CEO Spotlight: The Case for Fair Trade

We're seeing this
tipping point right now

where customers have
the power to really vote

with their dollars.

Any company that adopts
the fair trade model

is making a statement
in terms of who they are

and what their vision is.

Consumers do understand when
they make a purchasing decision

that it has an impact.

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Every time they come
into the stores,

they vote with
their pocketbooks.

We're going to market with
a price that lifts everybody

up all along the supply chain.

So it was fair trade that
drew that line in the sand

and say, let's do this.

Fair trade, it's a
third party auditor

to make sure that the labor
and the environmental impacts

meet standards.

And a corporation can say that,
but without an audit, how do

you can believe it?

The single most important reason
we use fair trade, because that

gives us the ability to
affect people on the ground.

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That's that idealism
of fair trade

to make the world a better
place that first drew me

to the organization and
wanting to partner with them.

You're not just
extracting the ingredient,

but it's really a partnership.

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It's helping farmers
come together

and giving them the tools
to solve their own problems.

We wanted to be inclusive
in terms of how we buy.

And we wanted something
that we could tell

a story about that mattered.

This authentic connection
to your suppliers.

Fair trade is 100% aligned with
the values that Athleta has.

Ethical sourcing, whether
it's sustainability

or the social responsibility,
is paramount to how

we live our values here.

And fair trade is fully
aligned with that.

For us, sustainability is
tied directly with quality.

People want to be
associated with brands that

care about things like this.

If we can invest in
these communities

while keeping it at
an accessible price

point for the consumer,
why wouldn't we?

That fair trade organic
certification on it,

their purchase is
creating impact.

Our customers may
not have known they

wanted that until they had it.

Then once they had it,
they wanted more of it.

Fair trade is an
amazing initiative.

What it does is it raises
consciousness around what

is possible when you use
business as a force for good

in the world.

If you make the right choices
and you do the right things,

everybody benefits
in the long term.