The Fair Trade Store Blog

Just arrived – our new Fair Trade Jewellery range from Kenya

We have sourced a fabulous new range of animal-themed Fair Trade jewellery from Kenya, which is skillfully hand crafted from locally-sourced waste cow bone.
THE FAIR TRADE STORE has teamed up with Zuri Design who are are a UK-based importer, that has set up and works closely with, a number of projects in Kenya.

For instance, one project is called Excel Concepts and specialises in cow bone bead making. It was started in 2005 and has recently moved into a new premises in Kibera slum, on the outskirts of Nairobi. The aim of the project now is for it to become self sustainable. It has plans to be co-owned by 4 of the orginal young street boys who were trained on project start-up programmes and who have remained comitted to their work. They are now producing top quality beads that are used by a number of other producer groups including our beautiful animal-themed range of Fair Trade jewellery.

This project involves bringing change to the cow bone jewellery industry in Kibera slum, Nairobi. This craft industry has been around since the late 70’s and employs over 500 people in Nairobi. These workers are almost always underpaid and work with dangerous machinery and in dirty and unsafe workshops. Most of these workshops are based in the slums, including the workshop this project helped to start. The work is highly skilled, yet the workers of this industry are often exploited, with middle men taking advantage of the fact many buyers are too scared to visit workshops in the slum. The idea of this project is to set up and run an example workshop so that others locally can see the benefits of adhering to Fair Trade principles.

A second project is Luckysama Women`s Group, named after the area in Nairobi where the ladies live. The 7 employees here work from home, buying cow bone beads from the project above and finishing them off into the stylish Fair Trade jewellery you can see in our range.

See more of our range of gifts by visiting THE FAIR TRADE STORE`S ONLINE SHOP NOW.

Fair Trade Facts – 10 Standards of the WFTO

The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) prescribes 10 Standards that Fair Trade Organisations must follow in their day-to-day work and carries out monitoring to ensure these principles are upheld. At THE FAIR TRADE STORE, we do our best to work within these standards and are pleased to be able to explain them here in our Fair Trade Blog.

FAIR TRADE FACT 1: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers.
Poverty reduction through trade forms a key part of the organisation’s aims. The organisation supports marginalised small producers. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership. The trade supports community development.

FAIR TRADE FACT 2: Transparency and Accountability
The organisation is transparent in its management and commercial relations and is accountable to all its stakeholders. The organisation finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes.

FAIR TRADE FACT 3: Trading Practices
The organisation trades with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalised small producers and does not maximize profit at their expense. Suppliers respect contracts and deliver products on time and to the desired quality and specifications.

Fair Trade buyers, recognising the financial disadvantages producers and suppliers face, ensure orders are paid on receipt of documents and according to the attached guidelines. An interest free pre payment of at least 50% is made if requested.

The organisation maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. It maintains effective communication with its trading partners.

FAIR TRADE FACT 4: Payment of a Fair Price
A fair price is one that has been mutually agreed by all through dialogue and participation, which provides fair pay to the producers and can also be sustained by the market. Where Fair Trade pricing structures exist, these are used as a minimum. Fair pay means provision of socially acceptable remuneration (in the local context) considered by producers themselves to be fair and which takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men.

FAIR TRADE FACT 5: Child Labour and Forced Labour
The organisation adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. The organisation ensures that there is no forced labour in its workforce and / or members or homeworkers.

Organisations who buy Fair Trade products from producer groups either directly or through intermediaries ensure that no forced labour is used in production and the producer complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. Any involvement of children in the production of Fair Trade products (including learning a traditional art or craft) is always disclosed and monitored and does not adversely affect the children’s well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play.

FAIR TRADE FACT 6: Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association
The organisation does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age.

FAIR TRADE FACT 7: Working Conditions
The organisation provides a safe and healthy working environment for employees and / or members. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety.

Working hours and conditions for employees and / or members (and any homeworkers) comply with conditions established by national and local laws and ILO conventions.

Fair Trade Organisations are aware of the health and safety conditions in the producer groups they buy from. They seek, on an ongoing basis, to raise awareness of health and safety issues and improve health and safety practices in producer groups.

FAIR TRADE FACT 8: Capacity Building
The organisation seeks to increase positive developmental impacts for small, marginalised producers through Fair Trade.
Organisations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets.

FAIR TRADE FACT 9: Promotion of Fair Trade
The organisation raises awareness of the aim of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in world trade through Fair Trade.

FAIR TRADE FACT 10: Environment
Organisations which produce Fair Trade products maximize the use of raw materials from sustainably managed sources in their ranges, buying locally when possible. They use production technologies that seek to reduce energy consumption and where possible use renewable energy technologies that minimize greenhouse gas emissions. They seek to minimise the impact of their waste stream on the environment. Fair Trade agricultural commodity producers minimise their environmental impacts, by using organic or low pesticide use production methods wherever possible.

Buyers and importers of Fair Trade products give priority to buying products made from raw materials that originate from sustainably managed sources, and have the least overall impact on the environment.
All organisations use recycled or easily biodegradable materials for packing to the extent possible, and goods are dispatched by sea wherever possible.

WHY NOT VISIT THE FAIR TRADE STORE`S ONLINE SHOP NOW?

Fancy some Fair Trade Children`s Gifts for “Back to School”?

“Back to School” is always a busy time for many young families. So, with children studying Fair Trade and the environment in their class rooms, why not arm them with some Fair Trade recycled accessories for their new term?
We have a fun and funky range of bags, purses, wallets, pencil cases, keyrings, sandwich bags and backpacks for you to browse online from the comfort of your home.
Simply select the Fair Trade Children`s Gifts category on our website.
These items are not available in the supermarkets or High Streets, so will be a real talking point in the school play ground as well as a learning aid in the class room.

So why not make a difference to the lives of producers in the developing world, as well as the environment, by shopping online with us today?

PLEASE VISIT THE FAIR TRADE STORE`S ONLINE SHOP NOW.

Win a year`s supply of Fairtrade coffee at The Cafedirect Container House!

Sustainable design duo Wayne and Tilly Hemingway have got together with Cafedirect for this exciting project where you could win a year`s supply of Fairtrade coffee.
Watch this short video to find out where The Container House will be located around the country this summer.
In essence, it is a pop-up eco-home which will be offering festival-goers delicious complimentary gourmet coffee. It has been made from a converted shipping container and uses entirely sustainable materials.

Cafedirect are ethical pioneers and we certainly support their Fairtrade principles. Indeed, their Fairtrade San Cristobal Drinking Chocolate has always been a firm favourite with our customers.

PLEASE VISIT THE FAIR TRADE STORE`S ONLINE SHOP NOW.

Fair Trade Blogs

What would you like us at THE FAIR TRADE STORE to Blog about?
We feel its a good time to ask our customers, fans and followers to suggest some ideas about Fair Trade issues that you would like us to research and then post a Blog about. You can then leave comments and join in the discussion.

Previously in this Fair Trade Blog, we have covered topics such as Fair Trade jewellery from Kenya, Fair Trade Shopping Bags, the Amazon Rainforest, Recycled Magazine Paper and the uses it can be put to and 10 good reasons to support Fair Trade.

If you like the look of our Fair Trade Blog and would like to see more then please subscribe to us using the “Subscribe” tab in the top left hand corner of our Blog.
We look forward to hearing from you.
“Thank you for helping to make a difference.”