Coop Naturaline – Fashion & Fairness

Coop launched its Naturaline brand in 1993. Today, the company is one of the world’s largest retailers of Fairtrade organic cotton.

Coop has worked with REMEI AG since 1994. Together, they have developed a set of social and ecological requirements for fashionwear. This longstanding partnership received the Business Award for Sustainable Development Partnerships at the 2002 United Nations World Summit in Johannesburg. Sustainability runs through our value chain like a continuous thread, from the farmer right through to the finished fashion garment. Coop ensures organic cotton production, ecological processing, and fair working conditions along the entire supply chain.

The organic cotton for Naturaline textiles is grown in bioRe® projects in Maikaal (India) and Meatu (Tanzania). Today, over 8,000 farmers in India and Tanzania are involved. Organic farming enables the farmers to escape the spiral of debt, as they do not have to take out loans to purchase expensive chemicals and GMO seeds. In addition, organic farmers use techniques such as crop rotation and produce compost and natural pesticides to achieve good yields. Organic farming also stabilizes ecosystems, while renouncing monocultures prevents a loss of earnings in case of drought or pest infestations. What is more, the farmers receive an organic premium and a purchase guarantee for their organic cotton harvest, hence attaining greater added value.

The social criteria for farming include: training and consulting services; an organic premium; a purchase guarantee; farmers’ representation and co-determination; workers’ rights and absence of discrimination; capital build-up and reinforcement of organizations; and initiation of and support for social projects.

Coop works together with the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) in textile processing. In 2005, the BSCI Code of Conduct replaced the textile codex that had been in force since 2000. All direct suppliers in developing countries are involved in the audit process, which is supported and supervised by Coop and REMEI AG. Compliance with SA8000 is the long-term goal for all Coop Naturaline business associates. The social criteria include:

• freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
• no discrimination is practiced
• child labor is prohibited
• legal minimum and/or industry standard wages are paid
• working hours are compliant with national laws and do not exceed 48 hours regular plus 12 hours overtime
• there is no forced labor or disciplinary measures
• the workplace is safe and healthy
• the environment is respected
• a social accountability policy is in place
• an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy is enforced
• statutory and international conventions are upheld

Naturaline products protect textile workers from toxic chemicals, substances, and colors during processing. Precise threshold values are defined for textile production. In particular, no chlorine or formaldehyde is used in processing. Moreover, further optimization is achieved thanks to effective input management and controlled wastewater treatment.

For Coop, REMEI AG, and bioRe® India and Tanzania, traceability means the entire production process is fully documented and certified sustainable – in both ecological and social terms. Every Naturaline bioRe® garment is therefore marked with a numeric code that enables every single production step to be traced all the way back to the region where the cotton was harvested.

The bioRe® Association is responsible for implementing social projects in India and Tanzania. The Coop Sustainability Fund supports these bioRe® projects. They include:

• Agricultural Training Centers: At bioRe® Training Centers and during on-the-field training, farmers learn all the skills they need to be successful in organic cultivation.
• Animation Schools: The aim of animation schools is to enroll children in a school who up to now have been deprived of their right to education. Animation means that the community and, in particular, the children’s parents are made aware of the importance of education and establish a village school together.
• Mobile Health Unit: Where doctors were previously unavailable, the Mobile Health Unit brings relief today.

In 2008–2009, REMEI AG produced more than 1.5 million garments for brands including Coop, Greenpeace Magazine, Mammut, and REWE. Nonetheless, Coop continues to be REMEI AG’s most significant and reliable customer. Coop Naturaline is a range of around 440 articles made from organic Fairtrade cotton. These range from basics such as T-shirts and pajamas to seasonal, trendy garments. At Coop, annual sales of Naturaline textiles and cotton-wadding products have risen from an initial 3 million Swiss francs to reach 65 million Swiss francs in 2009. Today, the partnership between Coop and REMEI AG is flourishing to such an extent that the Naturaline brand is also sold under license outside of Switzerland. Distribution partners are located in France, Finland, and Belgium.