January 14th, 2012 by Paul
Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 Cotton Farmer
It`s coming up very soon. Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 will run from Monday 27th February to Sunday 11th March inclusive.
During the two weeks, suppporter activity and media attention will focus on Fairtrade issues around the UK, hopefully leading to long term benefit for farmers and producers in the developing world.
This year, you will be asked to “Take a Step” for Fairtrade – starting in Fairtrade Fortnight itself.
You can find out more about it on The Fairtrade Foundation`s website, where you can order resources online to help promote any events or activities you are planning.
This earlier Blog post, entitled “What is the difference between Fair Trade and Fairtrade?” , will give you more information and will help you understand the issues involved.
So, have a great Fairtrade Fortnight. You can always let us know what events you are planning by leaving details in the Comments section below.
Thanks for reading and look out for more posts soon.
You can always subscribe to this Fair Trade Blog using the “Connect with us” buttons at the top right hand corner of the main Blog page.
Paul – owner of THE FAIR TRADE STORE.
January 3rd, 2012 by Paul
Take a Step for Fairtrade - Fairtrade Fortnight 2012
This year, you will be asked to “Take a Step” for Fairtrade – starting in Fairtrade Fortnight itself.
You can find out more about it on The Fairtrade Foundation`s website.
You may find an earlier Blog post of mine titled “What is the difference between Fair Trade and Fairtrade?” an interesting read and you can join in the discussion taking place.
Thanks for reading and look out for more posts soon. You can always subscribe to this Blog using the “Connect with us” buttons at the top right hand corner of the main Blog page.
Many thanks, Paul – owner of THE FAIR TRADE STORE.
December 29th, 2011 by Paul
Fair Trade producer
Often a confusing topic, I try to explain below the intricacies involved when answering this question…….
1/ What is Fair Trade?
“Fair Trade” is a global, economic development platform that integrates business, consumer and producer relationships that are governed by the Charter of Fair Trade Principles – authorised by the World Fair Trade Organization.
“Fair Trade” in this sense, delivers market access for producers, direct investment opportunities for businesses and consumers and a sustainable social and environmental management system for trading.
“Fair Traders” themselves (like myself!) are driven to meet the needs of marginalised artisans and producers who often organise themselves into cooperatives and groups to supply consumer products and services to generate income, to lift themselves out of poverty, to create a sustainable local economy.
So it`s about Fair Traders working to commonly accepted principles.
“Fair trade” expresses a rather wider vision of development, covering a much wider range of products than can be “certified” (see below) and embracing campaigning and awareness-raising activity.
I hope everything is clear so far. Please keep with it……
2/ What is Fairtrade?
“Fairtrade” is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), “Fairtrade” addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers.
It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
“Fairtrade” is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalised by the conventional trading system.
And here`s the main difference from 1/ above…..
“Fairtrade” is a trademarked labelling initiative, owned and implemented by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO).
The Fairtrade Mark or logo certifies that a product meets agreed Fair Trade criteria for a product. The label does not apply to an organisation, it only applies to the particular product on which it is displayed.
What is The Fairtrade Foundation?
The Fairtrade Foundation is a development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade and the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
The Foundation works with businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to improve the position of producer organisations in the South and to help them achieve sustainable improvements for their members and their communities.
Here in the UK, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992, with the first products to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark launched in 1994.
What is The Fairtrade Mark?
The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have been certified against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.
It shares internationally recognised Fairtrade standards with initiatives in 20 other countries, working together globally with producer networks as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
The Mark indicates that the product has been certified to give a better deal to the producers involved – it does not act as an endorsement of an entire company’s business practices.
Who is Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO)?
The international body comprising the Fairtrade Foundation and its partner organisations around the world which has overall responsibility for developing Fairtrade standards, supporting producers, and operating global certification and auditing systems.
Complicated stuff, perhaps, but I hope you now have a much clearer understanding of what exactly is meant by the terms “Fair Trade” and “Fairtrade”.
You can read more about “What is Fair Trade” on our website.
So, are you a producer, importer, wholesaler, retailer or consumer of these products?
If you are and have something to add, please leave your comments below.
Thanks for reading, Paul
November 16th, 2011 by Paul
Conserve India workshop
Rag Pickers in Delhi are a community of people that are the weakest and poorest in their society.
Many of them have limited access to education and health benefits.
Yet, thanks to Anita Ahuja, whose pioneering work transforms used materials into trendy textiles, these people are given hope. The people she supports are able to send their children to school and maintain a stable household.
Born of a desire to reduce India’s mountain of waste, improve energy efficiency and help some of Delhi’s poorest out of the city’s slums, Anita set up Conserve, a non profit, Fair Trade organisation in 1998.
