The World Bank estimates that more than 1.4 billion people worldwide live on less than $1.25 per day (that's the same as what you spend on a Sunday newspaper!), many of them living in rural areas of the developing world, and working in what is known as the "informal economy"-labor that goes unregulated unmonitored by government and legal institutions. As globalization opens markets and generates opportunities for developing nations, a key challenge is ensuring that the benefits reach these poor informal laborers, many of whom are women, working to support their children and families.
The practice of Western countries importers in sourcing goods and bringing them to market affect the earnings of millions of people around the world. We believe that a unique opportunity exists at this moment in history to harness this economy, and the growing consumer market for ethically-sourced products, to create market-based solutions for poverty alleviation. Through our work, we aim to prove that a business model grounded in an empowered labor force and an ethical supply chain can not only be profitable, but achieve lasting, sustainable social impact.
OUR THEORY
Our vision for a new, more empowering global economy harnesses capitalist market competition to create social good; transforming the market into a race to the top rather than a race to the bottom. This theory, what we call "inspired competition," relies on four key components:
1. Fair wage initiative:
Through our highly transparent corporate ethos, as well as the fair wage initiatives, we seek to scale capacity and improve market access across an entire sector.
2. Educated Consumers:
Our marketing and communications activities support the growth of an already thriving group of consumers that are looking to make a positive social impact with their purchases. As these consumers increasingly seek out products that support ethical labor conditions and environmentally responsible production, they create the market demand that begins to shift corporate behavior.
3. Business Innovators:
Innovative first-movers create business models and practices that make new, more ethical practices an easier, more practical choice for peer companies. baobart seeks to move the market for People Positive trade to the mainstream, providing a dynamic and distinct retail channel that offer attractive new models that inspire industry-wide replication.
4. Clear, Replicable Standards:
As demand grows, clear, replicable standards must be created to ensure that new entrants are able to join the marketplace while participating in solving the underlying problem.
baobart, from the Mozambican people
