Our Story | Our Blog | Founder's Bio: Amanda Judge | Our Socially Responsible Practices | Our Materials
Our Artisans | Process: From Seeds to Beads | FAQ | Links | Our Contributors | Press
The Andean Collection - AboutUs

Our Socially Responsible Practices

The Andean Collection operates in a socially responsible manner starting by building trusting relationships with the artisans and suppliers, and providing people all along our supply chain with wages that enable them to live comfortably. The seeds used to make the jewelry are sustainably harvested from the rainforest and low lands of South America and are a natural alternative to the synthetic beads that we often see in the contemporary market.

Product tags and marketing materials are printed on recycled paper, and we continually strive to reduce our carbon footprint. In our offices, we take great efforts to conserve resources, including using energy efficient lighting and of course, recycling. We have just submitted our application for membership in the Fair Trade Federation, for which we will be eligible upon the completion of our first sixth months of sales (end of May 2009).

Fair trade in artisan products means ensuring that producers and everyone along the supply chain has good working conditions, a decent wage, and a realistic path out of poverty. Given the inherent low education level of poor producers, fair trade for us also means going beyond and helping artisans lead a better life. We do this through an annual survey of our producers in which we learn more about their lives, the problems they face on a daily basis, and taking action to help them combat these difficulties. (The summary of our first survey, carried out in January 2009, is available upon request.)

In the United States, by law, manufacturers must adhere to a minimum wage for its producers. In other countries, however, while such a minimum wage exists, it is rarely enforced. Therefore, we feel that manufacturers operating outside of the United States have the responsibility to create their own guidelines to ensure that employees are properly treated and rewarded. One such guide that manufacturers can use is the World of Good’s Fair Wage Guide. We ensure that our artisans are paid more than suggested in this guide.

We believe that fair distribution of profits includes the producers themselves. In addition to fair wages, The Andean Collection offers its artisans an additional path to prosperity: they are part owners in the organization, so they profit as we grow.

We also believe that for products to be fair trade, the must also be ecologically friendly. We are constantly working to ensure that our business practices have positive impacts on the environment, and our first report on the environmental impacts of our supply chain is available upon request.