Pioneering sustainability in Africa
On our journey to make the most positive contribution to Ethiopia we can, we have renewed our World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) guaranteed status and obtained OEKO-TEK STeP certification. These certifications are a way for us to be sure that we are exploring all the areas we need to consider in order to be an ethical business. The certifications enable us to soul search and analyze our methodologies and get an external point of view from international auditors.
We just achieved a major milestone: we are now STeP by OEKO-TEX certified. We are the FIRST AFRICAN COMPANY to get certified at Level 3 (there are three possible levels).
What is STeP?
Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) is an independent certification system for textile manufacturers. The STeP certification is a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of environmentally friendly technologies, efficient use of resources as well as compliance with social working conditions.
This certification system is ever-evolving. We will be regularly checked so that we can continue to improve. The process involved a self-assessment which was then audited by three different experts.
What does this mean at Sabahar?
WFTO guaranteed member
The WFTO Guarantee System (GS) combines Fair Trade and social enterprise verification into one. It is built to verify that an enterprise is mission-led, focused on the interests of its producers, and this is in the structure, systems and practices of the enterprise. Sabahar has been a member since 2010 and a guaranteed member since 2016. We just completed our Self Assessment Report and have been renewed through March 2022. This year we will also undergo the external audit.