A big thanks to Jimmy from VOS for contributing to this blog.
“You may not be able to change the entire world, but you can definitely change the world around you” – VOS®
VOS® is an Ethically Sourced Eco-friendly brand that currently represents a line of natural rubber flip flops that are tied to their unique GIVE+GIVE+RECYCLE™ social initiative.
VOS® strives to positively impact their global supply chain practices by raising their standards and improving working conditions in the country from which they’ve always sourced from — Guatemala. In order to do so from Day 1, VOS® embraced universal principles and partnered with the United Nations Global Compact as they are a leader within ethical standard certifications.
VOS® abides by a strategic policy initiative committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the following areas:
- Human Rights: To support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights and make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
- Labor: To uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor; the effective abolition of child labor; and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
- Environment: To support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility and encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
- Anti-corruption: To work against corruption in all of its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Their global social initiative supports natural rubber-producing communities with basic healthcare and education, initially in Guatemala. Through their partnership with Agro Salud Guatemala and the Guatemalan National Rubber Association, they currently support a fully operational healthcare clinic. The clinic provides a gamut of healthcare services to over 500 Guatemalan natural rubber plantation workers and their families. The initiative also promises to give a pair of footwear away to a person in need for every pair sold.
For the first time, this year Whole Planet Foundation (WPF) partnered with VOS® to introduce to Whole Foods Market a co-branded Whole Planet Foundation + VOS® Flip Flop Collection. In addition to all of the above, through the partnership with Whole Planet Foundation and through the sell of each flip flop, VOS® has committed to giving a percentage back to WPF, that will be used towards providing microcredit loans directly to communities all over the World that WPF operates in.
Partnerships like the one we have with VOS®, continue to support our ongoing efforts to alleviate poverty around the globe.