Now that it’s been greenlit by Fair Trade U.S.A., Wildlife Works can formally claim the title of Africa’s first—and so far only—carbon-neutral and fair-trade clothing factory. The certification is only the tip of the company’s environmental stewardship, however.
Founded in Kenya in 1997, Wildlife Works is the world’s leading Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation—or REDD+ for short—enterprise to use market-driven solutions to protect forests, wildlife, and communities. “We are so proud to be Fair Trade–certified,” Daniel Munyao, production and quality control manager at the Wildlife Works EPZ factory, says in a statement. “Knowing that consumers choose to purchase Fair Trade–certified products motivates us to continue creating quality garments that help our rural community here grow, without having to resort to poaching or harmful harvesting.”
But Wildlife Works is more than a purveyor of clothing. Its REDD+ initiative uses the sale of carbon-offset credits to safeguard more than 500,000 acres of highly threatened Kenyan forest, including a wildlife-migration corridor between Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks.
It also runs the 80,000-acre Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, which not only provides wildlife with some respite but also provides locals with employment options other than poaching or clear-cutting.
“We now have a very balanced ecosystem, with 50 large mammal species, more than 20 species of bats and over 300 species of birds and important populations of International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List species such as African elephants, Grevy’s zebras, cheetah and African hunting dogs,” the company notes on its website.
To toast its latest milestone, Wildlife Works has teamed up with Threads 4 Thought to create its inaugural line of carbon-neutral and fair-trade-certified T-shirts and tank tops.
The tees, which comprise 100 percent organic cotton jersey from India, are among the most sustainable and ethical you can own, according to the firm.
Available at select Whole Foods stores across the United States and online at www.threadsforthought.com, each shirt supports better working conditions for workers at the Wildlife Works facility while providing them with a premium to increase their earnings and break the cycle of poverty.
Via Ecouterre
