fairtrade Archives - Natural Collection Blog

Who are Traidcraft Exchange?

Traidcraft Exchange’s mission is to use the power of trade to create lasting solutions to poverty.

In theory, trade should be beneficial for everyone involved. As goods and money are exchanged everyone should benefit. However, in global trade this doesn’t happen. In a lot of cases global trade feeds the rich and exploits the poor and therefore traps people in poverty.

Everyone should be paid fairly for their work no matter which country you live in. When trade is done right, no one will live in poverty.

Divine Chocolate’s Minty Matcha Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

We love these rich and indulgent dark mint chocolate thick-shelled cups by Divine Chocolate. They’re filled with a creamy and vibrant green matcha cashew butter filling. They are easy to make, taste delicious and are naturally vegan, gluten-free and packed with flavour.

Time: 15 minutes plus setting time

Makes: 6 large or 10-12 small cups

Zaytoun Palestinian Recipes

Zaytoun was founded in 2004 to support the resilience and livelihoods of Palestinian farmers under occupation through fairly trading their olive oil. Zaytoun was initially funded by hundreds of customers who put up payment in advance of receiving their oil, through this they were able to establish themselves as a UK social enterprise.

Since its beginnings, Zaytoun has continued to evolve and develop and by receiving funding from Triodos Bank they now offer a wide range of Palestinian artisan foods and supported Palestinian farmers to pioneer the world’s first Fairtrade certified olive oil in 2009, sold through the UK market.

All of Zaytoun’s products can be used to make some delicious and nutritious plates of food. Take a look at some of Zaytoun’s recipes below:

Zaytoun and its Producers

Zaytoun also run two trips a year for customers to visit Palestine and learn more about life for a farming family there and bring producers to the UK once a year for Fairtrade Fortnight.

Read just some of the stories of their amazing producers here:

Brand Story: Nkuku

Nkuku produce beautifully handmade home and lifestyle products. Every one of their products has a story to tell through the talented artisans that created them.

Nkuku was founded in 2003 by Ali and Alex Cooke. The brand was inspired after the pair set off on a year-long round the world trip. Through their travels, Ali and Alex were inspired and humbled by the talented craftspeople and their beautiful work. Upon returning from travelling they moved from their busy London home to rural Devon to start their next adventure.

Completely inspired and amazed by their travels, they then started to work with artisans from around the world. Ali and Alex were passionate about supporting and celebrating these artisan skills through bringing their products to a wider audience and sharing their talents with the world.

Brand Story: GoodWeave

GoodWeave’s vision is a world that is free of child labour. Established 25 years ago, GoodWeave consists of an award-winning team of business-minded experts and advocates for social change dedicated to ending child labour, forced labour and bonded labour in global supply chains.

GoodWeave primarily operate within the rug industry but have now expanded to home textiles, apparel and fashion jewellery.

They work to lead an overall reduction in child labour as well as the freedom and education of these children. The holistic approach that they have aims to heal and educate children who have been exploited, whilst also underlying the root causes.

Brand Story: Nomads

Nomads is a contemporary Fairtrade clothing brand in which everything produced is made with natural and organic fibres. Along with this, Nomads celebrates great design and traditional artisan techniques.

Nomads’ mission is to prove that it is possible to live a stylish, sustainable life by creating high quality and long-lasting clothing. They also wish to increase the awareness of the need to shop responsibly.

Nomads has been creating ethical and Fairtrade clothing for over 30 years. Its founders Duncan and Vicky met in India where they fell in love with the culture and decided to invest in their first selection of Fairtrade handicrafts. This was the starting point for their now lifelong relationships they have with the artisan producers and Fairtrade factories in India. They now design and create contemporary clothing that is 100% ethically produced and celebrates artisan skills. Nomads strives to use the best quality natural fibres and environmentally friendly processes with their clothes designed to last.

The Fashion Industry’s Response to COVID-19

The world is currently facing a pandemic, and this is having a huge effect on the people who make our clothes.

Retailers have had to close their doors and encourage their customer base to order online. None the less, the desire to buy new clothes appears to have decreased due to the Coronavirus making us focus on other aspects in our lives.

It is worth noting that there is potentially a positive amidst this crisis that we are learning to care for the clothes we already own better, more and more people are opting to mend and make clothes and also adopt a mindset of longevity when it comes to our wardrobes; suggesting an encouraging step to end overconsumption.

However, the halt in manufacturing has meant that the most vulnerable, lowest paid people in the fashion supply chain are feeling the worst effects. IndustriALL, the global trade union has reported that millions of garment workers have lost their jobs as a result of the virus and have no access to social or financial safety nets.

Fashion Revolution Week 2020 – Our Brand Spotlight

2020 marks the seven-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. The Rana Plaza factory was a five-story building that housed garment factories for big global brands. In 2013, the factory collapsed killing 1,138 people and injured 2,500 more people; many of the victims were mostly young women.

From this the Fashion Revolution movement was born. The people behind the Fashion Revolution movement have called for an overhaul of the fashion industry and strive to make sure exploitation of people comes to an end and ensure that production methods respect our environment.

Taking place from the 20th – 26th April, this year’s Fashion Revolution Week will once again encourage millions of people to come together to campaign for systemic change within the fashion industry.

Be an Agent for Change on World Fair Trade Day

This Saturday on World Fair Trade Day, the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) wants you to ‘Be An Agent for Change’. WFTO is a global network of producers, marketers, exporters, importers, wholesalers and retailers committed to Fair Trade. Continue reading Be an Agent for Change on World Fair Trade Day