Q. Edun was founded on the ethos of "trade not aid" as a means of building sustainable communities. Since the company was launched in 2005, how has this been put into practice?

A. It's not so much "Trade not aid" as it is "Trade for aid". We believe there is value in both mechanisms, but we like to focus on trade because it helps in transferring skills and building real sustainable change on the ground.

Since launching the brand, we have begun relationships in a number of countries that traditionally have been getting primarily aid as a means to grow. People in these countries want to work and earn their livelihoods. By driving orders through our supply chains there, we are helping to achieve this.

Q. Which countries are involved in producing Edun Live garments and how has Edun's involvement in providing employment helped these communities?

A. Edun Live works in Lesotho, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa, with fabric from Mauritius, Uganda and Tanzania. We also have organic farming projects in Uganda, Madagascar and Zambia. We have been able to support factories with orders as they obtain new infrastructure and supply additional jobs to the community. Also, through the One Campaign (an Edun campaign) we have raised about 650,000 dollars to treat our factory workers in Lesotho for HIV/AIDS and babies are being born under that program AIDS-free. Additionally, through our conservation cotton initiative, we are working to support communities at the farm level, providing them with education on preserving the environment, organic farming, income generation etc.

Q. How has the company grown in terms of turnover and product lines?

A. Edun Live started in early 2007 and turnover has consistently increased. Edun Live is our blanks/wholesale business while Edun, launched in Spring 2005, is our high end range - a men's and women's contemporary fashion brand which is sold in upscale department stores.

Q. How hands-on are the company's founders Ali Hewson and Bono?

A. They are very involved in the company. Edun now acts as a voice within the fashion industry, encouraging companies to do business in Africa.

Q. Explain how this is helping to bring the continent out of extreme poverty?

A. It sheds a different light on Africa. Instead of showing traditional African imagery of poverty and sickness, we try to make Africa "sexy" and show the dynamism of the continent. We also try to show business that Africa is a viable and strategic place to invest, so that these perceptions start changing as well.

Q. Tell us about your tie-up with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Conservation.

A. In an effort to create a truly sustainable global community, Edun has established the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI), which works towards improving the livelihoods of communities in Africa by promoting greater investment in sustainable and ethical production of conservation-friendly agricultural products. Another focus of CCI is to incorporate sustainable conservation agricultural practices and the protection of wildlife. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) currently works on sustainable conservation farming with farmers in Madagascar, Uganda and Zambia. WCS is working and advising Edun and the CCI in those countries to help farmers apply sustainable conservation methods in growing cotton. 

Q. And what about your ONE Campaign to make poverty history?

A. The Edun One Campaign has raised almost $600,000 for ALAFA, an HIV/AIDS foundation that works directly with the factory workers who make Edun Live T shirts in Lesotho. Through ALAFA, workers can be tested for HIV/AIDS and thanks to this programme, babies are being born AIDS-free.

Q. How do you reconcile the fact that this is a "for profit" business, rather than a charity?

A. There is no need to reconcile anything. Currently, there is a global shift towards bottom and triple line businesses (ie: those that also take into account social and environmental goals in addition to financial. It's becoming more common to be holistic in your approach to business and incorporate traditionally non-profit/charitable aims into the business model. Being for profit is important to Edun and Edun Live because we want the business to be sustainable.

Q. How does Edun ensure that the factories it uses are properly run and are not just sweatshops?

A. We have an independent monitoring organisation called Verite which audits our factories. Edun conducts audits by non-profit socially responsible monitoring, training, and program building organization Verité. In addition, Edun internal staff (production team and senior management) visit each factory at least twice a year and personally work with them to try to improve compliance infractions through coaching and feedback. Edun's supplier code is very explicit - Edun and Verité assess all suppliers against these code elements and work with each supplier and their workforce through training and capacity building to reach these standards wherever they fail to, recognizing that the context of each supplier's situation will determine the best approach.

Q. On your website, you state the 40 per cent of the Spring Summer 2008 collection was produced in Africa. How much will be produced in Africa this year?

A. What is more relevant is that Edun Live is 100% African.

Q. You also state that 50 per cent of the Spring Summer 2008 collection is organic. What per centage will be organic this year?

A. What is more relevant is that Edun Live is doing more and more organic (though it isn't a static figure; it obviously depends on customer demand).

Q. How has the garment decorating industry responded to the launch in 2006 of Edun Live - the line of blank T shirts created for merchandising purposes?

A. Incredibly well! 

Q. Does U2 use Edun Live T shirts for official merchandising on tour?

A. Yes, along with other musicians such as REM, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Ludacris and others.

Q. Any other notable clients?

A. Hard Rock Café sells Edun Live T shirts globally as part of their Signature Series program. PUMA uses Edun Live T shirts for their Peace One Day campaign and the build up to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

MAC Cosmetics have been a great champion in the fight against AIDS. They chose Edun Live T shirts for their Viva Glam campaign which has raised more than $85 million for AIDS support and research.

Q. Is this strategy of providing high volume sales of blank T shirts to the wholesale market increasing long term sustainable employment in Africa?

A. We have seen our factories hire additional people, learn new skills and invest in new infrastructure, so we believe it is providing long term, sustainable impact. Factories we work with have hired additional employees (50 in one, 30 in another), after gaining Edun Live orders. They are also able to buy new machinery in part due to Edun Live's support and one factory said they have learned merchandising skills. Another said they had learned how to be better managers since working with Edun Live. Factories have also learned new skills and have been able to develop more sophisticated fabrics and skills with the help of Edun's production and design teams.

Q. Tell us about "grow to sew", your 100 per cent African T shirts?

A. All our T shirts are grow-to-sew African, meaning that from the cotton we source, through the spinning and knitting stages, all the way to the final logo print on the inside of every shirt, the benefit of each step of the supply chain goes back to the people working on the product in sub-Saharan Africa.

Q. How have customers responded to Edun Live's ethos?

A. Incredibly well! Brand loyalty is really quite strong and many people want to become actively involved in contributing to our mission. We always say that you can do this simply by recommending to the organisations, companies, schools etc that you are part of, to order Edun Live tees. That is the most effective way to help as that drives more orders through our African supply chain.

Q. How do you see Edun Live growing over the next decade?

A. We see Edun Live growing in terms of awareness, product offering and, of course, volume. We are still a young brand so there is a whole lifetime ahead of us. But the early signs of success are quite encouraging.

Website: www.edun-live.com

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