Oliberté is a sustainable fair trade footwear brand supporting workers’ rights in sub-Saharan Africa. Oliberté became the first Fair Trade Certified™ footwear factory in 2013
By Mara Leighton (Business Insider)
Premium leather — especially the kind that’s handmade and has to be imported — typically comes at a much higher cost than what you’ll find being sold online at the up-and-coming startup, Oliberté.
Known since 2012 as the world’s first (and only) Fair Trade Certified footwear manufacturing factory, the company is responsible for the lightweight, premium leather boots you might recognize from your Instagram feed — but what makes them different, aside from how lightweight and luxurious the shoes are for their price — is the company they come from.
Oliberté footwear factory is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and aims to end generational poverty in sub-Saharan Africa through “trade, not aid” — providing work opportunities to 100+ people (60% of whom are women) and pairing with suppliers, farmers, and craftsmen across Africa to build and sell a premium product. Oliberté believes that “with the right partners, each country within Africa has the means to grow and support its people.”
The factories provide safe jobs with good wages where none existed before. A portion of the profits from each product sold are reinvested into the creation of more factories and jobs, and, over time, the community will experience exponential economic growth and social enterprise as the company itself grows. More tangibly, as part of its Fair Trade status, a portion of all Oliberté profits is diverted into a fund that is 100% controlled by the company’s warehouse staff. At the end of the year, staff workers are then able to vote on how to best use the fund to enrich themselves and the community as a whole. To date, the company has seen over $100,000 USD deposited. In their words, the end goal is that “adults are able to work. Children are able to attend school. [And] a new generational cycle begins”.
This respect for workers’ rights and wages also transfers to unique respect for customers. On top of a handmade leather boot sold at a fraction of the price of competitors, Oliberté will also give you a lifetime warranty against any defect. And on top of an already low price, you can expect free shipping to the US and Canada.
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