Choosing Indpro Fairtrade Sports Balls Makes a Difference
INDPRO Fairtrade Footballs take into account all these necessary guidelines and ethics during the production of such balls and judiciously follows the given Fairtrade Standards to provide superior quality balls that benefit not only the customers but also the producers and workers. Without the ball, you can’t play the game. Isn’t it time for a bit of fair play for workers, too? While we can’t promise that using a Fairtrade ball means your team will win the match, at least choosing a Fairtrade ball is a win for workers. Together with consumers and traders, Fairtrade empowers workers to change this unsatisfying situation and receive their fair share of the global sports ball business.
INDPRO Fairtrade Footballs have been opted by many organisations like FORCA GOA FOUNDATION, who have come forward in the support of fair play of games both on the pitch and off the pitch by ensuring that every community involved benefits from this healthy shift in practices. LEGEND INTERNATIONAL(INDPRO SPORTS) supports and implement this initiative to ensure better working conditions for workers and better waste and resource management in our factory with Fairtrade guidelines and also ensure that the fundamental rights and entitlement of workers are respected.
About Fairtrade and its Functions
Stitching a ball is detail-oriented work: a football typically consists of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal panels that must first be cut, then bound together with 18 metres of yarn and 650 precision stitches.
Fairtrade certifies balls for football (soccer), handball, volleyball, and rugby. The Fairtrade Standard covers all hand-stitched, machine-stitched and thermo-bonded sports balls. The great majority of Fairtrade sports balls are hand-stitched, as this method offers the best balance between performance, durability and affordability. The Fairtrade Standard for sports balls requires that workers receive at least the legal minimum or regional average wage at the time of initial certification. From there, management has to gradually increase the wages and working conditions of workers.Sports ball workers in each certified company elect a Fairtrade Premium Committee, which administers the collection and usage of the Fairtrade Premium – an extra 10 percent above the export price of the ball.
Decisions on the use of Premium funds are made by a general assembly of workers, in which each worker has a vote. The intention of the Fairtrade Premium is to enable sports ball workers to foster the economic, social and environmental development of their communities. To prevent the risk of child labour and other forms of exploitation, the Fairtrade Standard for sport balls prohibits factories from encouraging or allowing workers do their work at home. Instead, Premium money has been used to create childcare facilities next to factories, where workers can leave their children safely during their working hours. Free computer literacy courses have also been established for workers and their children.
What is Fairtrade ?
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. By choosing Fairtrade products, people can create change through their everyday actions, and communities can improve their lives and invest in their future. As a leader in the global movement to make trade fair, Fairtrade supports and challenges businesses and governments and connects workers with the people who buy their products. A product with the FAIRTRADE Mark means producers and businesses have met internationally agreed standards which have been independently certified. The mission is to connect disadvantaged producers and consumers, promote fairer trading conditions and empower producers to combat poverty, strengthen their position and take more control over their lives.
Importance of Fairtrade in Today's Era
1. Making the conscious decision to purchase products that are fair trade certified will ensure that poverty levels are tackled. Most importantly, fair trade offers a minimum price to producers. However, if prices in the global market drop below this level, farmers selling to fair trade distributors can be sure that they get a fair price.2. It will also, in turn, encourage the production of environmentally-conscious and friendly products. Fair trade products are also free from genetically-engineered ingredients and produced with limited amounts of pesticides and fertilisers, thus resulting in environmental effectiveness and better products for consumption or use.
3. Following fair trade practices will also help in setting humane work conditions for workers across various sectors. It prohibits child labour and practices a fair wage policy along with adhering to all safety standards.
4. In purchasing certified products, you help the community grow. The excess funds are often utilised for community development programmes like building schools and toilets and providing healthcare facilities, as well as better infrastructure for the farmers.
What Fairtrade Ensures?
I. FAIR FOR PRODUCERSSmall-scale farmers and workers are among the most marginalized by the global trade system. At Fairtrade, they are at the heart of everything we do. Unique among certification schemes, producers have an equal say in how Fairtrade is run and are included in all our decision-making. For workers, Fairtrade means:
• Prices that aim to cover the average costs of producing the Goods sustainably – a vital safety net when market prices drop.
• The Fairtrade Premium – an extra sum of money paid on top of the selling price to invest in business or community projects of their choice
• Decent working conditions and a ban on discrimination, forced labour and child labour
• Access to advance credit ahead of harvest time
• Being able to plan more for the future with more security and stronger relationships with buyers
II. FAIR FOR CONSUMERS
Consumers are a vital part of Fairtrade. Every Fairtrade product you choose or campaign you support enables workers to invest in their lives and take more control of their future.
