Fairtrade Fortnight

Today is the start of of Fairtrade fortnight, and to mark this each day for the next fortnight we will focus on a Fairtrade product or company

Today we will look at the Fairtrade brand.

The Fairtrade Foundation is the independent non-profit organisation that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products in the UK in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.  The Foundation was established in 1992 by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Traidcraft, the World Development Movement, and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.  Member organisations now also include Banana Link,Methodist Relief and Development Fund, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, People & Planet, SCIAF, Shared Interest Foundation, Soroptimist International , Tearfund and the United Reformed Church.

The Foundation is the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO), which unites 21 labelling initiatives across Europe, Japan, North America, Mexico and Australia/New Zealand as well as networks of producer organisations from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Fairtrade Labelling was created in the Netherlands in the late 1980s. The Max Havelaar Foundation launched the first Fairtrade consumer guarantee label in 1988 on coffee sourced from Mexico. Here in the UK, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992, with the first products to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark launched in 1994.
For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards which are set by the international certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International(FLO)


Globally, consumers worldwide spent £1.6bn on Fairtrade certified products in 2007. This is a 47% increase on the previous year directly benefiting over 7 million people - farmers, workers and their families in 58 developing countries.


More details on Fairtrade Fortnight can be found here

New Products

The first is a range of clocks from Bottleclocks in Essex. They are created from old glass bottles which are then heated and flattened before having the clock movement added. We love recycled and upcycled glass and are proud to be able to supply these great range of products. The firm favourite here seems to the be the Magners Bottle Clock

Today we are pleased to launch two new product ranges.







We have added a limited range to start with but I know this will grow as they become more popular.



The second range is made for us in  Derbyshire on the edge of the Peak District, and is manufactured  by hand, as well as being fully qualified via cosmetic safety assessment licence by big green tree trading.


All the "ingredients" that are used in the products are, wherever possible natural/organic and farmed/traded in an ethical manner and free from additives such as Parabens, SLS's and Palm oils which can be bad for your skin and cause irritations and sores


We had such a hard job picking from their extensive range but hopefully we have managed to include something for everyone. 


My personal favourite so far is the Gardener’s Hand Balm which is perfect for all ages and especially handy this time of year.






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