Business Leaders

1. Aims of EFF business membership

1. To create a consistent means of communicating companies ethical standards, achievements and goals to consumers and buyers.
2. To encourage and help to structure a progressive approach by businesses towards sustainability goals, taking into account challenges and opportunities faced.
3. To provide a level of support which is affordable and relevant to small and medium sized as well as more established businesses.
4. To facilitate shared practices, shared resources and better linkages amongst businesses with common sustainability goals.
5. To support, promote and raise the profile of businesses in the fashion sector with progressive sustainability goals and practices.

2. Why businesses join the EFF

The Ethical Fashion Forum was started when a group of fashion designers and entrepreneurs sat down around a table to discuss sustainability. They were concerned about the problems caused by the fashion industry for people and the environment- yet it was difficult for them to take action. There was very little information available about how to source and produce clothes to fair trade, organic, and ethical standards. There were negative perceptions about ethical fashion. And there was very little awareness in the industry and amongst consumers about why sustainability was so important.

The Ethical Fashion Forum grew from this meeting. Its 20 founder member businesses joined because they were passionate about making fashion more ethical. They worked to design a set of services that the EFF could provide to fashion businesses, to help them become more sustainable. When these services were set up, business membership was launched, with applications open to any business or organisation trading in the fashion and textiles sector.

Businesses join the EFF for several reasons:

• To work towards progressive social and environmental targets in their business practices
• To communicate their commitment to sustainability through the EFF members directory and Ethical Policy document
• To gain access to information and resources to help them to achieve social and environmental goals
• To share ideas with other business members and collaborate to meet common goals

Business members have access to a business members networking site, allowing them to collaborate and share information and resources. They also have access to one to one consultancy in the development of their ethical policy and sustainability targets, on an annual basis.

3. What businesses have to do to become (and stay) members of the EFF

Any business or organisation trading in the fashion and textiles sector can apply to become a business member of the Ethical Fashion Forum.

Applicants are asked to fill in a preliminary application form setting out specific information about their policies , goals and sourcing practices in relation to sustainability, including any formal certification held. The next step is to work on a comprehensive ethical policy framework and set annual targets in sustainability terms, alongside specialist consultants at the EFF.

Applicants information is assessed against the EFF members mandate. If applicants comply with this, they can become registered members of the EFF. This entitles them to use the EFF logo on website and ethical policy documents (not on products) and to be included on the EFF business members directory online.

If applicants do not yet comply with the EFF mandate, but are working towards this, they can become provisional members of the EFF. This does not entitle them to use the EFF logo or to be listed on the directory, but it does allow them to work with EFF specialist consultants towards compliance with the EFF mandate.

Both provisional and registered members of the EFF have access to members online networking facilities and members networking , promotional and training events.

The following key points are expected of all members, both registered and provisional. Developing and working in accordance with a comprehensive ethical business policy.

EFF business members are expected to consider sustainable practices in every aspect of their businesses. The EFF Ethical Policy Framework which forms the basis of annual target setting includes sections on the following:

Ethical focus, certification and standards
Current ethical standards met in the categories of organic sourcing, fair trade sourcing, sustainable livelihood creation and recycling, and certification held. Targets for building on standards held and increasing certification levels.

Business Structure and Practices
Company governance and ownership structure and policies with respect to marketing, energy efficiency, staff, and day to day business practices

Sourcing and supply chain policies
Purchasing practices (in accordance with the Responsible Purchasing Initiative) and policies on the social and environmental aspects of supply chains

Factories
Information about the ethical policies of factories in supply chains, in accordance with the ETI base code

Fair trade & community producer organisations & co-operatives
Information about producer organisations in supply chains and their ethical standards, in accordance with IFAT standards

Culture and Skills
Policies and practices in relation to reviving, supporting and adding value through supporting traditional skills

By making use of this comprehensive approach, EFF members are in a position to make strategic decisions regarding the direction of their business on an annual basis. Sustainability therefore becomes a core part of all business decisions rather than an add on.

Working to targets

Becoming a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum represents more than a commitment to the principles of sustainable sourcing and practices. It means planning and taking progressive steps towards increasingly improved practices on an ongoing basis.

Through its annual consultation process, the EFF works with its business members to set targets in accordance with their ethical business policy. EFF consultants work to ensure that targets are clear and where possible, quantified and qualified. These targets are revisited each year. Members are expected to take effective steps to meet targets they have set.

If members are clearly not working towards targets in a progressive way, their registered membership status will be reduced to provisional membership or terminated.

Honesty and transparency

EFF members are expected to be honest and transparent in their dealings with the EFF and in their communications with customers and press. While the EFF does not require members to publicise any sensitive information, it does expect members to deal honestly in all their communications. If members do not have certain standards in place yet or are unable to commit resources to certain aspects of production at this stage, it is better to communicate this alongside the goals in these arenas.

Collaboration

Collaboration towards shared goals is the original premise for the creation of the Ethical Fashion Forum. EFF members are expected to collaborate where possible with other businesses and organisations in the sector to maximise their achievement of social and environmental goals.

For more details of what is expected of registered members, including minimum standards, please see the EFF business members mandate for business members.

READ THE EFF BUSINESS MEMBERS MANDATE FOR BUSINESS MEMBERS

Members are assessed against all of the above and against the EFF mandate on an annual basis. If they cease to comply, membership will be terminated or reduced to provisional membership status.

4. How to we ensure that all business members continue to comply with membership requirements

Every year before their membership is renewed, business members work with the EFF team to assess achievements against targets, and evaluate and update their ethical policy framework.

Members need to prove that they have taken clear steps towards the targets they have set and that they are still working in compliance with the EFF mandate.

If members cease to take progressive steps towards sustainability or cease to comply with the EFF mandate their membership will be reduced to provisional membership status or terminated.

5. The EFF logo for business members

Registered business members of the EFF can use the EFF logo on website and ethical policy documents, to show that they are business members of the EFF.

By showing that they are members of the EFF, businesses communicate to their customers that they are taking a progressive and targeted approach to sustainability, and monitoring this on an annual basis.

Business members are not permitted to use this logo on products, as it does not represent specific product certification.

6. What EFF membership does not mean

Ethical Fashion Forum business membership has been set up to meet a specific need. The EFF supports businesses and organisations in the fashion sector which want to take progressive steps towards sustainability, need access to information, resources and expertise in order to do this, and want to communicate their ethical policies, targets and achievements to customers in an effective and credible way.

EFF membership is designed to compliment rather than to duplicate other initiatives which exist to support fashion businesses in relation to sustainability.

It is also designed to be accessible and affordable for small to medium sized businesses and organisations which do not yet have the resources to commit to other schemes, or whose needs are not met by other schemes (please see working with partners below for details of other schemes relevant to fashion businesses)

Business membership of the EFF does not mean that all members products meet specific ethical, fair trade or organic standards. In order to provide any sort of product accreditation, the EFF would need to visit and monitor members suppliers, and this would make membership fees so high they would be unaffordable for many businesses. Besides, organisations already exist which provide product accreditation and are working hard to expand this in the fashion sector. The EFF works to increase awareness of and engagement with formal accreditation systems amongst members.