After many months of preparation the German organisation NagerIT has started production and sales of the first version of what aims to become a truly fair trade electronic gadget: the fair computer mouse.

After many months of preparation the German organisation NagerIT (Nager is the German word for rodent!) has started production and sales of the first version of what aims to become a truly fair trade electronic gadget: the fair computer mouse.

How does NagerIT define 'fair'? NagerIT works towards producing a mouse 'without damaging anyone who is involved in the production. In fact every partner should benefit.' NagerIT points at the basic principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are important.

NagerIT cannot yet ensure that all steps of the whole production process are fair, from the extraction of raw material from the mines to pre-components, mounting, assembling etc. NagerIT, formerly known as PHeFE, now feels confident however to say that the last three steps of the supply chain are completely fair and transparent, that is the electronical assembly, testing and the packaging and labeling. Moreover, NagerIT claims that its second tier suppliers of single components are mostly fair and fully transparent, and even third tier suppliers are to a good extent transparent and fair. NagerIT does acknowledges that deeper down in the chain things become more complicated to overview or even influence. But even there you can find some suppliers with good working conditions, according to NagerIT. Concerning metals, NagerIT assures that soldering tin origins from safe sources without exploitation.

NagerIT is on it way to produce a 100% fair product, but there is still a long way to go.

NagerIT made a map of it entire supply chain.