The Conserve team reclaim plastic bags and other unwanted materials left on Delhi`s streets and deliver this waste to her workshops, where it is sorted and hand washed with detoxicated cleaning detergent.
Together with a team of traditional tailors, the Conserve staff cut and sew the non woven fabrics they create, producing fabulous fashion accessories.
Conserve started as a fledgling recycling project but quickly adapted to confront the biggest challenge it was facing – what to do with the thousands of plastic bags that could not be composted or recycled locally.
Upcycling by washing, drying, and pressing the bags into sheets led to Handmade Recycled Plastic (HRP) being born and designs for handbags, shoulder bags, wallets, shoes and belts quickly came flooding in.
The challenge was obvious: use high fashion to support better lives for the poorest and a cleaner environment for all.
Today, Conserve India employs and trains hundreds of people from Delhi’s most disadvantaged communities to clear their streets of the plague of plastic bag waste. Once the waste bags are turned into HRP products they are sold for profits which can be spent in those same communities on education and welfare programmes.
By buying a Conserve recycled bag, you not only get to be a trend setter with a beautiful, funky piece of high fashion – you will also be helping some of India’s poorest people, and its environment.
I`m proud to say that my business, THE FAIR TRADE STORE stocks a couple of Fair Trade recycled bags from this fabulous organisation – Paul
View Conserve India`s Flickr photostream
Interested in this initiative?
Please leave your comments below and start the discussion……
And why not subscribe to this Fair Trade Blog? More Secret Diairy posts will be coming along soon.
October 10th, 2011 by Paul
Children of Sreepur Village, Bangladesh
It`s true. Women and children`s lives are being saved and transformed in Sreepur Village, Bangladesh, by a UK-based project that
THE FAIR TRADE STORE has come into contact with.
‘Sreepur Village, Bangladesh’ funds and oversees ‘Shishu Polli Plus’ (translated as Childrens Village Plus) a small non-religious, non-political organisation based in Sreepur, rural Bangladesh.
THE PROJECT
It is the only project in Bangladesh offering shelter and training to women and their families, and is becoming increasingly well known throughout the country.
SPP works with destitute mothers and their children to give them the health, knowledge and skills thay need to function independently in society.
At the moment over 135 mothers and 450 children are supported by SPP.
As a grass roots organisation they respond to local need and run other related programmes such as supporting vulnerable (eg trafficked or abandoned) children and fostering.
“We provide safety, a loving environment, food, clothing, education, and vocational training so that the people who come to us can look forward to independent lives in their communities.” commented one of the project workers.
THE WOMEN
Shishu Polli is often the first place where each woman wakes up knowing that she will be safe, will receive nutritious meals and will have the company and friendship of other women in similar circumstances.
Each mother stays up to 5 years following an agreed rehabilitation programme. They are paid a small allowance each month plus a compulsory savings scheme where money is put into a bank account by the project so that they have funds when they leave.
All of the women have been abused in some way so group and individual counselling to bolster their self esteem and confidence is provided.
THE CHILDREN
Shishu Polli Plus is a happy and relaxed place for the children too.
The children have a wonderful life at the village. They have plenty of friends and space to play – both in the well equipped playground and in the sports field (despite the presence of goats and cows!) and on the basketball court.
Most of the children have mothers at Shishu Polli, but the project still takes-in abandoned and trafficked children if there is not a more suitable place for them with other NGOs.
All the kids are provided with nourishing food, education and lots of opportunity for play. All of them have suffered severe deprivation before arriving in Sreepur.
“It is a joy to see them running round, laughing and playing. There is always a child coming to hold your hand, sing you a song, or show you a dance” the project worker added.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Find out more about the Sreepur Village project, see more images, read more stories and see videos of the people involved.
You can also make a donation.
Thank you for reading my latest Blog. If you have any comments to make, please leave them below.
Look out for more posts from THE FAIR TRADE STORE BLOG soon – Paul
September 26th, 2011 by Paul
Toilet Twinning in action
Toilet Twinning is a new and unique way of supporting people for whom good, clean, safe sanitation is a luxury – not a given.
Right now, more than 50 per cent of hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people who have an illness caused by poor sanitation or dirty water.
International charities Cord and Tearfund have linked up to bring you Toilet Twinning: a unique way to help transform lives in poor communities across the world.
So, for £60, you can twin your toilet at home, work or school with a latrine in the remote Giharo Commune of Rutana Province, Burundi.
And, if you want to know exactly where Giharo Commune can be found – you can go to Google maps and see your latrine’s location in all its glory!
The latrines in Giharo Commune have made a massive difference to people coming home after 15 years as refugees.
On their return, the people of Gilharo discovered that everything had been destroyed in the civil war. Amid the devastation were burnt out houses, the charred ruins of schools and healthcare centres, contaminated water sources, non-existent sanitation facilities and overgrown fields without a single crop to eat or sell.
