Boll & Branch Announces $1M in Incremental Fair Trade Contributions to Cotton Farmers and Factory Workers

The world's first Fair Trade Certified bedding brand sets a new standard, becoming the first home goods retailer to exceed $1M in contributions to support the livelihoods of cotton farmers and textile workers.

SUMMIT, N.J., Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boll & Branch, the luxury bedding brand renowned for their commitment to ethics and sustainability, announced today that they have now contributed over $1M in Fair Trade Premiums—supporting thousands of cotton farmers and factory workers in the developing world. The Company has been partnering with Fair Trade USA since its inception in 2014, contributing incremental premiums to employee-controlled funds across its supply chain. These premiums, generated through product sales, serve as an additional payment to the prices paid for goods and services.

"Before starting Boll & Branch, Missy and I had absolutely no experience in textile manufacturing. Through our research, we were disheartened to learn that there's a perpetual cycle of poverty that the incumbents in the category have driven for generations, consistently marginalizing farmers and workers," said Scott Tannen, Founder & CEO of Boll & Branch. "We were determined to build a different type of company and, with the guidance, counsel, and support from our friends and partners at Fair Trade USA, we built a business model that we knew would lift people up in a way that had never been done before in this category. To be the first home goods brand to partner with Fair Trade, and exceed $1 million in Premiums for the women and men who make our beautiful products, would have been a wild dream in 2014 and still feels like one today."

Boll & Branch is the first bedding brand to become Fair Trade Certified. They earned this certification by meeting Fair Trade USA's rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards in the facilities their products are made in. For every product sold, a percentage is paid directly to a special fund for the cotton farmers and the workers who sew their product. Workers decide collectively how to spend these funds, based on the community's greatest needs: from bonuses, scholarships, and disaster relief funds, to medical care and transportation.

Boll & Branch has given back to more than 3,800 factory workers since 2014—with nearly $400,000 sent in 2021 alone. That same year, they were recognized as one of 47 companies in the Textile Exchange's "Leader's Circle," indicating exceptional progress across embedding strategy, expansion and growth in the use of preferred materials, alignment with the Global Goals, and actioning circularity agendas.

"We are proud of Boll & Branch for reaching this significant milestone of $1 million in both cotton and factory premiums," said Paul Rice, CEO & Founder of Fair Trade USA™. "Boll & Branch was one of the first brands to join the Fair Trade certification program after we entered the home goods market in 2014. We value this partnership and applaud their continued commitment to improving the lives of workers and their communities for generations to come."

With brands striving to demonstrate a transparent, comprehensive strategy for sustainability, Boll & Branch has created a clear pathway for investing in workers and their communities. Each farmer and factory worker is paid fairly, treated fairly, and works at will—with 97% of workers at Boll & Branch partner Fair Trade Factories saying their factories are "good places to work."

As the company grows, sustaining these commitments remains central to Boll & Branch. Says Scott Tannen, "Today, we're one of the biggest textile companies in the world. And while we do business differently than everybody else, we are encouraged that we have proven to others that doing well while doing good is possible in the industry. Each time we open up a new factory or start working in a new region of the world, we are steadfast in creating a model for others to follow—in service of the people we work with, their families, and our millions of customers."

Boll & Branch is a leading designer and retailer of luxury home textiles, and the only bedding company managed from the source. All products such as sheet sets, towels, and blankets are expertly crafted from the finest sustainable materials, 100% traceable, and made free from toxins—guaranteeing a softer, more luxurious product. This steadfast commitment to bring sustainable business practices to the luxury home sector disrupted the industry for good. Boll & Branch has improved the livelihoods of thousands of textile workers around the world by investing in premiums paid directly to workers, and mandating fair wages and business practices. The company has become one of the largest e-commerce-first luxury home brands ever, and counts millions of Americans, including U.S. Presidents and countless celebrities, as its customers.

Fair Trade USA, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the leading certifier of fair trade products in North America. Offering award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing certification programs that improve livelihoods, protect the environment, and build resilient, transparent supply chains, its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ seal on a product signifies that it was made according to stringent fair trade standards. Fair Trade USA is building an innovative model of responsible business, conscious consumerism, and shared value to eliminate poverty and enable sustainable development for farmers, workers, their families, and communities around the world.

Contacts:
Danielle Sih – [email protected]

SOURCE Boll & Branch