artFrom coffee and clothing to fabrics and original arts and craft works, you may be noticing more and more products on store shelves (ours, anyway) that are marked as “fair trade” items.
So, what does fair trade mean?
Fair Trade Explained
The best way to define fair trade is as a movement seeking social, economic and environmental justice in the trade system, most notably in developing companies in which workers are more likely to be exploited.
From an economic perspective, fair trade relates to fair working wages, safe and healthy working conditions and sometimes, even financial investments in local initiatives such as training and sustainable transportation.
From a value perspective, it means consumers get the reassurance that the products were produced by otherwise disadvantaged workers and artisans now receiving opportunities and fair wages in line with their local economy.
From an artistic standpoint, the artwork is usually handmade with care and creativity in social communities, often meaning that women can work from home and in groups and take care of their children at the same time. Contrast this with so many mass-produced items that offer little information about how the products were made. Beyond knowing the country of origin, we often know nothing about working conditions or workers’ wages.
Perhaps consider adding fair trade options to your shopping list – when you can afford to pay a little more – to know that the workers and artists are being paid fairly and treated well.
The Avant-Garden Shop supports many companies who support fair trade ethics:
Who We Support
Fibres of Life is another company whose fair trade products are popular at Avant-Garden Shop.
This story has to start with dryer balls, doesn’t it?
Jenn Pullin, founder of Fibres of Life (FOL), shares how she almost literally stumbled into the oh-so-worth-it challenges of running a business in the fair trade world. With high standards that produce beautiful textile works, not any new junior artisan can jump into designing the naturally-tanned leather handbags of such beautiful colours – no, the juniors start with dryer balls. And they watch and learn by the sides of senior artisans at work. (Dryer balls are the mailrooms of yesteryear.) The website is worth a visit, if only to open your eyes to the many facets to consider to meet fair trade criteria. If you’re interested in learning more, the site is fibresoflife.com.
Why send a card when you can send a handmade work of art?
This is the question posed by Huong Nguyen Wolf, CEO of Quilling Cards. The cards are truly stunning and it’s clear this business is changing lives of over 300 artisans creating these masterpieces in Vietnam. Every card holds a placecard with a QR code enabling recipients to watch a video seeing how staff go through six months of training before graduating into a qualified quiller. From the initial design to showing up on our card rads, can be a journey of ten months. These cards are definitely keepers and always get high praise from people lucky enough to be given one. Most definitely frame-worthy.
In 2015, Quilling Card was Fair Trade Verified with the Fair Trade Federation. Many of their employees are women and people with disabilities who don’t receive the same societal support in Vietnam as done in Canada and the US.
One more…
Stitch by Stitch employs women working in southeast Asia to bring winter and Canadian-themed designs to life with beautiful stitch work and embellishments. These talented artisans work at home at their own pace, able to care for their children while working and get paid a fair wage.
The uniqueness of these works stands out: when you see handmade crafts as lovingly detailed as these items by Stitch by Stitch, you know the artisans love what they do.
Christmas stockings, tree ornaments, decorative pillows and more, they are bound to become beloved seasonal keepsakes.
Avant-Garden also carries fair trade coffee – read more about that in our blog post from July 2024, The Birds and the Beans.
Final Word
Supporting fair trade companies (and the people they employ) gives us some control as consumers when we buy products from companies giving otherwise exploited employees fair wages and safe working conditions. In a marketplace full of loud claims, fine print and vague details, looking for Fair Trade designation or certification goes a long way in helping us make informed, ethical shopping choices. ~