Ethical and Environmental policy

Many Tribes Ethical Policy Many Tribes aims to alleviate poverty and improve social and environmental conditions through Fair Trade. Trading in this way, from our direct experience in India, Bangladesh and Thailand, we see how empowering it can be -particularly for women, and how alternative trading gives people more control and the chance to fulfil their potential and direct their own futures. We buy and market goods on the following basis: Producers will be paid equally regardless of sex, race and caste. We aim that the producers should receive an income that improves their standard of living and community. We believe in, and actively support the empowerment of local communities, with particular reference to the role of women. We believe that any community development should be the initiative of the people themselves and that we should not impose our own ideas and values. We are committed to sustainable development. We will pay a premium for local materials and encourage the complete processing of materials in the community itself. We actively encourage value added in the communities of origin, and undertake product development with this in mind. In this way, more money goes to local economies. We actively support enterprises which support tribal minorities. We respect traditional designs, however we are aware that many producers are dependent on outside design input in order to produce marketable products. We want to raise the awareness of producers on market trends and provide sufficient support so that they can be self dependent and confident in their own designs and marketing. Many Tribes Environmental Policy We aim to promote sustainable development and believe that the relief of poverty in the South (and reducing consumption in the North) is an integral part of this objective. We also examine the ecological impact of production, disposal and use of material resources and seek the best environmental practice for producers and our own resource use. We are at the moment particularly concerned with the following issues: The environmental and social costs in the production of cotton. The farming of cotton is extremely intensive, in terms of energy (fertiliser demand) and water, and in common with other intensive production systems is damaging to the environment. Scarce resources, such as water are often diverted from domestic use to cotton production, which can create shortages for rural communities, while pesticides and fertilisers are often prone to over-use, which may actually exacerbate crop pests, and lead to pollution of water channels, loss of biodiversity, etc.. Intensive methods of production are also usually achieved at the expense of soil conservation, and are therefore inherently unsustainable. Unfortunately very little organic cotton is produced in the Indian Sub-Continent. There is also a logistical and financial constraint in obtaining organic certification. We do buy organic cotton garments from certified (IFAT) Fair Trade Importers where possible. We do buy organically grown hemp from small-scale producers in Thailand, however, they face the same constraints as the cotton producers, and are rarely certified organic. We look forward to future organic developments. The dangers of dyes to producers and consumers and their disposal All dyes both natural and synthetic can be hazardous to the producer and environment. We are concerned that producers should use the safest dyes and dispose of dye waste in a responsible way with due respect to the environment and local community. Consequently, we are in dialogue with our producers regarding best management for dye waste. It should be acknowledged that even small, home-based industries have an environmental impact, though this is very localised for small-scale industries, and negligible compared with large-scale industrial production. We prefer the use of natural dyes as this gives the producer more control over the dye materials and process, and are possibly safer. Also, the collection of dye material provides additional employment and adds value to local forest products. The sustainable use of wood Wood is a renewable resource critical to the energy and material needs of many people. Forests are also important in the ecosystem services they provide; protecting watersheds, soils and also providing other essential resources for indigenous people. We believe in buying wood from sustainable sources. However, because of this difficulty in determining sustainable sources of wood, Many Tribes has largely avoided stocking wood products. We would prefer wood to be obtained from local forests managed by local communities but most forests are not managed in the peoples’ interest. The use of post-consumer and industrial waste Many Tribes is particularly keen to support the transformation of waste into useful goods, which might otherwise litter the environment. This also gives rise to incredible creativity, and innovation, and also provides affordable and original articles. The use of environmental pests Many Tribes is keen to support the use of materials in the production of goods that might otherwise pose an environmental hazard, (providing they are not intrinsically hazardous to work with). The use of water hyacinth in the making of paper is one example. Water hyacinth, a species native to South America has spread around the water courses of Asia, blocking the free passage of water and in some areas, promoting disease. The use of this species, therefore, not only provides local communities with an abundant biomass supply with which to work, its harvest and use is an act of environmental rehabilitation! The use of natural materials Many Tribes actively supports the use of natural materials such as sisal, hemp, jute and silk which provide local communities with an abundant and inexpensive material with which to generate an income. Biomass-based resources tend to be used by poorer artisans. Environmental policy: at home Energy –Many Tribes aims to minimise energy use. Waste -We aim to reduce our waste burden in the following ways: Recycling Many Tribes recycles the following: glass, paper, aluminium, cardboard, clothing, Many Tribes composts domestic organic waste, for use in the garden. Reusing materials Many Tribes supports reusing good clothing and home accessories- buying and donating. Agenda 21 -Supporting sustainable development Organic agriculture Many Tribes actively supports organic agriculture, by subscribing to a weekly box scheme (Ashurst Organics). Locally grown organic vegetables are delivered to our door. We believe that organic agriculture is more sustainable; organic production is not wholly dependent on fossil fuels, is concerned with long term soil fertility and conservation issues, does not perpetuate the profligate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Organic agriculture allows greater co-existence with organisms outside the production system, unlike the monoculture and biological desert that is a feature of intensive agricultural systems -simply, organic agriculture is kinder on the environment. Going local Many Tribes supports local-level goods and services. Many Tribes shops locally, and seeks out the most local services possible. With this in mind all our publicity stationary is printed by a local eco-friendly Printers using vegetable dyes. In this way, a local economy is sustained, rather than profits flowing away from the community. Supporting local goods and services is also good for local employment.