Here at ethicTrade we think our mums are special. Then again, who doesn’t? That’s why every year, we come up with a fantastic range of ethical and fair trade gift ideas that you can purchase right from ethictrade.com.

We also think the people around the world who design and produce the lovely things we give our mums also deserve a break. That’s why we only buy from projects, cooperatives and companies who pay a fair price to their workers, don’t exploit them in any way, and provide clean and safe working conditions.

Just take a look at some of the moving stories behind the fair trade gifts ethicTrade sells.

Here are our Top 10 hot picks from 2012’s Mother’s Day Gift Range:

‘Carnaby Scarf’- A beautiful, muted stripe, eco friendly, bamboo scarf

‘Bamboozle Knee High Socks’ – Incredibly comfortable bamboo socks in a range of exciting colours

Citrus Scented Oil and Salts Gift Set -  A gorgeous bath gift set made with Fairtrade sugars

One of our bestsellers: ‘The World of Streetfood’ Recipe Book

Gifts for less than a tenner, like these great little Scented Candle Tins in a choice of four fragrances

Has your mum got a good sense of humour? Then she’ll love this funny ‘Diet Rules’ apron!

Or how about this classy square table platter – perfect for that beautifully presented dining table

We’ve got a huge range of high quality knitwear too, like this ‘Villarica’ Chullo Hat in a choice of designs

Or these matching gloves

And there are beautiful handmade knitted jumpers too, like this Chamonix Hoody

Mother’s Day in 2012 is on 18th March. Don’t be late!

Ethictrade LLP is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Fair trade retailer, Accessory Fair, is proud to announce that their new website has now been launched.

With a growing range of fair trade bags, hats, scarves, bracelets and necklaces – Accessory Fair aims to build an increasingly wide selection of bags and accessories that are not only fair trade, but also stylish and great value for money.

Visit us at http://www.accessoryfair.co.uk and see how we can help you provide those wonderful finishing touches to your outfit in an ethical way.

All the best – and happy fair trade shopping,

Colin.

Accessory Fair is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

How fair is fair trade?

With Fair Trade Fortnight fast approaching we thought we would try to answer some of the questions that often come up about fair trade. There are plenty of fair trade facts on the internet but what is a fair trade?

There is a lot of confusion about what fair trade is about and we often get asked “What does fair trade do?” Many people confuse it with the organic and environmental movements and while they may recognise the fair trade logo on a banana and realise that it’s a good thing, many people still do not understand who benefits from fair trade.

Fair trade in a nutshell

Fair trade is about people. It’s as simple as that. Fair trade arose from the unfair international trading practices that meant that small producers in the developing world were being paid far too little for their products. Producers such as coffee farmers were being paid less than the cost of production as the international prices were so low. This meant that they were working hard but losing money, unable to send their children to school or get medical care or even feed them adequately.

Fair trade guarantees sustainable prices and better working conditions. In return for receiving a minimum price for their goods, producers must meet certain social, economic and environmental requirements that ensure the sustainable and fair development of their organisations and workers. The minimum price is set in consultation with producers and can never be less than the market price.

A premium is often paid over and above the minimum price and this extra money is used to invest in social, environmental and economic developmental projects that the producers wish to pursue.

So while consideration is given to environmental issues, the over-riding purpose of fair trade is to improve lives.

Fair trade certification

There are 2 main certification organisations recognized in the world:

1              Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO). The Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member of the FLO and it works with businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to improve the position of producer organisations in the developing world and to help them achieve sustainable improvements for their members and their communities. Certification and product labelling (through the FAIRTRADE Mark) are their primary tools. The backing of organisations of producers and consumers as a citizen’s movement for change is fundamental and integral to their work. They mainly deal with commodity products such as coffee, sugar, bananas and cotton.

2              World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO). This fair trade certification system takes a slightly different approach to the FLO and so covers a wider variety of products, such as gifts and handicrafts. Provided a producer or manufacturer can meet the 10 fair trade principles (go to http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=14 to view them), a producer is certified as fair trade no matter what he makes. By committing to poverty reduction, fair trading and prices, no child labour and more, the producers get access to western markets which they would normally be unable to reach. The accredited member could be a UK importer, Indian manufacturer or social enterprise in any developing country. The UK representative of WFTO is the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).

