Fair Trade
Fair Trade and Furniture? How does that work?
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Fair Trade furniture - Watch the video |
You can probably tell from the fact that we have called our company ‘The Fair Trade Furniture Co Ltd’ that Fair Trade is pretty fundamental to our beliefs and values (either that, or we are a bunch of mad charlatans!)
Specifically, we believe that the Fair Trade principles can be applied just as well to furniture as to those smaller craft items and food products for which Fair Trade is now more famous. There is no Fair Trade mark or label yet developed for furniture products. Until that becomes a possibility, we are following the Fair Trade code of practice set out by the World Fair Trade Organisation, of which our MD Hugh Ross is already an individual associate member.
We are in the process of applying for full-time membership of WFTO. You can find out more more about this organisation at:
In practice, Fair Trade means our producers get:
- Payment of 60% in advance, meaning no borrowing required
- Payment of the remainder when the goods arrive safely in the UK
- A fair price for the goods, set by the producers, not by us as buyers
- Investment in health and education programmes
- Support for improvements to working conditions and facilities.
