PRIORITY ISSUE: CONTRACT & EQUITY
We believe the supply chain, to function well, literally and figuratively speaking needs a new contract. It needs to operate with a greater sense of equity. Trust needs to be rebuilt. And changing business processes need to be backed by new agreements. That is why IAF has teamed up with the STAR Network of industry associations, GIZ, Better Buying in a project in which thirteen associations from ten countries have created together their recommendations for better purchasing practices. This initiative, coined the ‘Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative’ (STTI) has grown to be a major global force for the improvement of purchasing practices and for a structural involvement of the global manufacturing community.
STTI is carried out along four themes that are interdependent. Progress in one area depends on progress made in the other three areas. These are:
- Manufacturer solutions, where we build infrastructure such as model contract clauses and dispute settlement systems
- Brand and MSI Outreach, where STTI builds agreements with commitments by buyers and organisations representing them
- Assessment, where we work with the Better Buying Institute to structurally ask manufacturers about their opinion on the purchasing practices they face
- Research, where together with the global fashion ecosystem we try to investigate innovative solutions and to answer tough questions.
