Responsible Purchasing Initiative, Traidcraft Exchange, February 2006.

How can purchasers improve their buying, in ways that deliver for their businesses and for suppliers overseas? Is such a win-win possible? Is it justified to expect companies to buy responsibly?This report seeks to answer these questions. It looks at the realities of the buying desk and asks what ‘responsible purchasing' might be. By drawing on four case studies - bananas, coffee, cotton & garments and tea - it suggests ways in which companies could assess their own purchasing and make improvements. It also recognises that companies cannot be expected to do everything, and considers the role that governments could play.

Part of a project being run by four European Fair Trade organisations - Traidcraft (UK), Ideas (Spain), CTM Altromercato (Italy) and Oxfam Wereldwinkels (Belgium)

Available for download at www.responsible-purchasing.org [1]