Why does People Tree do a Social Review?
Why is People Tree special? - What opinion leaders have to say?
Summary of Action Plan
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Improved planning, marketing, communications and sales strategies including market analysis of customers and their needs. This should enable People Tree to increase order sizes to producers and build awareness and the market for Fair Trade products. Market research conducted through surveys emailed to mail order customers helped People Tree UK to set priorities for the company including investing in design and catalogue production. In 2007, we hope to undertake a similar survey in Japan to communicate better with our customer and analyse their needs. We are actively building the email database of People Tree Japan mail order customers which is small compared to People Tree UK's database. Producer partners' feedback is generally very positive and appreciative of People Tree's inputs in design, quality feedback and payments. However handicraft producers want bigger orders. This requires better merchandising and sales strategies. People Tree UK and Japan are working more closely to share PR ideas and synergies. For example Japanese Vogue's 6 page feature in June 2007 helped secure a feature in the Saturday Telegraph and Independent on Sunday (both UK) and the launching of the People Tree for Topshop collection in the UK helped to create media interest in Japan and as a result People Tree are now in Topshop, La Foret department store, Japan. Some styles and fabrics are shared in Japanese and UK collections making production more efficient for producers and securing better opportunities to promote People Tree internationally. |
The Team
Today 45 people work in the Japan office and shops and 16 work in the UK office.
Both teams are more than two thirds women and women are in the majority in the management team.
- Since the Social Review conducted in 2004 definite improvements in the working environment were reported.
- An office move in June 2005 meant that design and the rest of the team worked in the same office in Japan.
- Overtime was highest in PR and design so extra people were added to teams.
- The number of products was reduced to decrease the workload of the import and design teams.
Action Plan:
- Office move to one location to improve internal communications.
- Introduce monthly company-wide meetings to share news and increase opportunities to talk about these issues.
- Staff training to be decided at manager level
- Formative company calendar and operations schedule.
- Senior management to develop communications and ensure execution of sales and marketing strategy.
Why is People Tree special? - What opinion leaders have to say?
"In the fashion world there are very few who challenge the system. People Tree is one of them."
George Monbiot, journalist and activist
"People Tree is an incredible company, I have been very impressed by the team since I met them and am delighted to be able to use some of my expertise to help them to build the business."
Jane Shepherdson
"We're really pleased to be in partnership with People Tree, whose values are so in tune with ours. Like ActionAid, People Tree believes in bringing justice to poor communities through fair trading schemes that help poor people work their way out of poverty. It's a chance to prove that as consumers we have ethics."
Richard Miller, Director ActionAid UK.
"I'm really happy to be supporting a partnership which is putting Fair Trade and the environment centre stage, especially when making a difference is as easy as wearing a great t-shirt! Buying one of these tees supports People Tree's work to clean up the fashion industry, and is another positive step towards improving the lives of people in some of the poorest communities of the world.
Trudie Styler, Actress and film producer.
"People Tree is our best example to date that re-globalisation of trade, from the bottom - people to people - is the key to creating a sustainable world in the 21st Century."
Jeremy Rifkin, Foundation on Economic Trends
"Well done for all you have achieved over the last 5 years. You have played a key role in raising the profile of Fair Trade fashion which is a remarkable achievement. Wishing you continued success for the next 5 years!"
Jenny Silverthorne-Wright, Oxfam, Buying Manager
"People Tree are not just concerned about Fair Trade labels, they are concerned about trading fairly - and they do this brilliantly. "
Michael York, New Internationalist Magazine
"We are really excited about the launch of our own collaboration with People Tree, producing an exclusive range that will be in store at the end of February to coincide with the celebration of Fairtrade fortnight. With People Tree's current range in store bringing Fair Trade awareness to a wider range of customer , we look forward to helping the continuing growth in the ethical market with such a pioneering brand."
Claire Hamer, Accessories Buyer, Topshop
"I think what the People Tree team are doing is bloody amazing, helping people escape the poverty trap and I really hope you will support them - I do!"