A product with the FAIRTRADE Mark means the producers and businesses have met the stringent Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards. According to a 2015 Globe Scan study of consumers in 15 countries, more than 50 percent of consumers are familiar with the FAIRTRADE Mark and of those, 80 percent say they have a more positive perception of brands that carry it.
What is the system of Fairtrade?
The Fairtrade system is made up of:• Three regional producer networks that represent farmers and workers in Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
• 19 national Fairtrade organizations and eight marketing organizations that market and promote Fairtrade products in consumer countries.
• Fairtrade International, the umbrella NGO that creates the internationally agreed Fairtrade Standards and coordinates Fairtrade worldwide.
• FLOCERT, the main independent certifier for Fairtrade, which inspects producers and traders to ensure they comply with Fairtrade Standards.
• Over 1.7 million farmers and workers are active in Fairtrade, creating a wide range of goods that meet the growing demand for sustainably sourced products. Fairtrade global sales surpassed €8 billion in 2017, and the shift toward ethical consumption shows no signs of abating.
What are the advantages of Fairtrade?
1. Recognition: Consumers know and trust Fairtrade – the most widely recognized ethical label in the world, with eight in ten consumers saying the mark has a positive impact on their perception of brands, according to 2015 GlobeScan research.2. Sourcing models that meet your needs: Fairtrade offers different approaches that enable companies to make their supply chains sustainable and transparent.
3. Stable business relationships with suppliers: Fairtrade fosters long-term trading partnerships, and empowers producers through training and support to increase quality and responsiveness to market trends.
4. A smart choice, an ethical choice: Fairtrade provides tools for companies to tackle exploitative labour and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. Exploiting farmers and workers in the pursuit of ever cheaper food and ever greater profit is ultimately unsustainable – consumers know this and are voting with their wallets.
5. A certification and assurance system you can trust: Fairtrade’s certification system is rigorous, independent and aligned with best-in-class practice, involving regular on-site visits by trained auditors. Our assurance scheme is compliant with ISEAL’s Assurance Code, an international code for sustainability standards.
Around the world, nearly 1600 producer organizations, representing more than 1.6 million farmers and workers, are active in Fairtrade.
What are the benefits of Fairtrade?
1. Stable prices: Most products have a Fairtrade Minimum Price aimed at providing producers with a safety net against falling market prices and allowing long-term planning. Learn more about the Fairtrade Minimum Price here.2. Additional Premium: The Fairtrade Premium is a tool for producers to improve the quality of their lives, communities, and businesses. It is an additional amount of money paid on top of the agreed Fairtrade price, which producers decide democratically how to use. The Fairtrade Premium is often used for investments in education, healthcare, and farm improvements that increase income. Though the size and sales volume of Fairtrade producer organizations can vary considerably, on average each Fairtrade producer organization received €111,000 in Fairtrade Premium during 2017.
3. Partnership focused on your needs as a producer: Fairtrade certified farmers and workers co-own and manage Fairtrade International – through participation in the board of directors, key committees, and consultation processes, producers can influence Fairtrade’s strategy, standards, prices and premiums.
4. Empowerment of farmers and workers: Fairtrade aims to transform trade, and empowering producers is at the core of our model. In order to be Fairtrade certified, small-scale farmer groups must have a democratic structure and transparent administration. In plantations and hired labour settings, workers form a committee that decides on the use of the Fairtrade Premium. Fairtrade offers support to develop capacity in these areas, strengthening producer organizations in the process.
5. Market opportunities: Fairtrade is the most recognized ethical label in the world. Businesses and consumers are increasingly seeking sustainably sourced products, and Fairtrade’s brand and global network of marketing organizations can extend your reach.
6. Another advantage is the power of community: Your organization can join one of the three regional Fairtrade Producer Networks, which provide support, training and representation for producers in the global Fairtrade system.
Link to Youtube Indpro Fairtrade Video
Links to Indpro Fairtrade Football News:
- https://www.thebetterindia.com/166816/from-goa-to-jalandhar-these-people-are-initiating-a-different-sort-of-revolution-in-global-football/
- https://youtu.be/VGR4YNENkUY
- https://goanewswire.wordpress.com/2018/10/26/forca-goa-foundation-first-organization-in-india-to-source-fairtrade-footballs/
- http://vivagoamagazine.com/details.php?id=1952
- https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fairtrade-in-india/article20766979.ece
- https://bizbehindsports.com/2018/12/23/kickstarting-the-fairtrade-football-revolution/