GoodWeave Promotes Child-Labor-Free Carpet Production

GoodWeave International and UNICEF in Nepal, in cooperation with the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) of the Government of Nepal, have developed an unprecedented program that promotes alliances between government and business to support Nepal’s carpet industry. The goal is to encourage the artistry of Nepal’s carpets while emphasizing production that is free of child labor. The joint campaign is a global first: pushing to secure government incentives for businesses that produce child-labor-free carpets.

The initiative shows support for children and simultaneously helps Nepal’s post-earthquake carpet industry earn new market share in rug production. It seeks to incite change in global supply chains by positioning Nepal as the global leader in child-labor-free production.  More than one-third of all carpet producers in Nepal are licensed to export carpets made without child labor and are committed to ethical production, and nearly 600 production sites are already adopting sustainable business practices in cooperation with GoodWeave.

GoodWeave kicked off the project at DOMOTEX 2017 with a reception to help attendees learn more about the efforts to grow Nepal’s carpet industry.