Wayne Hemingway, Designer
"People Tree promotes well-being by marketing wonderful clothes. People Tree promotes sustainability through the use of organic cotton and environmental production methods. People Tree promotes social justice through a fair deal for producers. People Tree is truly one of the pioneering organizations of the 21st Century and shows others the way to go."
Stewart Wallis, Executive Director New Economics Foundation
"London is proud to celebrate the combination creativity and sustainability which makes People Tree so special and helps us all towards living more sustainable lives."
James Bidwell. CEO London Unlimited
"Thanks to People Tree and its producers, we have been able to show the fashion industry that Fair Trade fashion can be cool. I hope this is just the start of a global movement towards fashion with a conscience!"
Leeyong Soo, ex-International Fashion Coordinator for Vogue NIPPON.
"People Trees Organic Cotton Project in Bangladesh really matters not just because of the enormous difference it will make to the livelihoods of all those farmers producing the cotton, but also because of what it will do to protect the environment. When people realise that organic farming is one of the best ways of building up levels of CO2 in the soil (preventing it being released into the atmosphere, worsening the problems of climate change, then the case for Fair Trade, organic produce will become even more overwhelming."
Jonathan Porritt, Co-Founder and Programme Director of Forum for the Future.
"World Fair Trade Day is a great day to remind us that the world in which we are living is not fair. Unless we make the world a fair world the world has no future.
At the moment half of the world is going to bed without food and the other half of the world is wasting so many natural resources that our world is getting polluted and our climate is changing and we are faced with Global Warming.
In this kind of a situation World Fair Trade Day reminds us that we need to change our ways and become more fair to the world.
Particularly we have to remember our children. Our children are the future and if we leave the world in an unsustainable way, a polluted way, a globally warmed way then what will the future be for our children.
Fair Trade is an imperative for the safety and well being of the future generations.
Let us all celebrate this World Fair Trade Day with great enthusiasm and make a commitment that very soon in the future the majority of the world will be trading on fair terms and not by the survival of the fittest or the survival of the strongest. Let us not let big companies and Multinational Corporation and globalization win and the small traders, and small craftsmen, and small people loose. That world cannot be a fair world and cannot be a sustainable world!"
Satish Kumar, Editor, Resurgence.
What producer partners say
Association for Craft Producers, Nepal.
"What People Tree is doing is not just Fair Trade - lots of feedback, education, capacity building. People Tree enables us to trade with international customers anywhere in the world. Finding hair in products, needles in products - you helped us to buy a metal detector so we could check our products. It helps upgrade the quality. Working with People Tree has indirectly improved sales with other customers too. We feel confident in our relationship and partnership with People Tree." Meera Bhattarai, Executive Director.
Artisan Hut, Bangladesh. "We are a Bangladeshi Fair Trade group, we thought that Fair Trade business meant charity, irregular orders, and poor quality products. But People Tree changed our thinking and raised our expectations with their activity/action plan. Passing on the skills to run a business, make quality products, they gave us hope to develop our business. It also helped us to create a local market for our products. Our producers' incomes are increasing. For example some of our weavers have started their own hand loom business by using their savings. Embroidery work use to be home based, Fair Trade helped us to build a workshop and pay higher wages. Women are using their savings money to purchase land. Most of the women raise their hand when asked who has gained recognition at home, since joining at Bangla Selayi workshop." |  Embroidery artisans from Bangla Selayi, Artisan Hut in Bangladesh, holding a copy of the People Tree catalogue. |
People Tree's orders make up some 90% of Artisan Hut's total sales, employing 150 weavers, embroiderers, tailors, dyers. We have brought back traditional weaving to the village and pride too!.
Folk, Bangladesh.
 Tomoko Kawada, from People Tree's design team, discusses with Folk's management team pattern details of People Tree's 2008 collection. Bangladesh. | "People Tree saved Folk Bangladesh and its producers. If People Tree had not helped us in the beginning we would not have survived. Thanks to People Tree for their big hand and big support. |
MCC, Bangladesh.
"People Tree's product ideas and design ideas are of a very high standard. Our producers like it very much.
MCC Jobarpar enterprise. People Tree orders provided work to 583 artisans working under MCC in 2006."
Social Economic Development Society (SEDS), Bangladesh.
