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Fair Trade in Europe started as a grassroots movement about 40 years ago. The aim was to alleviate poverty in the South – Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean – by building direct, sustainable relationships with disadvantaged producers and providing fair access to markets in the developed North. The aims are the same now, but Fair Trade has developed into a powerful force, symbolised by a high level of European co-operation.
The Fair Trade strict guidelines ensure that our African, Kenyan, Indian Indonesian and Sri Lankan fair trade producers are able to benefit from each and every sale we make in the UK. These products are great examples of the Fair Trade philosophy; some are local government sponsored and all employees are provided with fair prices for their products reflecting the true cost of production, promotion of gender equality in decent pay and working conditions, and great community support, usually in the form of access to education, health care and in some cases childcare facilities and even wedding finances!
If our products are not fair trade they are nevertheless, community trade products, where our sales still directly benefit such local communities where decent pay, working conditions and community support are encouraged and maintained.
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