With love, support and practical action, the people of Giharo Commune have been able to get back on their feet. Hundreds of households have received help in rebuilding homes and latrines, and men, women and children have been supported with health and hygiene education.
With every toilet twinned, more people in the developing world get a chance of a better life and a peaceful future. The purpose of writing this Blog is to help spread the message far and wide – Toilet Twinning is helping to flush away poverty!
Tearfund and Cord will use the money raised to help households have their own loo, enjoy better health, go to school and work, and fund other projects to alleviate poverty around the world.
Since the launch of Toilet Twinning in 2009, more than 1,600 latrines have been built in Burundi – providing safe loos for nearly 10,000 people!
When you twin a toilet, you receive a framed certificate of your toilet’s twin as a public declaration to all who visit your cloakroom that you think it’s out of order that 1 in 3 people in the world don’t have access to a decent loo.
The certificate contains a photo, the latrine’s location and its GPS coordinates so you can look it up on Google Maps.
Most of your donation will be spent on helping to bring safe, clean and hygienic sanitation to poor communities around the world.
Decent sanitation and hygiene education go hand in hand. For example, if you have somewhere safe to go to the loo, but don’t understand the importance of hand washing – or only have dirty water to wash your hands with – your latrine won’t reach its full potential to save lives.
So your gift will help build latrines, provide hygiene education and help poor communities access clean, safe water.
If you would like to take the next step, then please visit the Toilet Twinning website and find out exactly how you can be part of this initiative.
Please look out for more of my Fair Trade Blogs and don`t forget to leave your comments about this posting below – Paul.
You can see more images of Toilet Twinning on our Flickr photostream.
September 12th, 2011 by Paul
Playfair 2012: Campaigning for a sweat free Olympics
As London gears up to host the 2012 Olympics, we look here at the story behing the glitz and glamour of the occasion and of the pressure some of the biggest sports brands are being put under to make sure these are a “sweat free Olympics”.
In the UK alone, sportswear sales in 2010 were estimated to be £4.5 billion, with Nike and Adidas the global leaders and Pentland (the makers of Speedo), the largest UK-based brand.
These household names will have a high profile at London 2012, and their sales and profits are predicted to rise as the Games approach.
Yet these are the very brands who are routinely breaking every rule in the book when it comes to labour rights. Workers making sportswear still suffer from excessive working hours, poverty wages, temporary contracts and unstable employment and denial of union rights.
The Playfair 2012 campaign is working to raise the bar on these rights. Brands working under the Olympic banner of fairness, equality and respect should be doing more to end slavery and exploitation in the sportswear industry.
As an example, the minimum monthly wage in Indonesia, where a lot of sports gear is manufactured, is £67, yet a living wage sufficient to feed, clothe, shelter and educate a worker and his or her children is £129 – roughly double the minimum wage. Here, the minimum wage is rarely surpassed – leaving the garment workers struggling well below the poverty line.
And this is all happening right now, in 2012. Surely this situation needs to change?
If these facts have prompted you to think again about this issue, you can TAKE ACTION today to call on Adidas, Nike and Pentland to pay workers a living wage, respect union rights and ensure workers have job security.
Simply visit the Labour Behind the Label website to register your views.
Labour Behind The Label is part of the campaign coalition and supporting garment workers worldwide.
There is much more information available on the Playfair 2012 website, including videos and all the latest news about this campaign.
Let`s work together to make these a “sweat free Olympics” that the whole of the UK can be proud of.
I would love to read your views on the issues raised in this Blog post, so please leave your comments below.
Also, by subscribing to our RSS feed you can keep up-to-date with what everyone is saying about this thought-provoking topic as the campaign gathers momentum.
Thanks for reading – Paul
September 1st, 2011 by Paul
Children in Mathare slum, Nairobi, Kenya
WALK AGAINST CRIME will take place in 2013 and will involve a sponsored walk from Lands End to John O’Groats to support a community project in Nairobi, Kenya which gets street kids off the streets and away from crime.
With a crime rate of 80% until recently, Mathare, Nairobi’s second largest slum has no work for adults, or schooling for youngsters. With nothing to do except hang around street corners, most young people get involved in theft, drugs and prostitution, usually around the age of 13 or 14.
Murder is common and HIV/AIDS is rampant. It can be a scary place.
However, a fantastic project has been set up by local people to change all this. Its aim is to engage the youth in activities, provide work and train them to earn for themselves, rehabilitate drug users, prostitutes and criminals and encourage young people to take a full part in society.
Already, with community policing by ex-gangsters, they claim to have reduced the crime rate from 80% to just 5%.
A jewellery workshop employs about 20 teenagers and young adults, and in a local field, football training takes place every day.
