People,
Planet
& Profit
Global Affairs is an international, creative wholesale company based in Amsterdam. With our small team, we develop, create, produce and import our own sustainable collection. We also develop customized products for private label customers (i.e. museums, educational groups, and zoos). All of our designs are original, colourful and of high quality.
We supply to retailers all over the world. Sales are done through our office in Amsterdam and through distributors and agents in various countries. Distribution is done by an external warehouse.
Our selected suppliers
Our suppliers are based in China and Peru. Most of our products are handmade. We only work with small scale producers. We work on a fair trade principle. We visit our producers on a regular basis in order to build and maintain a strong working relationship, based on dialogue, transparency and mutual respect.
As a result, we have established long-term relationships with our most valuable suppliers (i.e. 10 years). Many of the companies we work with are led by women and most of the employees are also women. This leads to independence, which is essential in all countries, but especially in developing countries. Our suppliers are based in rural areas, which means the workers do not have to migrate to big cities for employment. They can care for their families and they do not have to work unfairly long hours or travel long distances. Many of the employees are farmers who work on the farm during the harvest season and work for our suppliers for the rest of the year. This provides them with a year- round income to support themselves and their families.
All of our suppliers meet the standards for a safe working environment. Some have passed the BSCI audits, and others are in the progress of obtaining this certificate. We respect the norms and culture of our suppliers and their workers and try not to impose our own Western culture upon them.
Meet the Makers
China
All our crochet items are handmade of 100% organic cotton yarn. They are handmade by women in the Jiangsu provence of China. They can do this work at home – or close to home – so they don’t have to move to the city to find a job between the harvesting seasons. This way they can stay close to their family all year round.
Peru
In Peru we work with a cooperative in the Andes mountains, where our accessories are handmade by Inca women.