Textile Exchange

Veja Fair Trade is the first of ten companies to be featured in the new TE Future Shapers feature - celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Textile Exchange's founding as Organic Exchange in 2002 - A Decade of Innovation in Textile Sustainability.

In 2004, the French footwear company Veja sold its first eco-friendly urban sneaker in the European market. Since its start-up, the company has been committed to creating a “unified value chain” in which all components of the product and each step in the supply chain emphasizes the concept of shared value, of taking care of people involved in the process and the environment. Veja fervently believes, and is willing to prove, that a different business model is possible where doing the right thing at all levels of the supply chain does not hinder making a profit. Veja works closely on the ground with its suppliers, from an organic cotton farmers’ cooperative in Northeast Brazil and the rubber tapping communities in the Amazon, to the NGO they engage with on business logistics.

The vision behind Veja is to build a “unified value chain” from scratch. Each step in the value chain and each part of the sneaker integrates the concept of sustainability as much as possible. Veja’s most used fiber is organic cotton for its canvas shoes. The organic cotton is supplied by ADEC (Associaçâo de Desenvolvimiento Educacional e Cultural), a farmers’ association that began growing organic cotton in 1993 and located in Tauá, in the semi-arid regions of the state of Ceará (Northeast of Brazil). In 2005, Veja entered a 3-year contract with ADEC committing to buy the Association’s organic cotton at a fair price, enabling ADEC to pay farmers more than double the price offered on the conventional market. From 2005 to 2011, Veja increased its purchase of organic cotton from 3,000 kg to 23,000 kg. This collaboration has become increasingly strong over the years and is an inspiring example of a successful partnership between a brand and a farmers’ association.

For the complete story and more information about the TE Future Shapers, visit online at: http://farmhub.textileexchange.org/learning-zone/future-shapers.