Transport for London (TfL) and the Fairtrade Foundation have entered a new partnership to improve market opportunities for cotton farmers in developing nations. The collaborative effort involves a 5 year deal that will see TFL staff garbed in uniforms made from ethically sourced cotton. So far, TFL have delivered on their commitment, with an initial order of 100,000 Fairtrade cotton items.

The ethical arrangement establishes TfL as the first UK company and public sector body to source cotton under the Fairtrade Foundation's new Cotton Sourcing Programme, which supports farmers by allowing them to sell their wares under beneficial fair trade terms.

The Fairtrade Foundation works to bring ethics to the multi-billion dollar clothing and textile industries, which currently fail to provide the millions of poor farmers supplying raw cotton with sustainable, let alone profitable, livings. And cotton farmers are just the start. The exploitation extends throughout the supply chain. In an announcement that marked the end of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight, Euan Venters, the Fairtrade Foundation’s commercial director expressed his optimism for the wider implications of the seminal deal:

“I hope TfL is the first of many organisations and brands to source Fairtrade cotton in this way, as we know how Fairtrade can significantly change the lives of cotton farmers when they receive fairer rewards for their efforts.”

Although TfL comes under fire from grumpy Londoners who fail to get a seat on the train to or from work, it's leading the way as a socially responsible institution making a positive impact on global supply chains. Now it’s time for other large scale organisations to follow suit.