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Fair trade, ethical business and other musings

Category : Fair Trade

Let’s Make This A Fair Trade Christmas Part 1: The Tree

December 4th 2011 Posted at Fair Trade, Tweets
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It is possibly my favourite of all the festivities: going to choose a Christmas tree and then bringing it home in a car smelling of piney goodness, before erecting it in all its glory and adorning it with sparkly lights and decorations. For me, it signals the start of Christmas. And now we have our tree up, so Christmas has definitely begun.

There’s classical Christmas music playing on the stereo, a box of chocolates to hand and the most beautiful and authentic smell of Christmas there is – the incomparable smell of a Christmas tree.

And what has this go to do with making this a fair trade Christmas? The decorations of course! We have festooned our tree with a selection of fair trade decorations from the By Hand collection (currently available for free when you place an order totalling over £20 at www.by-hand.co.uk). The decorations are handcrafted by disadvantaged producers in Indonesia and so not only look great, but are also a symbol of supporting craftsmen and women across the world. There are no mass-produced, factory-made decorations on our tree. Oh no.

We have gone for a gold and silver theme, with a couple of blue birds of peace for good measure. Even the handpainted angel, who is watching over our tree, features gold hues and a touch of sparkle.

There are, of course, lots of fair trade Christmas decorations available. So make sure you pop into your local Shared Earth shop, or buy online from Traidcraft’s website at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk to make your tree a symbol of something else this year: fair trade – supporting people in need – and working together to make a difference.

Help spread the word: Tag your festive tweets with #letsmakethisafairtradechristmas

Wetherby to get the Fair Trade treatment this Christmas

November 17th 2011 Posted at By Hand, Ethical business, Fair Trade
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Wetherby Fair Trade Christmas Market

A small number of local, independent, fair trade organisations are holding an exclusive Christmas Market in Wetherby Town Hall on Tuesday 6th December. There will be mince pies and a festive cafe serving fair trade tea, coffee and cake, and a number of stalls selling fantastic fair trade gifts. It’s a great opportunity for the people of Wetherby to get in some Christmas shopping, and to buy some truly unique gifts that will not only bring joy to their loved ones, but will also have a real effect on the producers thousands of miles away.

At a time when money is tight and people are reining in their spending, fair trade needs more support than ever. Shareholders of multinational corporations can generally cope a lot better with a decrease in profits than third-world producers can cope with their products no longer being bought in the UK. If people stop buying fair trade, the producers lose their source of income. So, at a time when we all have a good reason to spend money, lets spend it on products that make a real difference.

On Tuesday 6th December, the people of Wetherby have a great chance to discover some of the beautiful fair trade gifts available, and to stock up on Christmas presents in the process! We look forward to seeing you there!

Fair Trade Gifts in York this weekend

November 2nd 2011 Posted at By Hand, Ethical business, Fair Trade
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It is that time of year again: York Big Green Market is back! This week, from Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th November, York’s Parliament Street will be the home of one of the largest ethical markets in the north of England. The Big Green Market takes over the centre of York this time each year, to offer the people of York a great range of unique fair trade and ethical products from local, independent businesses.

Notable fair trade organisations that will be there this year include:
* The By Hand Fair Trade Shop, which will be selling fair trade sterling silver jewellery, as well as some great fair trade Christmas decorations, eco-friendly bags and other ethical gifts
* Fairly Scrumptious, offering a delicious range of fair trade cupcakes, chocolate brownies and other delights for the sweet-toothed amongst us
* Kigali Crafts, a fabulous company trading fairly with Rwandan genocide survivors and selling a great range of jewellery and other items
* Shea Alchemy, selling luxurious beauty products made from fair trade shea butter

There are also a whole host of companies selling environmentally friendly, recycled and handcrafted products, making the Big Green Market THE place to start your Christmas shopping this year.

The Big Green Market is open from 9 to 6 Thursday to Saturday and from 10 to 5 on Sunday. For more information about the markets and the companies involved, click here to visit The Big Green Market Facebook Page.

Fairtrade Fortnight: Get involved!

February 21st 2011 Posted at Fair Trade
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This Fairtrade Fortnight we’re asking the nation to get loud and proud about the Fairtrade label. Show it off. Parade it. Tell everyone about the difference it makes to farmers all over the world.

So for two weeks on Facebook the country will be playing a game called Show Off Your Label.

There will be daily challenges where you’ll be positively encouraged to be a big, ginormous, limelight hogging show off on behalf of Fairtrade. The best showoffs will win some super prizes, like a trip to Sri Lanka, the home of Fairtrade tea. But most important of all, we’ll be spreading the message of Fairtrade.

To find out more visit www.facebook.com/fairtradefoundation

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