FAIR TRADE
More and more of us want to know where our shopping comes from and that the people who produce it have a fair deal. Fairness is a cornerstone of the Pure philosophy. Fair Trade is all about guaranteeing farmers in developing countries a fair and stable price for their products which covers their costs and enables them to support their families and invest in a better future. The rules and practices of international trade are biased in favour of the rich countries and powerful companies, often to the cost of poor producers.
Pure believes in the principles of 'Fair Trade' and though we work hard on behalf of our customers to avoid unnecessary middlemen, waste and inefficiency, we don't like to squeeze people. We want all our supplier partners to thrive from their relationships with Pure as we know that what is good for them, is good for Pure in the long run - it's the same as the way we treat our customers.
The fact that there is no formal 'Fair Trade' structure in the cashmere trade is for a good reason...there is no need for it. Nomadic herders are a savvy bunch - they recognize the price of cashmere is determined by supply and demand, so they control the price of cashmere by holding onto their clip when prices dip and releasing more when prices are high.
Though sourcing directly and cutting out middlemen, ensures Pure sources cashmere at an advantageous price, the herders that produce our 'sustainable' cashmere are selling a premium product that is both 'the best' and 'sustainable' so naturally we pay a premium.