Label STEP supports a petition for securing a sustainable carpet industry in Nepal. Carpet importing companies, traders and consumers throughout the world are asked to support this postulation with their signature. The petition is addressed to the government of Nepal.

The Nepalese carpet industry has an outstanding reputation in the international carpet scene. Kathmandu is one of the most important centres of modern high quality design carpets. Despite a massive decrease in the past decade, carpets make up 30 percent of all exports from Nepal and contribute three percent to the gross domestic product even today. The carpet industry employs hundreds of thousands of people and is therefore essential to the fight against poverty.

Insecure situation endangering Nepalese carpet industry

Since 1996, Label STEP advocates good working and living conditions for carpet weavers as well as the sustainability of an industry with such great importance for the country. On every occasion, Label STEP  provides its valuable services as mediator between the various parties involved. Thus, an agreement between entrepreneurs and unions could recently be reached, which on the one hand raised the wages for weavers and on the other hand established a more stable framework for the industry.

Still, the situation in Nepal is difficult and the political and economic circumstances unstable. These insecurities have a negative effect on the carpet industry and endanger thousands of jobs. Together with producer associations and unions, Label STEP supports the Nepalese government in outlining new laws which are supposed to improve the situation of employees and strengthen the carpet industry. The petition in hand suggests the promotion of export industry, mechanisms for quality assurance and improvement of the working and living conditions of the employees to the government. The petition has been developed by the American importer and designer Stephanie Odegard with the support of the Label STEP Nepal country representative Sherab Dolma Rana. Stephanie Odegard will hand the petition over to the Government of Nepal.

Sign the petition as well!

With this project, Label STEP likewise follows the approach to include the entire carpet industry in the petition. Not only all people involved in carpet industry but also lovers of handmade carpets as well as responsible consumers are asked to sign the petition. “With the strategy of involving the entire branch and the carpet industry in the buyer countries we want to increase the efficacy of the petition and at the same time raise awareness for the matters of the Nepalese carpet industry throughout the world”, explains Sherab Dolma Rana, head of the Nepalese Label STEP office.