"People Tree maintains ethics relating to Fair Trade and is very much concerned about the welfare of the producers.
People Tree always values partners' decision and ideas."
SEDS, Bangladesh. People Tree accounted for 40% of SEDS' turnover in 2006, and provided work to 120 artisans.
Thanapara Swallows, Bangladesh.
"You are THE BEST PARTNER selling our product and supporting our developing activity. Today People Tree's support has meant that we have doubled the number of people who are benefiting from Fair Trade to 150 people as well as increased their earnings by 50% in the last 18 months alone. We really hope that you will continue to buy from People Tree, who are making huge efforts to support the people in this rural area in Bangladesh |  Tomoko Kawada, from People Tree's design team, demonstrates how to finish off a hem at Swallows, Bangladesh. |
Reaching The Unreached, RTU, India.
"People Tree places regular orders with us for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, the volume of orders increases every year so that we are able to provide continuous employment to our artisans and they earn more."
RTU, India.
Self Help Association for Rural Education and Employment, (SHARE), India.
"People Tree is not only looking at the product but also at the people. Conventional Non-Fair Trade commercial buyers just don't care about people, but only about the product."
People Tree provided work to 100 artisans working under SHARE in 2006.
Silence, India.
"Your order helps us to provide gainful employment to the most disadvantage people of our society who are physically challenged. It helps them to sustain and lead a dignified and recognized life and sell into the mainstream. This would not have been possible with out your co-operation and support."
People Tree provided work to 115 of Silences' artisans in 2006.
Tara Projects, India.
"The work [with People Tree] has made us aware of the importance of quality. As a result our orders are increasing.
People Tree is committed to Fair Trade; therefore it is certainly much better than the mainstream buyers. It provides sustainable support, fair price, product development, environmental awareness and overall support for the development of grassroots artisans."
People Tree provided work to 134 of Tara Projects' artisans in 2006. Tara Projects is also a key partner in the campaign against child labour and for global trade justice.
Agrocel Cooperative, India.
 | "People Tree has supported the development and growth of organic farming at Agrocel. Every year Agrocel is able to include more organic farmers in their group thanks to growing People Tree orders for organic cotton. People Tree also is an active agent in the development of better quality cotton at Agrocel." |
Kumbeshwar Technical School, KTS, Nepal.
"KTS mission is to provide free education to the needy children and to provide vocational training with job opportunities for underprivileged women, disabled people and widows. Every year we have around 60 knitwear graduates. People Tree UK orders have helped us to provide jobs for our graduates and help more needy uneducated women to be independent and earn and support their day-to-day living.
Certainly, working with People Tree has helped us a lot to use AZO free dyes and natural dyes. The feedback and advice from People Tree has encouraged us to use our own original raw material like silk and help us a lot to develop new and quality product.
We are very thankful and satisfied with the method of People Tree product development. Your design input and quality feedback is the key factor, which has helped us a lot to improve and upgrade our product to international market standards.
People Tree accounted for 50% of KTS' turnover in 2006 and provided work to 452 of KTS' artisans and profits covered the running costs of the school."
Saffy, Philippines.
"People Tree helps develop more environmentally-friendly products, sourcing adequate materials and coming up with production solutions to meet their Fair Trade and environmentally-friendly expectations. These developments are then absorbed and become practice even when dealing with other buyers."
People Tree accounted for 20% of Saffy's sales in 2006, and provided work to 247 of Saffy's artisans.
Bega Kwa Bega, Nairobi- slums, Kenya.
"People Tree has introduced and supported the transition to natural materials we see this as an economically and environmentally valuable change.
Producers are becoming more self reliant as they acquire more skills."
Crafts of Africa, Kenya.
"To us, People Tree is more than an ordinary partner. The teams approach is more keen on how artisans can come up with more appealing market led products in the market place. To us and the artisans, that is the way to go."
Peter Wahome. People Tree accounted for 48% of Crafts of Africa's turnover and provided work to 183 artisans.
Minka, Peru.
"People Tree is not just promoting Fair Trade products - it is promoting communities."
Norma Velasquez - Director Minka Fair Trade. People Tree orders provided work to 323 of Minka's artisans in 2006.