Our-impact
Our Impact
As a network and catalyst for change, supporting and influencing thousands of fashion professionals all with a wide circle of influence, the impact of the Ethical Fashion Forum since its launch represents far more than individual projects and actions, is broad, widespread, and on a global scale.
DOWNLOAD OUR 2010 IMPACT REPORT
DOWNLOAD OUR 2009 IMPACT REPORT
Scroll down to see our Achievements to date and our Commitments and impact targets under our CONNECT, SOURCE, and EXCEL programmes.
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE
Every single fashion professional that we engage with has the capacity to influence and change lives for thousands of people behind fashion supply chains, and address environmental challenges, through sourcing decisions. For this reason, a lot of our work is focused upon engaging and motivating fashion professionals – so that they use their influence to major and long term effect.
Between 2006 and 2010 we have:
Launched and run the annual SOURCE EXPO, the only international trade show dedicated to sustainable sourcing, linking hundreds of fashion professionals directly with fairtrade and ethical suppliers.
Launched and run the SOURCE DIRECTORY AND MAGAZINE, bringing together 12 partner organisations to create the first collaborative online platform for ethical fashion- set to increase opportunities and improve livelihoods for up to 2.5 million people in the developing world by 2015, through linking fair trade and community suppliers to market.
Supported up to 40,000 unique visitors monthly towards sustainability through access to EFF online services and resources, 12000 industry professionals monthly through subscribing to the Ethical Fashion Newsletter, and 5000 industry professionals and suppliers in 100 countries, including 69 in the developing world, through the Ethical Fashion Network
Trained over 1000 industry professionals in sustainable sourcing through the Spotlight on Sourcing Programme
Put 24 pioneering ethical fashion businesses in the spotlight and supported their success through the INNOVATION competition, inspired a new generation of fashion entrepreneurs to focus on sustainability, and supported hundreds of new businesses to integrate sustainability through the New Entrepreneurs programme
Launched the RE:Fashion Awards- the official awards for ethical fashion, creating a platform for best practice across the supply chain. Held the RE:Fashion summit bringing together industry leaders and initiated the RE:Fashion manifesto, setting out sustainability parameters and targets for the UK industry.
Engaged 46 of the UK’s leading fashion retailers and brands with sourcing sustainably from Africa through the Africa Inspires project, in partnership with the ITC (UN) and raised wages for women cooperative workers in Ghana tenfold through a single project with Topshop.
Played an instrumental role in the rapid fourfold growth in the market for ethical fashion and the designation of ethical fashion as an official UN development theme in relation to poverty reduction.
OUR COMMITMENTS AND IMPACT TARGETS:
1. CONNECT: the creation of a collaborative movement
To create a collaborative movement that will transform social and environmental standards in the fashion industry within a decade. To reach and engage with representatives from every sector of the fashion industry towards this goal. To expand to 15000 network members within 3 years.
To engage with policy makers and industry bodies to enshrine best practice within the regulations governing the fashion industry.
To create a platform that will raise awareness and allow wide scale consumer engagement and support for better practices
To offer subsidised access to every service offered to facilitate engagement by organisations from the developing world.
2. SOURCE: Fashion Business Success without Compromise
To grow the network of professionals in fashion markets dedicated to ethical sourcing. To reach 50% of EU industry directly within 5 yrs
To promote and build partnerships with suppliers and networks working to high ethical standards in order to secure long term market access. To support at least 5000 suppliers within 3-5 years.
3. EXCEL: Supporting and promoting Excellence in Ethical Fashion
To increase the competitiveness of fashion businesses working to high ethical criteria and the business case to do so
To create a vehicle that will make the information, resources and training needed to work sustainably available to all fashion businesses
To increase the capacity of ethical , Fair Trade and community suppliers from the South through dedicated training programmes and subsidised or free access to information