A home-grown solution that empowers smallholder rubber farmers has resulted in the production of the world's first 'Fair Trade' rubber gloves by Sri Lanka's Dipped Products PLC (DPL).
According to a press release from the DPL its multi faceted programme - 'Firstlight,' pays rubber latex farmers a fair price, while offering them technical assistance in addition to materials and implements and helps in building the capacities of their communities.
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| A'Firstlight' tanker of Dipped Products delivers fair trade latex to the company's factory at Kottawa. |
This initiative now benefits some 500 smallholder farmers and their families and accounts for 30 % of the total latex needs of the globally-significant hand protection company of the Hayleys Group.
Consequently, several styles of natural rubber gloves supplied in DPL's own brands as well as gloves made in Sri Lanka by DPL for 'Traidcraft,' - UK's leading fair trade organisation, are now reaching many countries as Fair Trade gloves and represent a first in the rubber gloves sector worldwide, according to a company statement.
Under 'Firstlight', DPL guarantees Sri Lankan rubber smallholders a price which is indexed to RSS1 (the highest grade of the most consumed form of raw rubber) for their field latex. It also contributes half a US Cent (about 58 Sri Lanka cents at current exchange rates) for every pair of gloves sold with the 'Firstlight' endorsement.
The monies are utilized by the Firstlight Foundation on projects that empower smallholders in their work and day-to-day lives.
Dipped Products currently consumes 6 % of Sri Lanka's rubber production, and the Group's requirements for manufacturing in Sri Lanka predominantly comes from 3,000 smallholder farmers, most of them owning less than two hectares, the press release said. |
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