Nearby, dance sessions and training in acrobatics are held daily in a community centre. Many other activities are planned. The dancing is technically imperfect – but the teenagers are so full of enthusiasm that they are absolutely enthralling.
These are street kids who have never travelled, but their lives have already been massively changed by having something positive to do. When Jeremy Piercy (Shared Earth UK) and Kathleen Hanlon (Zuri Design) promised to organise a tour of Britain for them in summer 2013, they could not believe it.
To raise funds for this tour, Jeremy and Kathleen will be taking time off work to “walk the walk”. Joining them will be ex-street child Milton Obote, now manager of the jewellery workshop in Mathare. A ‘rehabilitated gangster’, he came out of crime after his four best friends had all been killed. He will be walking with Jeremy and Kathleen across Britain, telling his story on the way.
John Mucheru, a community leader in the slum, also hopes to walk for 600 miles.
Would you fancy joining them, or supporting the event in another way?
The organisers are looking for people from every section of society. Get in touch if you’d like to join us on the WALK AGAINST CRIME, even for just a day!
We’re also looking for people who are in the media and people with marketing skills. We want to ensure the tour next July is a real success. We’re already getting some good articles and interviews in the local media.
Can you help promote us?
Thousands of leaflets and posters have now been printed about WALK AGAINST CRIME. Help to promote us – phone 01904 655314 for free copies.
NEWS UPDATE – the amount pledged so far has risen to £7,160 (July 2011) Thanks to everyone.
Look out for updates on the progress of this event on our Blog.
In fact, why not subscribe to our Blog`s RSS feed to keep fully up-to-speed?
And we would love to read your thoughts on this initiative – please leave your comments below….
Paul at THE FAIR TRADE STORE.
August 23rd, 2011 by Paul
Back to School
It`s that Back to School time again!
The start of a new school year is always a challenging time for parents and can sometimes be a scary time for the kids!
You’re probably feeling a mixture of excitement for the new term ahead, but a little sad that the summer is nearly over.
Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things they have to cope with: new teachers, new friends, new courses and maybe even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries usually only stick around for a little while.
Seeing friends they haven’t seen in a while can make their first day a good one. You can also help make the day feel special by treating them to something new to help put a spring in their step – like a favourite back pack, a new hair band, or some new stationery, perhaps?
Such things can make a real difference to how confident your children feel and how quickly they settle in.
We have a range of fun and funky products in the Fair Trade Children`s Gifts section of our website, many of them made from recycled materials, that will give them something to talk about in the classroom and playground and bring out the “eco warrior” in them all.
Do you have any other ideas on how to help prepare your kids for their first few days back at school? If so, please leave a comment below and share your ideas with everyone.
Thanks for reading my latest Blog post – Paul.
August 14th, 2011 by Paul
BAFTS logo
Okay, so you may have heard about BAFTS, but what exactly is the British Association for Fair Trade Shops?
Put simply, it`s a group of retailers, importers and wholesalers who, although independent, unite in a core purpose which is to bring about fundamental changes in the status of working producers through Fair Trade retailing, trading and campaigning and to contribute towards the building of greater trade justice and equity in the world.
BAFTS is a registered company, based in Oxford, England and has an elected Board of 5 Directors.
It is connected to the global Fair Trade Movement through its membership of the WFTO (the World Fair Trade Association) and the Trade Justice Movement. It recognizes this internationally agreed definition of Fair Trade:-
“Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South.”
All involved in Fair Trade accept that it has to include:-
- Paying fair prices to producers which reflect the true cost of production.
- Supporting producer organisations in their social and environmental projects.
- Promoting gender equality in pay and working conditions.
- Advising on product development to increase access to markets.
- Committing to long term relationships to provide stability and security.
- Campaigning to highlight the unequal system of world trade which places profit above human rights and threatens our environment.
BAFTS recognises the following sources as Fair Trade:-
- Fairtrade marked products.
- Members of the International Fair Trade Association (WFTO).
- Recognised importers and wholesalers.
Many of the products stocked by THE FAIR TRADE STORE come from BAFTS registered wholesalers and importers.
One such source is Just Trade, who were set up as a family-run business in 2006. They work hand in hand with small, Fair Trade projects primarily in the shanty towns of Lima, Peru, acting as mentor, educator, wholesaler and retailer, helping people in these marginalised communities develop their existing skills to design and make saleable products and we provide them with a long term route to market in the UK.
THE FAIR TRADE STORE has been trading with Just Trade for a couple of years now and are particularly proud of products such as this natural Huayruro seed bracelet, in Red, made by artisans of the Zoe Project in Lima.
You can buy from us with confidence, knowing that “together, we are helping to make a difference”.
If you have any questions about BAFTS, or the issues raised in this Blog post, please leave a comment below and I will get straight back to you – Paul.
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