France: new campaign on textile ethical trade

The ” Citizen Fibre ” project launched by Yamana, a non profit body, aims to introduce social and environmental criteria within the textile system of production and wholesale and retail business, and to foster a progress dynamics on economic, social and environmental policies in a North/South perpective. Its implementation in France, Marocco and Tunisia for the time being, offers already good opportunities to achieve concrete results. Quite 20 French businesses participate to ” Citizen Fibre ” and develop an ethical trade on the basis of an increasing demand from the consumers and a willingness from enterprises to extend their corporate social responsability. SNCF joined this network in mid-december 2005 to give more emphasis to its CSR and to make known its commitments to its customers. Compared to the Fair trade movement, this ” Citizen Fibre ” initiative involves main actors of the French economy and builds new ties between NGOs, the Northern traditional players and the producers from the Euromed zone. www.fibrecitoyenne.org