2008 Woodie Awards
Mines Bookstore Promotes African Growth
By Erin Doherty
9/10/07 - Features
Bono, lead singer of U2, has brought his famous, socially responsible clothing line to the Colorado School of Mines bookstore in the form of edun-LIVE t-shirts. All the shirts are made in sub-Saharan Africa from organic cotton in an ethical, responsible manner. They cost $20 and come in natural and black, men's and women's, and styled in either an African "How do you live?" or with Colorado School of Mines printed across the chest.
Ed Showers, manager of the bookstore, estimates the school has sold 2 to 3 dozen shirts already and is even shipping some to an Illinois school also interested in carrying the line. He is impressed by Bono's commitment to social justice; "[Bono] is always trying to help people out, like when he did the (Product)red iPod." Showers first heard about the shirts from a Barnes and Noble regional meeting in June. Barnes and Noble stores on campuses across the nation are carrying the shirts this year after partnering with edun-LIVE. Jackie Miller, a bookstore employee, said; "The quality of the merchandise is just outstanding," and extols the shirts as "such a great cause."
Edun-LIVE is a subsidiary of edun, the ethical clothing line created by Bono and Ali Hewson in 2005. All the clothes that edun-LIVE makes are "grower to sewer" made in Africa; the company especially focuses on providing economic opportunities for women, in places where women are often underpaid.
Edun-LIVE's mission is "to drive sustainable employment in sub-Saharan Africa through high-volume sales of blank t-shirts." They have sold more than 1.5 million so far, and are expanding through partnerships with companies like Barnes and Noble and MAC cosmetics. They stress social justice, poverty relief, and minimal environmental impact.
The bookstore has shirts made in Uganda and Lesotho, but edun-LIVE works in Mauritius and South Africa as well. In each country, the per-capita GDP is less than $13,000 and in Uganda it is only $2,000.
The focus on Africa is because the continent accounted for six percent of world trade in 1980, but by 2002, Africa's share of world trade had dropped to only two percent. It is estimated that, if Africa could increase its trade by one percent, there would be a $70 billion increase in exports each year. Africa has an abundance of natural resources, but often misses out on manufacturing opportunities where most of the profit lies. Currently, most cotton grown in Africa is exported to places like Turkey, where it is woven into cloth. Africa currently does not have the manufacturing capacity to use all the cotton it produces, so edun-LIVE hopes to encourage African autonomy in manufacturing apparel.
In the US, the African Growth and Opportunity Act allows companies to import from sub-Saharan Africa duty free until 2012 to give Africa time to develop its industry. In 2012 the act will be reviewed, so it is important that Africa establishes the trading ties and a developed supply chain now.
Edun-LIVE partnered with Miami University of Ohio's Center for Social Entrepreneurship to create edun-LIVE on Campus (ELOC) in an attempt to penetrate the college market. ELOC targets all organizations on campus that need t-shirts. So far, ELOC has been successful at Miami University, and plans to expand to 40 campuses by 2012. Between Barnes and Noble and ELOC, edun-LIVE hopes to gain a stronghold in the socially conscious college market.
Ed Showers, manager of the bookstore, estimates the school has sold 2 to 3 dozen shirts already and is even shipping some to an Illinois school also interested in carrying the line. He is impressed by Bono's commitment to social justice; "[Bono] is always trying to help people out, like when he did the (Product)red iPod." Showers first heard about the shirts from a Barnes and Noble regional meeting in June. Barnes and Noble stores on campuses across the nation are carrying the shirts this year after partnering with edun-LIVE. Jackie Miller, a bookstore employee, said; "The quality of the merchandise is just outstanding," and extols the shirts as "such a great cause."
Edun-LIVE is a subsidiary of edun, the ethical clothing line created by Bono and Ali Hewson in 2005. All the clothes that edun-LIVE makes are "grower to sewer" made in Africa; the company especially focuses on providing economic opportunities for women, in places where women are often underpaid.
Edun-LIVE's mission is "to drive sustainable employment in sub-Saharan Africa through high-volume sales of blank t-shirts." They have sold more than 1.5 million so far, and are expanding through partnerships with companies like Barnes and Noble and MAC cosmetics. They stress social justice, poverty relief, and minimal environmental impact.
The bookstore has shirts made in Uganda and Lesotho, but edun-LIVE works in Mauritius and South Africa as well. In each country, the per-capita GDP is less than $13,000 and in Uganda it is only $2,000.
The focus on Africa is because the continent accounted for six percent of world trade in 1980, but by 2002, Africa's share of world trade had dropped to only two percent. It is estimated that, if Africa could increase its trade by one percent, there would be a $70 billion increase in exports each year. Africa has an abundance of natural resources, but often misses out on manufacturing opportunities where most of the profit lies. Currently, most cotton grown in Africa is exported to places like Turkey, where it is woven into cloth. Africa currently does not have the manufacturing capacity to use all the cotton it produces, so edun-LIVE hopes to encourage African autonomy in manufacturing apparel.
In the US, the African Growth and Opportunity Act allows companies to import from sub-Saharan Africa duty free until 2012 to give Africa time to develop its industry. In 2012 the act will be reviewed, so it is important that Africa establishes the trading ties and a developed supply chain now.
Edun-LIVE partnered with Miami University of Ohio's Center for Social Entrepreneurship to create edun-LIVE on Campus (ELOC) in an attempt to penetrate the college market. ELOC targets all organizations on campus that need t-shirts. So far, ELOC has been successful at Miami University, and plans to expand to 40 campuses by 2012. Between Barnes and Noble and ELOC, edun-LIVE hopes to gain a stronghold in the socially conscious college market.
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