Possibly Indian stone exporters as XertifX licencees soon
The general mode of operation of XertifiX has been and will continue to be importers signing a licence agreement with XertifiX Germany and their Indian trading partners subsequently being inspected independently (no child labour in the entire value chain).
It now turns out however that there is much discussion in India about products being produced in a „clean“ fashion, and that independent inspections are necessary in order to realize that.
In talks with a natural stone exporter where the main issue was to inform him that his German trading partner wanted him to be inspected by XertifiX, he said that he himself would like to become a licencee: „Why wait for pressure from Germany? It is in my very own interest as well that no exploitative conditions exist in my quarries and the quarries I purchase stones from,“ were his words. „If XertifiX offers independent inspections in order to ensure such conditions, and they furthermore promise to help if problems should arise, then it is a wonderful win-win situation. Why shouldn’t we be prepared to pay 3% extra for that as well?“
Model quarry to be set up in Rajasthan
The World Family Forum is a people’s organisation that has been working for fair trade and other issues for years. Its leader Mr. „Good-do“ is also a businessman working exclusively in fair trade. His company recently bought land in Rajasthan and is planning to set up a model quarry for red granite. In this quarry he wants to implement not only the explicit renunciation of child and bonded labour, but also further safety measures and training programmes for workers. Once the quarry is established he is also planning to sign a licence agreement with XertifiX rather than wait for the decision of his trading partners in the first world.
