Sam’s Club & USAID

Ethical Trade

ConceptON SAM’S CLUB APPROVALUSAID works with the world over on projects aimed at

providing a better quality of life for vulnerable populations.

Many of these projects aim to give the people the ability to begin sustainable livelihoods through business enterprise.

From these projects come incredible examples of native crafts, consumables, and desirables.

Ethical-trade.Org has in the last few months, together with USAID Colombia, sourced over 100 products that not only feature excellent value for Sam’s Club members, but an added compelling Social and/or environmental message.

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Product Criteria1. Appropriate value proposition

Market identified for the product

High quality

Scalability

Appropriate price point

Enterprise meets corporate social responsibility requirements

2. INVIMA certification for consumables

3. Organic certification for organic products

4. Enterprise is legally registered with the GOC

5. Product/Enterprise supported by USAID

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Regional Product-Fair VisitsMicro-business have been visited and reviewed for product

value statement in several different Colombian principalities from the Coffee regions of Huila in the South, to the flower fincas of the Bogotá Savannah to the crafts of Medellin.

Education and training about Sam’s Club process and policy given to over 100 vulnerable business owners throughout Colombia logos and packaging have been developed to meet Sam’s Club

standards ( US market standards) Product advancements such as switching to ORGANIC,

NATURAL ingredients Reduction in packaging and waste in process and end product Products Quality advancements to improve value statements

to consumerDevelopment of additional products suitable for Sam’s Club

demographic

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BackgroundThe U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal U.S. Government Agency providing economic, social, and humanitarian assistance worldwide. In Colombia USAID supports the Government of Colombia’s efforts to achieve peace, promote economic prosperity, improve the living conditions of Colombia’s most vulnerable groups, and strengthen state presence and effectiveness.

This project has been given a green light from all agencies involved and I feel this is an unprecedented opportunity for Private/ Private relationships at the highest levelJuly 07,2008

USAID/Colombia has been working on an initiative aimed at commercialization with retailers. The focus is to launch a large-scale public-private alliance (PPA) aimed at introducing USAID/Colombia-supported products to major US retailers. This partnership will enable USAID-supported Colombian businesses that employ vulnerable populations to showcase their exceptional, socially-responsible products to buyers and executives from Sam’s Club.

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logo agreement

Ethical Trade. Org has forged an agreement with USAID allowing the their logo to be printed on any product shipped to Sam’s Club that is supported directly by USAID.

USAID supported products may be branded with the USAID logo, only for the time that the product is receiving direct support from USAID.

timeline of USAID support will be clearly identified. The USAID brand ensures that the enterprise is committed

to socially responsible practices for the duration of USAID support.

USAID does not take responsibility for the quality of the product and is not liable for any damages resulting from these products.

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Supply ProcessEthical Trade

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Miniature RosesEthical Trade

CandlesEthical Trade

FlowersEthical Trade

Consumable ProductsEthical Trade

FabricsEthical Trade

Wood-craftEthical Trade

CeramicsEthical Trade

Logistics backendGrower2Buyer is US registered company with a

vendor agreement to Sam’s Club for fresh cut flowers.Their business also contains an extensive logistics

segment for Colombian and US companies, providing logistics throughout the US to major retailers, small businesses and individuals

Grower2buyer are forming an agreement with USAID to be a sole logistics and supply backend for all USAID supported products that are shipped to Sam’s Club.This firstly negates the need for every micro-business to

complete a Sam’s Club vendor agreement process.Secondly provides a uniform system and single

company, simplifying the system to make it easily applicable to new ‘micro-vendors’.

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Official Sam’s Product FairThe preparation and research over the last 4

months by Ethical Trade .Org and USAID Colombia have created an opportunity to present to Sam’s Club an official Colombian and Latin American product fair.

The basis of this fair would be to present a large and diverse range of ethically produced products that fall into one of 7 main categories;

The fair would see the convergence of producers from all over Colombia and Latin America

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