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Our customers occasionally ask us if the products we sell are fair trade / Fairtrade. The simple answer is that our products are well within the nature of the "Fair Trade" movement, but they are not Fairtrade labelled. A brief explanation follows: For a product to carry a Fairtrade mark or label the production of the product must be approved by the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (link to: http://www.fairtrade.net/). The products that are primarily covered by the FLO Fairtrade mark are plant derived produce, such as bananas, coffee, herbs and spices, etc, although sports balls (footballs) are also currently listed.

Our products generally fall outside of this category, as they are handicrafts made from primarily natural fibres, or a mix of man-made fibres such as nylon and polycotton. Often the natural fibres and materials are freely or cheaply available in Ecuador, for example Tagua nut, which is a sustainable plant-derived alternative to elephant ivory.

The FLO system sets minimum prices, considered "fair" by their expert advisors. This is a commendable system that is designed to help stop exploitation of workers, and allows ethical consumers to choose products from ethical companies and employers.

Our products are generally not from farm or factory sources, and the manufacturer (often an individual) sets the price they wish to sell their product for. In the case of family owned businesses, the families set their own workplace conditions, often working from their own homes, and set the prices they want for their products. We believe this is a fair system of trade, as our business helps individuals and families to be self-sufficient through self-employment. Many of our suppliers are very clever and astute business people, as well as being expert artisans.

For further information on Fair Trade and Fairtrade, see the following websites:

Fairtrade Foundation | http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International | http://www.fairtrade.net
Fairtrade Association Australia & New Zealand | http://www.fta.org.au
Fair Trade on Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade