The call for fairly produced and traded natural stone is getting louder and louder. But how can it be proven whether a stone was actually produced under fair conditions or not? And who decides whether a seal is trustworthy? The natural stone industry in Europe has been fighting against competition from China and India for many years. A battle that has ended in failure […]
The call for fairly produced and traded natural stone is getting louder and louder. But how can it be proven whether a stone was actually produced under fair conditions or not? And who decides whether a seal is trustworthy?
The natural stone industry in Europe has been fighting against competition from China and India for many years. A battle that is doomed to failure? Looking at developments over the last 20 years, there is little doubt that the European natural stone industry is falling victim to globalization. The first industrially manufactured stones from India reached the market in the 1980s. Since then, production has increased rapidly. No wonder, after all, the Asians are tempting with low prices. But at whose expense? How is it possible to bring the same product onto the market so much more cheaply?
The issue of child labor also crops up again and again in this context and has been the subject of heated debate, especially in recent years. Reiner Krug, DNV Managing Director, has learned from personal sources that, unfortunately, child labor does indeed exist in India. “This raises the question of whether the stones that are exported to Germany were produced with the help of child labor.” The issue of child labor has been played up to the extreme in recent years, and the working conditions in Asian quarries should always be discussed, says Krug. But how can it be proven whether a natural stone was actually produced under fair conditions or not? There are now several organizations that check production conditions. The problem: which organization is credible? And who decides whether a seal is trustworthy?
Legislators should also provide more clarity here, according to Krug: “It is important that politicians set a standard for the certification of natural stone.” In some federal states, there have already been initial attempts to ban gravestones made by child labor from cemeteries. Cities and local authorities were able to decide for themselves whether to introduce a requirement to provide proof of the origin of a gravestone. However, the new provision in the cemetery statutes of the state capital was declared unlawful and therefore invalid by the First Senate of the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg (VGH) shortly afterwards. There was no general opinion as to which of the existing certificates for fair stones could be considered trustworthy.
Since 1 May 2015, gravestones from countries with child labor may only be placed in cemeteries in North Rhine-Westphalia with a seal from a recognized certification body. Unlike in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia links the certification to certain criteria or seals. However, the onus of certification cannot be passed on to the small stonemason, says Reiner Krug: “It is impossible for the individual supplier of gravestones to provide this proof. Proof would have to be requested much earlier, i.e. when the stones are imported at customs.”
Nevertheless, stonemasons should be open-minded and positive about the widespread introduction of natural stone certification: “It is very important that we get the issue of child labor off the table once and for all,” says Krug. The certified stones are also a real opportunity for the business. If you look at the development of sales of Fairtrade products in Germany from 1993 to 2015, you can see an exponential increase.
You can find out more about “Fair trade in natural stone” in STEIN in September 2016.
