The revival of handmade: Sustainable materials, Handcrafted products & Heritage craft   

2021 Trending now! Fair trade home decor products


You are probably wondering what led you to this page. The answer is simple: Because you self-identify as a conscious person that is raising up your own minimum standard of care. The fantastic evolution of conscious consumers --like YOU!-- is reshaping the way businesses interact with suppliers and vendors. It’s just unbelievable that treating other human beings with dignity and respect needs to be reinforced and demanded. Since you are driven by social justice, then you belong to a selected group of people that's already ahead of the game.

Consumers around the globe are asking brands to shift their model towards a more honest and transparent understanding that businesses cannot succeed at the expense of people and the environment.

It seems we’ve pushed the planetary boundaries too far, and now we are urged to alleviate the human-induced stress we’ve put on communities and territories. Many consumers like you, and like us, are bringing their own ‘sustainability’ lens by being thoughtful of what we buy and by stepping into a leadership role as advocates for change. 

Are you looking for eco-friendly and fair trade home decor to warm up your space?

fair trade home decor

Let’s talk about sustainably intricate pieces!

A sustainable good:

  • Is created in a way that enhances human development
  • Uses a few of Earth’s resources in the entire supply chain
  • Creates the least environmental damage
  • Contributes to the economic growth of the society

Either if you are starting your home decoration project, or if you are looking to make some changes to your current living room decor, this blog post is just PERFECT for you! There is nothing that makes a house feel like home other than filling it with meaningful pieces that reflect your own beliefs, values, and attitudes.

The good news is that today we can find a broad range of do-good handmade pieces like cookware items, pillows, blankets, vases, hampers, baskets, textiles, plates, ceramics, candles, crafts, furniture, kitchen accessories, bedding collections, table linens, and infinite multipurpose products and decor items. All beautiful pieces made by world-class artisans using ancient techniques and fine craftsmanship.

handmade textiles

Sustainable Living Spaces: Eco-friendly and Fair Trade!

Just like you, we believe that self-identity finds expression in our attitude towards consumption. Let’s think of why we see a growing demand for organically grown foods. Since the end of World War II the use of pesticides increased twenty times, and also raised concerns about the associated health and environmental problems.

Many consumers are willing to pay the real value of goods, where ‘real’ means to factor in the environmental and social indirect and direct costs. For others, it would be a ‘premium’. It’s nothing but conscious customers trying to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics, and switching to those free of chemicals, functional and long-lasting.

Building a path towards a more sustainable lifestyle can be challenging, and under our very own lens, extremely confusing. First, the many third-party evaluating organizations and associations (like the Fair Trade Federation) play a key role in defining sustainability, and the more this gains market share the more seals show up. The thing is, designing a path towards a more sustainable lifestyle is different for everyone, and it’s context and resource-dependent.

The good thing is that for consumers everything is workable, and you can define your own and personal approach. You can start by focusing on your own values and on the causes you care about. Then, find the opportunities available and promise yourself to take one specific action. 

indigenous woven baskets

Some values or causes you might consider (just to mention a few):  

  • Reduction of poverty
  • Environmental quality & nature conservancy
  • Economic inclusion
  • Gender equality  
  • Clean water
  • Women empowerment  
  • Sustainable artisan development  
  • Continuity of traditional craft techniques, heritage & craft preservation  
  • Waste reduction & management  

A sustainable lifestyle means to shift from old self-centered behaviors and habits to a more holistic worldview, where the individual well being, the ecological and social limits play an equal role in our very own decision-making process. 

Why we believe that fair trade is a great first step

Fair trade is a market-based development strategy that seeks the integration of small-scale producers into the market ensuring they receive a decent living wage and goods are traded in a way that fulfills a set of environmental and social standards. It is a trading partnership based on transparency, traceability, and equitable distribution.

This may sound complex but, in fact, is quite simple: fair trade offers farmers, artisan collectives, artisan cooperatives, and producers in the global South better prices -meaning fair trade wages-, market links for growth, and resources they typically don't have access to. In a few words, provides consumers with beautiful products that elevate environmental & social standards and creates opportunities for independent small-scale groups including women artisans. 

Fair Trade is an entirely VOLUNTARY standard that continues to emerge since the late 80s

When you purchase from a Fair Trade seller, this means the buyer --or trader-- agrees to pay a price that allows artisan communities to cover all production costs and a fair price equivalent to a fair living wage in the sector. Of course, attributes like high-quality, contemporary designs, organic materials, recycled materials, and others play a role in pricing. The bottom line is that there is a guaranteed minimum price per unit sold that is typically higher than the market price. For example, a study of 845 coffee farmers from Southern Mexico in 2005 showed that farmers that were Fair Trade certified received an average of 12 cents more per pound of coffee.

