Epona Ltd
Epona produces high-quality fair trade cotton garments for the promotional clothing market. The social mission of Epona is to improve the working lives of small-scale cotton producers, ensure ethical working practices along the supply chain, and minimise the industry's imprint on the environment.
Cotton is the most heavily polluted of all crops - the World Health Organisation estimates that 24% of the world's insecticides are used on it. The USA and the EU give substantial subsidies to cotton producers, making it difficult for farmers in India and West Africa to compete. The Fairtrade Foundation establishes a 'guaranteed price' by taking these subsidies into account together with the labour costs in the producing country. An additional payment of 15% on the Fairtrade price is made for spending by village cooperatives, generally on education or health services. Sometimes payments are made in advance, so farmers can avoid, or reduce, high-interest rates on borrowing.
Fairtrade Cotton Certification was launched in November 2005. Epona was amongst the first companies to receive the Fairtrade Mark, and the only one focused on promotional clothing. Fair Trade cotton is not necessarily organic, and organic cotton is not necessarily traded fairly. However, there is a growing association between the two, and it is one of Epona's business aims to use certified organic cotton when market conditions allow.
Epona currently uses organic or 'in conversion' cotton (in conversion, as with food crops, being fields using organic fertilisers and pesticides, but not yet for the minimum period of 2 years), and hopes to be fully organic from mid 2007. Its supplier is based in Hyderabad, India, and Epona's garments are manufactured in a factory located in Tamil Nadu, India.
Epona's three garments are T-shirts, non-zip and zip-up hoodies. It provides blank T-shirts for promotions or re-branding to a wide range of companies that include charities, music bands, Universities and screen-printers.
LRS felt that such an ethical enterprise was worth an investment of £50,000 working capital.
Contact Details
Tom Andrews
T: 0207 095 1222
E: info@eponaclothing.com
W: www.eponaclothing.com/
Bon Marche Centre
241-251 Ferndale Road
London SW9 8BJ