Fair trade and the UK consumer

Fair trade is doing well in the UK and fair trade sales continue to grow in spite of the recession. Fair trade for the consumer is not about consuming more, but about taking the fair trade option. If you are going to buy some coffee, a gift or a cotton t-shirt choose the fair trade option where it is available.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 (27^th February to 11^th March) is about taking a step for fair trade. This means swapping your brands for Fairtrade brands at home, school or at work. Whether it’s tea, coffee, gifts, clothing or sweets, there are fair trade brands available. And by buying them you really can make a difference to someone’s life.

For more information go to www.wfto.com and www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

A recent report by Ipsos MORI for UNICEF UK has highlighted that children in the UK are being drawn into a materialistic culture because they don’t spend enough time with their families.

According to a recent research, although parents in the UK are committed to their children, they don’t have enough time to spend with them due to long working hours. To make up for this, they end up treating them to new clothes and toys, which the charity claims affects their relationship with material items.

For online retailer Boys&Girls, treating your children to new clothes could be turned into a more meaningful experience. Instead of buying into labels, try buying fair trade clothing. This will give you the opportunity to teach your kids about where their clothes come from and how they are produced, giving them a greater understanding of the world they live in. This will help them be kinder to their peers, and could also positively affect their buying choices in the future.

Buying organic children clothes will also give you the chance to make your children aware of serious issues whilst treating them. You could explain the impact of chemicals on the environment but also on the workers who make their clothes, or teach them about ecosystems and global warming too.

And to make more free time for your little ones, why not try online shopping rather than dragging them round the shops? You can fit it in after they’ve gone to bed, and to make it even easier, most retailers can deliver to the address of your choice, like an office, so you don’t have to be at home to receive them.

If you would like to treat your children to organic and fairly traded cool children clothes, visit Boys&Girls online today.

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Treat your children this Christmas and save 20% off all children’s organic clothing and organic baby clothes at Globalkids.

Globalkids also has all their eco friendly fleeces and organic hoodies at half price!

Globalkids are an ethical family business passionate about organic and fair trade products. They specialise in providing a unique range of beautiful organic baby clothes, unusual hand made organic baby gifts, organic baby skin care plus fun and sometimes quirky fair trade toys, books and games for children of all ages

Globalkids is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

As Christmas fast approaches this is the ideal time to start getting your home ready for the big day. With the whole family coming for Christmas dinner and inviting your friends round for Boxing Day drinks, your home needs to be in tip top condition to receive the increased number of people heading through your front door. With this in mind Myakka have the ideal solutions to your many Christmas quandaries.

If you are expecting a large number of people around for Christmas dinner then the Mallani Extending Dining Table may be the ideal solution. With two leaves which slot on either end of the table this table grows to comfortably seat eight to ten for dinner.  For every day use the table seats four to six and the leaves can be stored separately. If your large family dinners are the norm for you and your dining room is proportioned to fit,  then the Mallani Large Dining Table may suit. This table accommodates eight comfortably so is ideal for that big Christmas day celebration as well as every day dinners. Some may prefer a more intimate dining experience and the Mallani Small Dining Table would be the perfect solution. Seating four to six people this table is excellent for everyday family dining and welcoming friends for more formal occasions.

If you are looking for some clever storage to tidy away some of your prized possessions,  then we have a number of solutions which might  help. If you are overrun with books then we have a variety of different sized units which will sit comfortably in any room of the house.   

The Myakka  Mallani Mini Bookcase is a popular bookcase with lots of room for all your books as well as a handy drawer which makes ideal storage when space is limited.  If you have a little more space as well as an abundance of  books then the Mallani Large Bookcase or Mallani Tall Bookcase may be the perfect library solution.  With capacity to take more books then we can imagine this is ideal for even the most prolific book lover.

First impressions are always important so with this in mind your hallway needs to be in tip top condition. The Mallani Storage Seat is the ideal piece to tidy your hall and create a welcoming entrance. This popular item is now available in a smaller size for more petite rooms as the Mallani Single Storage Seat.  If you are looking for somewhere to store your house keys so they can always be found then a console table may be just what you are looking for.  Narrow enough to sit in the hall without taking too much space but with enough storage to ensure that everything is in its place, we have a number of options including a Mallani Large Console with three drawers and two slated shelves, a Mallani Petite Console as well as a Khimsar Console Table and the classic Thakat Console Table which are all smaller two drawer versions.

Having somewhere for guests to put their drinks or having a table to place a bowl of nibbles on is essential over the busy festive period.  We have a selection of  nests of tables or occasional tables which might be the perfect solution. Nests of tables are as versatile as they are handy as they neatly store away when not in use.  An occasional table provides a great option for a more permanent solution and can be used for anything from holding a lamp or plant, to perfectly presenting a bowl of nibbles.

