The second in my series of letters to companies that I patronize, asking them about their labor and environmental practices:
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Dear Lands’ End:

I’ve been a customer of your products for many years. The quality of your products are unrivaled in the clothing industry, which I greatly appreciate!

However, I am curious about the places where your clothes are manufactured. For example, I recently bought a polo shirt that was made in Malaysia. What efforts do you make to ensure that the workers you use are paid a fair wage? Also, what efforts do you make to ensure that the fibers used in your clothing are farmed in an environmentally-responsible manner? These issues are important to me, and may affect my future clothing purchases.

Dear Ms. R—:

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us about the welfare of the employees who manufacture our products. We require all our suppliers, foreign and domestic, to follow our Standards of Business Conduct. It is posted on our Web site. You can find this by clicking on the “About Us” link on the bottom of our homepage and then clicking on the “Our Business Standards” link.

Compliance with these standards is a condition for becoming and remaining a Lands’ End business partner. In addition, we use the services of an independent agency to monitor our suppliers.

Lands’ End is also committed to being a good steward of the environment. We take special care in selecting partners who share our concern for the environment and adhere to their local and national laws regarding the protection and preservation of the environment.

Once again, thank you for sharing your concerns and for giving us the opportunity to respond.
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I like how explicitly Lands’ End states their company’s policies in their Business Standards. Though I’m still not satisfied about their environmental choices–following local and national laws isn’t proactive enough to satisfy me. However, I will probably continue to patronize Lands’ End because it seems environmentally responsible that a pair of their pants will last my kids 5 times as long as a pair from Target.

If you would like to send a similar letter to Lands’ End, you can contact their customer service reps here: productinquiry@landsend.com

I want to make sure that the companies that I trust are doing their best to support environmental farming and fair labor practices. To this end, I am writing letters to these companies when I find their products/practices questionable. Here’s the first entry from my letter writing campaign…
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Dear Trader Joe’s:

I often buy your frozen edamame (soybeans). I noticed recently that they are a product of China. Why do you buy soybeans from China? How do you ensure that these soybeans are grown in an environmentally responsible manner? How do you ensure that the workers who pick and process the soybeans are paid a fair wage?

Dear Ms. R—:

We understand your concerns with some of our products coming from China. Whenever possible, Trader Joe’s will try to source our produce from growers in the United States. However, often times domestic produce farmers cannot supply us in the amounts that we need and at the prices we are looking for. That is when we will source out products from China and other countries.

All the produce that Trader Joe’s sells from China is grown in accordance with all current USDA regulations. Moreover, the vendors that we deal with are U.S. companies who have farms located in China; they have complete control and regulation of the standards of these farms and follow Good Agricultural Practices. Please be assured that all Trader Joe’s produce is of the highest quality and meets all USDA regulatory standards for food safety.
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I like this response, but I will follow up with a letter to address the labor issue. My respondent sidestepped this issue entirely in her reply. Also, I’m not sure that USDA standards are high enough for my satisfaction.

FYI, if you want to mail a similar query to Trader Joe’s, their address is:
Customer Relations
P.O. Box 5049
Monrovia, CA 91017-7149

All United Nations member countries agreed that September 21, the International Day of Peace, should be observed as a Global Ceasefire and day of peace and nonviolence. (United Nations Resolution 55/282).

We have 9 days to urge governments, communities and individuals to honor this pledge. Help change the world … Get Involved in the campaign for a Global Ceasefire.
Please ask your favorite group, organization, or religious institution to endorse the International Day of Peace.

On a related note, please call the White House (now!) to let them know that you want UN peacekeeping forces sent to Darfur. The direct line is 202.456.1111. You’ll get to speak to an operator, to tell him/her a message for the President. Please ask him to “Make Darfur a top priority during his meetings with world leaders and in his speech to the UN General Assembly, to immediately appoint a special envoy; and to do whatever is necessary to deploy a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur.”

Yes, I’ve blogged on Sarah MacLachlan’s “World on Fire” music video before, but it seems time for a reprise. I can’t watch this vid w/o tearing up, it always makes me feel like I must do more to alleviate suffering, as I realize the impact that a few dollars can have. To bring water, health, nourishment and joy to others. Money that I would not even miss. [Thanks to John, for first sharing this with me]

I am reading a book that is making me feel all raw and angry and committed to making change. I will blog more about it soon, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for a read that will change your life, pick up a copy of Disposable People.