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veja - fair trade shoes story

Veja is interested in not just a stylish shoe, but ensuring that their entire chain of production is thoughtful and ensures the dignity of not only the production facility but down to the ecological raw materials. Here is just part of their incredible story, please visit their website to find out more at: www.veja.fr.

Cotton is grown by small producers of Northeast Brazil and Paraná. Veja buys cotton respecting fair trade rules and has long term commitments to the cooperatives. And as for the leather/suede they are made from ecological leather, a chromium free leather that is tanned with natural extracts such as acacia extracts. The soles of the trainers are made from wild rubber from the Amazon. Wild rubber comes from the hevea trees that grow in the wild in the Amazonian forest. Using wild rubber is a way to increase the value of the forest and preserve it.

A fair price

Veja offers twice the market price to the Brazilian producers to buy their organic cotton. This price has been negotiated with the producers and does not depend on the world market price, which is strongly lowered by European and North American subsidies.

For each industrial step, veja works with cooperatives or firms that guarantee workers dignity.

The shoes manufacture respects OIT rules :

- no children working
- good conditions of work
- decent wages
- respect of time work and overtime
- good living conditions for the workers

The latters are able to buy their own house.

Cotton spinning is done in a cooperative in São Paulo. For each step of production veja deals directly with its partners from the cotton fields to the doors of the retailers.

In France, Veja created a partnership with the association Ateliers Sans Frontières for the storage and the delivery of the ecologic sneakers.