Don’t forget to finish your home off with cushions , kilims and accessories to create the ideal look.  

Myakka is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Myakka have a great Christmas treat for you this November with up to an amazing 12% off your order. Simply enter the promotion code YIPPEE at the basket page to claim your discount.  

The discount works on a sliding scale so the larger your order the larger your discount. Simply spend over £100 to receive an 8% discount, £250 and over  for a 10% or £500 and over for a 12% discount on your order. The order value excludes the delivery charge. This is a great opportunity to get your home ready with hard wood furniture for the festive season or to make a start on your Christmas shopping with fair trade gifts for friends and family.

The special offer expires on the 30^th November so shop now to save and for guaranteed Christmas delivery on all items (stock permitting).

The offer is only available to use once per person and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.

                                               SHOP NOW>>

Myakka is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

There is nothing better than to see smiles on other people’s faces.

As a social entrepreneur, I take my role very seriously and travelled to Gumu (Ghana) in June 2010 to work with one of our adoptive co-ops.  It was a great opportunity to witness what the money we had donated since October 2009 had been used for.  It was also a chance for me to see which area(s) could be improved.

One such area was to teach the co-op soap making to help sustain them and their community by creating more employment.

These are the first batches of soaps we made using fair trade unrefined shea butter (produced by the co-op), marula oil from Swaziland and moringa oil from Uganda.

and here are the individual bars of soaps – proudly made in Gumu (Ghana) and packaged in Sonning (UK).

We believe in empowering men & women
We believe in ethical trading
We believe in supporting communities
We believe in helping to make poverty history! 

Sheabutter Cottage is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Please support our campaign to make real Christmas Trees fair trade

Christmas may seem a long way off, but here at Fairwind we have been campaigning all year to persuade growers and retailers in the UK to start selling fair trade Christmas trees this Christmas.

 We are making good progress but we need your help!

Every year many people in Georgia are injured or killed picking the cones needed to  extract the seeds to grow the UK’s most popular real Christmas tree, the Nordmann Fir.

Fairwind is working with the ONLY supplier of fair trade seeds and trees to bring “Fair Trees®” to the UK.

And here is where you can help:

 1. Join our Facebook campaign

CLICK THE FACEBOOK BUTTON!

2. Email/write to your local garden centre, Christmas tree farm or Homebase or B&Q

 Homebase and B&Q are the largest retailers of real Christmas trees and  here are their email addresses:

socialresponsibility@b-and-q.co.uk

info@homebase.co.uk

 3. Forward this email on to your friends, colleagues and family and get them supporting the campaign

We already have celebrity support from Katie Melua

Now we need your support!

And with a bit of luck you will be seeing this label on your Christmas tree this year!

 Thank you

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Kilims are flat woven rugs made with a combination of jute, wool and cotton.  The origins of kilim rugs are unknown but there are different examples of these rugs across most of Asia and the Balkans with the earliest date back to the fourth or fifth century.  Being flat woven, kilims differ in appearance to the traditional pile that we are used to seeing in carpets and wool rugs.  For this reason they are quite thin, but due to the closeness of the weave and quality of materials, make for very durable floor coverings.

More recently, kilim rugs have been woven with a mix of 70% jute and 30% wool, but as the global demand for jute increases as an environmentally sound material, there has been a move away from jute and an increase in the levels of cotton and wool used in the weave.  The resulting closer weave which is produced in a 80% wool – 20% cotton kilim makes the finished product softer, more durable and kinder under foot.  The use of cotton and wool has the added benefit of the dyes being more readily absorbed which gives a much richer and vibrant colour within the woven, geometric design.

Many kilim rugs on the market today are made in India, often within small cottage industries.  The wool comes from the Bikaneer region of India which borders Pakistan, which is carefully hand spun, washed and hand dyed with traditional natural dyes before being woven into the geometric patterns which are so inherent of kilims.  More traditionally, the different symbols had specific meanings and reflected long life, fertility and family; however modern versions focus less on symbolic meaning and are more aesthetic appeal.  Depending on the size of the kilim, the craftsmen work either alone on the loom or in pairs and the work is often fitted within farming commitments, which can often make the supply a little unpredictable!  Once completed, the rugs are transported by any means possible (foot, bike, cart, etc) to the main warehouse, where they are given a final QC check and packed for shipping to the UK. 

At Myakka, we pride ourselves of offering an extensive range of both wool and jute kilims, in an array of sizes, all sourced through recognised fair trade channels. 

See all of our Kilim rugs, furniture and accessories at www.myakka.co.uk

Myakka is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more