Veja uses organic cotton and wild rubber from the Amazon, by working directly with small Brazilian producers, and leather tanned with plant extracts to create trainers and accessories which respect both the environment and human rights. The Veja project is founded on a positive chain from the producers to the consumers.
Cotton: Veja buys cotton from 320 families in Northeast Brazil, who grow cotton and food plants under agro-ecology principles which ban agro-chemicals and pesticides. By working directly with these farmers, Veja avoids intermediaries, allowing for prices that are almost 65% higher than market prices to be paid to the farmers. Rubber: Veja works with an association of rubber tappers, amounting to 60 families in total. A fairer price paid for latex guarantees a better income for the rubber tappers and might be perceived as an incentive to keep trees up, preserving the rainforest, instead of clearing the land for cattle-raising which is more profitable. Zero-Zero approach: Veja does not advertise, the resources saved are integrated into the production chain, which means the social and environmental requirements of the farmers are accommodated in this way. Veja’s production costs are 3-4 times higher than other footwear brands, but the ‘no advertising’ policy makes it possible to sell trainers at competitive prices. In addition, there is no stocking of products. Veja controls production in a way that produces orders placed only six months in advance, and is so production is adaptable to the seasonal availability of organic cotton.
