Spirals Fair Trade

Spirals offers you the chance to buy from a beautiful collection of ethically sourced products. Including fairtrade gifts, eco-friendly furniture, fairtrade home furnishings, ethical toys and the best in fairtrade and ethical fashion … there is plenty to choose from! Most of their fairtrade products are sourced from BAFTS registered wholesalers. They also stock products made in the UK which are earth friendly, many of them made in Hebden Bridge. This includes items made using reclaimed timber, natural skincare products, and work by local designers using recycled materials. www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk

Worse than malaria or TB but never discussed

According to the Blacksmith Institute in partnership with Green Cross Switzerland, the health burden of pollution from industrial activities is as bad or worse than that of malaria or TB. Yet the problem goes largely ignored. Why? Because pollution is seen as the necessary price of economic growth. And economic growth is what keeps governments in office. The new report claims that waste from mining, lead smelters, industrial dumps, mercury, radionuclides, pesticides and other toxins affects the health of an estimated 125 million people worldwide. In one tragic example, doctors carrying out vaccinations in a Zamfaran village in Nigeria questioned the general absence of children attending their centre. They found the reason. Hundreds of children from the village had died from lead poisoning whilst thousands more were stricken with the effects of high levels of lead in their systems [read more].

Will ethical consumers sustain their values in times of economic hardship?

A key question for providers of fair trade products is whether ethical consumers will sustain their values in the face of scepticism, apathy and more difficult financial times. Or whether demand for ethical product and services will decline. Indeed, one of the main challenges is how ethical businesses can continue to engage with consumers with a social conscience and ensure their continued business [read more]

What is fair trade?

What is fair trade? After years as a niche market, the concept of ‘fair trade’ seems to have finally broken through into the mainstream, with most of the major supermarkets now stocking these lines. The fair trade market has grown massively in recent years with new product ranges being added all the time. There are now thousands of fair trade products available in the UK - everything from bags, teas and coffee to wine, clothing and flowers, biscuits, fruit juices, chocolates, snack bars, muesli and even footballs.

It appears that growing numbers of consumers are prepared not only to buy fair trade products but also to pay a little bit more for the privilege. Some have even suggested that it would be more logical to label unfair products.

True, fair trade products are still in a minority and will probably remain so whilst the current economic climate persists. Then there is cynicism, with a perception amongst some that it is a con, that the money doesn’t get to the producers, that manufacturers are using it as a smokescreen to charge more. A few die hard cynics have even compared fair trade to charity Christmas cards – that you pay a little extra cash and clear your conscience in the process.

The majority view, however, is that the growth of fair trade serves the common good and is a route by which poverty, ignorance and unfairness can be reduced across the globe. It can also be a platform upon which a more sustainable global economy can be built, empowering women through education and reducing birth rates, protecting endangered species and helping to preserve the Earth’s delicate eco-system.

Does Fair Trade really make a difference?

Fair trade has come under criticism from some quarters as marketing hype. The Adam Smith Institute has even claimed that fair trade is actually unfair because if offers only a small number of farmers a higher, fixed priced for their produce at the expense of a majority of farmers, who can be left worse off. So does fair trade really make a difference? Read more

Does Fair Trade help us?

UK consumers are now familiar and well aware of the Fair trade movement. Countless supermarket products come with the fair trade stamp of quality, almost to the point that its presence is diluted. Greedy westerners putting another selling point on their commodities – does this compromise the ethos of the Fair Trade Foundation?

The Fairtrade organisation’s core values remain intact. The movement is aimed at aiding both producers and consumers – encouraging clearer communication with a transparent set of standards.

The Fairtrade mark is a certification for products sourced from companies based in developing countries, with a goal of helping poverty and improving long term development. This is an internationally recognised logo and is in many terms a household brand in the consumer’s eyes.

The Fairtrade standards for generic producers are set high and provide detail in their requirements. This drives businesses such as commercial farms into improving their processes and operations but also supports financially and managerially.

Ethical products have seen a rise in sales volumes over the past four years. Organic food has seen a recent decrease which is attributable to the economical downturn. Contrastingly RSPCA backed Freedom Food products have seen considerable increases in the past two years showing the level of support in the UK economy for ethical consumerism.

The question is does the average consumer knows what the ‘ethically produced’ means? Large organisations such as Sainsburys and Starbucks openly support Fairtrade and there is high amounts of information and retailers backing fair trade products. Therefore, part of the increase of ethical product sales has to be down to genuine demand.

Experienced ethical product wholesaler Premcrest penned a great ‘what is fairtrade’ article giving more information on the Fairtrade and its impact to us in economical terms – visit Premcrest

What is fair trade?

20% of the world’s population live on less than a dollar a day. Fair trade is a social movement aimed at reducing poverty and exploitation by guaranteeing producers a price for their goods which never falls below the cost of production.