The RSP launch
October 10, the Responsible Stone Program was successfully launched at the Public Space trade fair in in the Dutch city of Houten. At this fair natural stone is always an important product.
An interested audience form the Netherlands and abroad listened to the new president of the SER (the Social and Economical Council, an important advisory board of the Dutch government), Mr. Wiebe Draijer. He defended the case of ethical trade, not only as an ethical choice but also a viable business model. He praised the natural stone sector for small and medium sized companies having proven by now that ethical trade has the future, also for this type of companies.
TFT director Hilary Thompson presented the Responsible Stone Program, which is the continuation of the WGDN program on international level. Frans Papma, coordinator of WGDN, the Dutch working group whose natural stone program will cease to exist, recommended the natural stone companies to join TFT, which is something that most former WGDN members have already done. An important goal of WGDN has been achieved, namely to become part of an international initiative. The WGDN was founded by amongst others the ABN (association if masons), VNNI (association of importers), the India Committee of the Netherlands, and was also supported by Febenat (Belgian natural stone wholesalers) and the Dutch Construction Union affiliated to FNV, FNV Bouw.
Besides in natural stone, the UK organization TFT, which executes the Responsible Stone Program, is active some six other sectors. TFT disposes of experienced teams in countries where natural stone is sourced from, and will be able to assist factories and quarries there to live up to the social and environmental standards. The program has members from the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, and will expand soon to other countries in Northern Europe.
During the launch there was a ceremony of two new members signing up: G. van Leeuwe (grave monuments) and Gebr. Voets (pavement). Both are companies buy the natural stone which they need for their business from importers. Having no direct contact with the stone processing factories and quarries in Southern countries, this is a new category of members. They commit themselves to buying natural stone only from RSP members, thus from importers who are in direct contact with the factories and quarries. In this way also these natural stone traders can show that responsible production is important for them, and in this way the we are able to extend the supply chain of “responsible” natural stone a step closer to the end user.