Getting a Fairtrade certification is definitely a way of providing credible information to the consumer about the conditions at work throughout the value chain. It also guarantees independent small-scale artisan groups receive fair wages.  

Colombian coffee


Need some info about Fairtrade International? Here some notes!

Fairtrade International is a nonprofit organization that's centered around building awareness for global trade issues, improving the sustainability of supply chains, and ensuring the rights of farmers, workers, and artisans in developing countries.

Thanks to their respected socially and environmentally responsible practices, companies and collectives rely on the use of the Fairtrade seal to sell their handmade pieces. The organization has partnered with over 1,000 branches in the US alone.

Fairtrade receives a license fee, paid by Members, which constitutes over 85% of the Fairtrade foundation's income (Fairtrade Financial Report). Then, the remaining 15% comes from fundraised income from grants and donations. Donations typically come from enterprises in Fairtrade Towns, which are certified areas that are committed to the promotion of Fair trade practices. 

We are proudly a Fairtrade LA Business Members (Did you know LA is the largest Fairtrade city in North America?)

All these sales are complete with a supplementary fee known as the Fairtrade Premium, which is an additional sum of capital that goes into a communal fund to improve the socio-economic conditions and the lives of the makers and their families.

These earnings are then allocated towards investment in education, cooperatives, and other initiatives are chosen through voting, as a means to achieve sustainability, equal trade, and to create opportunities for artisans. Not only that, but they also strive to eradicate sexism in the labor market. Cooperatives and associated firms, all function under a set of standards that forbid discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. Training on sexual harassment and gender equality are mandatory in factories and offices, and a transparent framework to process reports of discrimination or are available to all members.

indigenous women Andes weavers

Fairtrade has made substantial moves all around the world that have elevated women to not only obtain the same rewards for labor as men, but to partake in journeys of self-development and skill learning so that women can aspire to higher positions.

For instance, in Côte d'Ivoire, women make up almost 70% of the agricultural labor force, but only 3% of women own the land they cultivate. In the case of cocoa farmers, just 25% of Ivorian women own their lands

In 2017, Fairtrade established the Women’s School of Leadership to strengthen women’s voices in all areas within the Côte d’Ivoire community. This program brings cocoa women, farmers, together for a year of mentorship regarding human rights and gender equality, as well as financial management, negotiation, and diversification of income sources. With such training, women became better equipped to assume leadership roles and contribute to the economy in a significant way.

Fairtrade pinpoints key areas of immense potential for positive impact and implements policies within their systems to strengthen sustainability capacity. These range from enforcing environmental standards for producers, providing job opportunities for groups in poverty to marine protection programs. All and all, Fairtrade has been instrumental in promoting equal trade, sustainability and empowering women and underprivileged workers all around the globe.

indigenous women Andes weavers

Just like Tidying up is “A change so profound that it touches your emotions will irresistibly affect your way of thinking and your lifestyle habits.”, we believe that when we shop fair trade items and bring them home is a way of reconnecting ourselves with our mission, values and beliefs, and it certainly SPARKS JOY

SOURCES 
Self-Identity and the Theory of Planned Behavior: Assessing the Role of Identification with "Green Consumerism"
Author(s): Paul Sparks and Richard Shepherd Source: Social Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 4 (Dec., 1992), pp. 388-399 Published by: American Sociological Association Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2786955 Accessed: 24-08-2020 22:16 UTC

The Labyrinth of Sustainability: Green Business Lessons from Latin American Corporate Leaders. Edited by Daniel C. Esty. Copyright Date: 2019. Published by: Anthem Press DOI: 10.2307/j.ctvbqs9d0. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvbqs9d0

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. Report Part Title: CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE INITIATIVES. Report Title: SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES POLICY AND PRACTICE: Report Subtitle: CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD Report Author(s): Lewis Akenji, Simon Gilby, Caixia Mao, Ryu Koide and Atsushi Watabe. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (2019) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep21883.8

SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES POLICY AND PRACTICE Report Subtitle: CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD Report Author(s): Lewis Akenji, Simon Gilby, Caixia Mao, Ryu Koide and Atsushi Watabe. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (2019)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep21883.5

Dragusanu, R., Giovannucci, D., & Nunn, N. (2014). The Economics of Fair Trade. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28(3), 217-236. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23800584

Bilican, F. (2016). The Relationship Between Focused Attention Meditation Practice Habits, Psychological Symptoms, and Quality of Life. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(6), 1980-1995. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44157057

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2021 Trending now! Fair Trade Home Decor Products

2021 Trending now! Fair Trade Home Decor Products

Nothing makes a house feel like home than filling it with meaningful pieces that reflect your own beliefs. Good news! Fair trade change lives.