Discover Fair Trade

Our ethics are at the heart of what we do, after all we are Ethical Superstore. The most important thing to use is helping you to make the best shopping choices, best for you and best for the planet. It’s impossible to say one of our ethics is more important than others, but one that really makes a difference in so many people’s lives is Fair Trade.

When you think of Fair Trade, the first thing you probably think of is Coffee, Bananas or Chocolate. These are probably some of the more obvious fair trade products that have been available to us for so long it’s almost second nature to buy the fair trade options.

But did you know that your clothes, decorative accessories for your home, and your beauty products can be fair trade? Either made with fair trade materials and ingredients or in a fair trade factory which pays employees fair wages, and offers other benefits. Much of the fashion and homeware we offer are in fact fair trade, because we only want to offer you those products that will give you a good feeling to have in your home.

Fashion

Ever since the Rana Plaza collapse on the 24th April 2013, human rights and clean fashion activists have been campaigning for large fashion brands to provide transparent supply chains, and ensure their clothes are made in safe working conditions, as the 1,129 deaths from the Rana Plaza were completely preventable.

Due to society’s demand for ‘fast fashion’, the fashion industry is driving prices down, leaving garment workers on little wages that are barely enough to survive. To find out more, I would recommend watching The True Cost, a documentary currently shown on Netflix that looks into the industry that really opened my eyes. If you’re more of a book person try Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion by Tansy Hoskins. Saffia Minney of People Tree has also written books on the sustainable fashion industry.

We offer a wide range of sustainable fashion from brands like People Tree, Komodo, Nomads and Ethletic, so you can make choices that don’t cost the Earth, and make you feel good! Many of our fashion options are made with sustainable materials too, and we ensure the clothes we sell are ethically made. Many of our fashion brands also make their clothes to last, in an attempt to reduce the vast amounts of textile waste.

Homeware

Our seasonal homeware also comes from fair trade suppliers. We source artisan pieces, and some handmade using age old techniques to make your home an ethical haven. With ethnic, bohemian and contemporary styles, we have accessories to suit all homes and tastes.

We have fair trade decorative accessories for every room in the house, including bedding, cushions, candles, woven baskets, glassware, crockery and vases – to name just a few. Buying fair trade ensures that artisans in developing countries are paid a fair price for their goods, which in turn allows them to earn a good living and improve conditions for themselves and their families.

There are so many things we take for granted that billions of people around the world have no access to, such as health care, education, even clean water. Fair Trade suppliers aim to change that, by giving back to these communities and giving them the opportunity to improve their own situation, rather than only offering charity.

Certifications

There are different fair trade certification from separate organisations, but they are all working towards the same goal – bringing fair trade into the mainstream and ensuring people around the world are paid fairly for their work, have good working conditions and aren’t exploited in their industry. These organisations also work hard to ensure children in developing countries are not used for cheap labour and are given access to clean water and education. See more about some of the certifications and organisations below:

Fairtrade Labelled

The Fairtrade mark is probably one of the most recognisable, and appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. For a product to display the Fairtrade Mark it must meet international Fairtrade Standards, set by The Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO), for environmental, labour, and development factors.

World Fair Trade Organization – WFTO

WFTO – (formerly known as IFAT) is the World Fair Trade Organization, a global network of Fair Trade Organizations (FTOs). Over 300 FTOs in 70 countries form the basis of the WFTO network and membership is growing steadily. WFTO’s mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade.

British Association of Fair Trade Shops – BAFTS

The British Association of Fair Trade Shops
(BAFTS) is an association of members first set up in 1995 to bring together a number of handicrafts’ shops that sold fair trade goods. It has expanded to include fair trade suppliers and DSRs as well as shops and is recognised by the World Fair Trade Organisation as a National Fair Trade Network.

Enjoy World Fair Trade Day on Saturday, and remember to be an agent for change!