions.
“It's important for us to go out to the villages where the beads are made. Beads are a staple part of the cash economy in some of these places, little villages where they are skilled at making beads. What you definitely do not want is to get caught in that web of exploitation.” Those sourcing from overseas would do well to heed Geoff's advice. Clothing behemoth Gap is the latest in a long line of super-brands tarnished by association with child labour and grossly under-paid workforces.
“It's important to us to see the conditions that people are working in,” continues Geoff. “I'm quite happy to sit there and watch while someone shows me how they make the beads. It's always a good sign if you get a big smile from the craftspeople. The more eye contact you can have with your suppliers the better. There are those, usually the bigger firms, that don't meet the standard in this respect. We've moved our business away from those companies, despite some pretty aggressive marketing to get us back into the fold.” Whilst taking responsibility for the company's ethical footprint is its own reward for Geoff, he is also aware of the wider trends towards such accountability. “Any company that's big enough has statements of social responsibility,” he says, “though whether they fully carry them out behind the scenes is another question. The debate rages; but consumers are definitely getting significantly more savvy on that score.”
“It's important for us to go out to the villages where the beads are made. Beads are a staple part of the cash economy in some of these places, little villages where they are skilled at making beads. What you definitely do not want is to get caught in that web of exploitation.” Those sourcing from overseas would do well to heed Geoff's advice. Clothing behemoth Gap is the latest in a long line of super-brands tarnished by association with child labour and grossly under-paid workforces.
“It's important to us to see the conditions that people are working in,” continues Geoff. “I'm quite happy to sit there and watch while someone shows me how they make the beads. It's always a good sign if you get a big smile from the craftspeople. The more eye contact you can have with your suppliers the better. There are those, usually the bigger firms, that don't meet the standard in this respect. We've moved our business away from those companies, despite some pretty aggressive marketing to get us back into the fold.” Whilst taking responsibility for the company's ethical footprint is its own reward for Geoff, he is also aware of the wider trends towards such accountability. “Any company that's big enough has statements of social responsibility,” he says, “though whether they fully carry them out behind the scenes is another question. The debate rages; but consumers are definitely getting significantly more savvy on that score.”
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