A fair carpet industry secures good living conditions
Label STEP has been working to achieve fair conditions in the manufacture and trade of handmade carpets since 1995. It operates in all major carpet-producing countries: in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan and Turkey.
The fair-trade label STEP is awarded to those carpet dealers, who commit to social responsibility for carpet workers:
- for good working conditions and fair purchasing prices ensuring fair wages
- against abusive child labour
- for independent production inspections
- for environmentally friendly production methods
- for development projects for better living conditions
These fairtrade principles not only apply to individual handmade carpets of a Label STEP licensee but to his entire range of handmade carpets. Carpet dealers are obliged to provide Label STEP with a full account of all their purchases and supply chains, to allow inspections to take place and, whenever necessary, to initiate measures for improvement.
