Archive for the ‘Fairtrade’ Category

New on the website – a range of fun crocheted brooches and key rings. When Laura from Just Trade turned up at the ‘Zoe project’ workshop in Peru with a bowl of fruit and vegetables the ladies thought she was going to make soup! In fact she asked them to get crocheting! The full range includes cherries, strawberries, broccoli and peas as well as some pretty flower brooches.

Introducing a range of 'Just Trade' jewellery made from seeds referred to as either Taguita (little Tagua) or Coquito (small coconut) seeds which are from the Amazonian Palm Tree. There has been a bit of press recently about jewellery made from seeds that are potentially dangerous but we can assure you these are completely safe and non-toxic! They grow in abundance in the Amazon jungle and have a brown husk which can be peeled to show their creamy-white interior and then coloured with textile dyes.

We stock bracelets and earrings made from these seeds, in both the natural form and in vibrant colours. All of the jewellery is made by the Zoe project which based in the shanty towns of Lima, Peru. Just Trade guarantee the project a minimum order every month to ensure that the project is sustainable and the people have regular work. The work they do combines traditional Peruvian craft skills and materials with Just Trade's expertise in contemporary jewellery design.

See the full range here - prices start at £3.00.

We’ve just added some yummy Organic and Fairtrade Easter chocolates to the website including these cute chocolate chickens and solid mini eggs (which come in their own egg box). Sadly these poor chickens were eaten shortly after photographing…!

For two weeks every year Fairtrade Fortnight gives the issues surrounding Fairtrade production to a much higher profile. That’s great of course as the publicity is certainly helpful, however for us it is something that is always on our mind in our hunt for products that give a better life to their producers (and their surrounding communities).

It’s also a good time to clarify how the Fairtrade mark works as you will notice only a few of the products we stock carry the official Fairtrade mark of the Fairtrade Foundation (shown above). This Fairtrade mark is only available to use on certain categories of products eg cotton, fruit and  chocolate. Most of the products we stock don’t fall into these categories so there are no official guidelines published for the suppliers to work to.

The main thing we look for from our fair trade suppliers is a close and direct relationship with the producers of the products. Our suppliers visit the producers regularly themselves (rather than relying on agents) and see for themselves the positive effect their production has on the communities.

We also look for the marrying of contemporary British design with the inherent skills of the producers. And for as much of the product to be developed in the country as possible (rather than just a fair price paid for raw materials). In this way the producers can add value to the raw material turning it into a higher value product rather than just stripping a country of it’s valuable resources.

One of the best examples of this Zulugrass by The Leakey Collection – a collection of unique jewellery made by the Maasai women in Kenya. Katy & Phillip Leakey live among the women in the bush in Kenya and harness the raw materials they have on hand (the grass the jewellery is made from) together with the beading skills the women have as part of their heritage. Finally Katy designs the jewellery to appeal to a western market with vibrant, contemporary colours. Find out more and see the range of jewellery here.

As Fairtrade Fortnight is well underway, the Fairtrade message will be carried to all corners of the country. With people across the UK taking part in local and national events, this year’s focus is all about ‘showing off’ the Fairtrade label and letting people know about extra special products, all down to the Fairtrade ingredients or materials with which they are made.

Last year was really successful. It was all about getting people to ‘swap’ their usual favourites to fair trade products. There were tea dances, football tournaments, fashion shows and yummy tastings, all showcasing the message up and down the UK.

This year, it’s all about why fair trading really matters. It’s about letting producers (large and small) know why it’s better to use ethically sourced materials and ingredients in their products and to illustrate to local communities how they can benefit from buying those products.

Buying ethical goods needn’t be expensive either. It is possible to source lots of lovely gifts at the same cost you would buy your usual products. The added advantage is that the farmers and people making the goods are getting paid fairly for their work and that the raw materials have been sourced in an ethical way.

So whether buying a gorgeous jewellery gift made by the Massai women in Kenya, a pretty organza bag made from people working in a Zimbabwe co-operative or perhaps a unique, fair trade hand bag made in Vietnam, buying an ethical gift goes much further than merely the person for whom it is bought.