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Tesco and Others to Sell Organic Clothing

Friday 13th of April 2007 02:41:56 PM

UK clothing retailer Tesco has partnered with designer Katherine Hamnett to sell T-Shirts and other clothing made from organic cotton. In the past, Hamnett, who is also an advocate for fair wages and treatment of textile workers, and who lobbied for pesticide free clothing production, has cancelled licensing agreements and other clothing contracts in favour of starting a new clothing line that was fair to both workers and the environment. Clothing for Tesco will be manufactured in Sri Lanka and should be in stores in the next month or two.

In an effort to participate in Fairtrade practices and help the environment, Tesco and other UK clothing retailers such as M&S, will be importing clothing from Sri Lanka. “We are already producing Fairtrade garments in Sri Lanka from Fairtrade cotton grown in India and Africa, which is converted into Fairtrade fabric by a Sri Lankan company Ocean Lanka,” said Krishan Hundal, Head of General Merchandise Technology of M&S, UK.

As UK consumers become more aware of the importance of organic materials, the demand is expected to increase. “Most of the major UK high street retailers are looking at some percentage of their clothing being Fairtrade. Sri Lanka will be one of the prime sourcing destinations if there is capacity,” said Rachael Smith, the head of buying for girlswear, Tesco UK.

Fairtrade allows poor countries to sell cotton and other fibres in a competitive marketplace in order to make a profit. The cotton is then sent to a manufacturing Fairtrade manufacturing plant which designs and produce T-Shirts and other types of clothing. Countries that practice Fairtrade work together to so that everyone involved makes a profit. Many countries are using the money earned from these practices to create jobs, build schools, and improve their way of life.

(c)Martin Myrdhen, www.sxc.hu