People Tree’s Safia Minney is awarded an MBE

Fair trade fashion pioneer Safia Minney, founder of the groundbreaking People Tree fashion range, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in The Queen’s Birthday 2009 Honours list. Jen Marsden writes.

With a passion in social and environmental issues and after working with the NGO Global Village in Japan, Safia grew People Tree the fair trade fashion company, from a shop she set up in Tokyo in 1995. Operations were then expanded to Europe by 2001. The brand relentlessly promotes eco textiles such as organic cotton, as well as hand woven, traditional practices. People Tree is now the world’s largest fair trade fashion brand, supporting 3,000 farmers and artisans through 50 producer groups in 12 developing countries.

Over the years, their success has not gone unnoticed.  Safia was selected by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and founders of the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s most ‘Outstanding Social Entrepreneurs’ and she has been a previous runner up in the Triodos Women in Ethical Business Awards. Earlier this year she accompanied ex model Jo Wood out to Bangladesh to visit People Tree’s rural fair trade producer groups, and compared them with the slums of Dhaka, home to garment factory workers who are paid far below what is considered a living wage. Through the recent launch of their People Tree Charitable Foundation, Safia is now campaigning for change in Government regulation in order ‘to build a genuinely empowering environment to put an end to socially and environmentally exploitative business practice and allow Fair Trade companies like People Tree to bring benefits to millions of farmers and artisans.’ The range of People Tree is also stocked in Topshop’s flagship store in London’s Oxford Circus, pioneering chic fair trade fashion on the high street.

Safia, with unquestioning integrity, has proven her lifetime commitment to style with substance: she works 14-16 hour days and travels two weeks a month to visit producer groups, speak at conferences and still manages both the UK and Tokyo offices in her role as CEO.  Minney is delighted about the honour and noted, ‘I won’t rest until The Queen has a closet full of her favourite Fair Trade frocks so she can go confidently about Her business overseas representing the strength and style of the British Fair Trade movement.’

Greenmystyle.com would like to personally congratulate Safia and all the staff, farmers and artisans who work with People Tree on this wonderful achievement.