Browsing: Fair trade

As the autumn gloom begins to seep into my mood and my aquafit instructor informs me there’s only 63 days until Christmas and my teenage son comments on how hard it is to get out of bed on the darker mornings, my thoughts turn to Christmas shopping.
 
“Don’t mention the C word!” some of you may be shouting at the screen. “It’s too early. Are you mad?”
Quite possibly, yes. But I can see why our ancestors thought it was a good idea to put a festival bang in the middle of winter. Something to look forward to, something to celebrate – colour, music, family, food, gifts…what better way to lift the gloom of dark mornings and even darker evenings? Unfortunately, the great expectations put on us by the media and people around us often cause huge financial, physical and emotional stresses transforming Christmas into an event to anticipate with dread rather than excitement.
 
In response to the numerous people who have told me to think positively over the last 24 hours, here are my perceived benefits for starting my Christmas shopping now.
 
Pretty things are good for me.
Looking at pretty jewellery, pretty accessories and pretty bags definitely lifts my spirits. Original design, vibrant colour, attractive texture…. I know what I like and what I like lightens my mood. Call me superficial, but is it so very different to appreciating fine art? Taking pleasure in what someone has made is to my mind celebrating the act of Creation itself. So deciding on the Fair Trade Double Heart Bracelet and Necklace for my sister-in-law’s birthday restored some light to my soul. Something within me responds to the recycled silver designs from La Jewellery. Whatever your taste, there are such beautiful pieces out there and the appreciation of beauty can be good for you.
 
Thinking of others is good for me
My relatives can correct me if I’m wrong, but I have quite a reputation for buying good presents. I’ve obviously made some terrible mistakes – who hasn’t? – but I rarely resort to cash or gift tokens and prefer to buy something that reflects the thought that I have put into the choice. Over the years, this has got harder as we all see each other less and less often and live further and further apart (Facebook may help me this year as some of us have kept in touch a little better). Anyway, at a time when I’m tempted to retreat further into my shell, it is good for me to spare a thought or two for my friends and family. As I choose gifts and wrap them and write gift tags, I like to think about the person and fill the package with prayers and best wishes and hopes for the future. The whole experience takes me out of myself and my little world. I’m so excited about the Fair Trade Ari Sitara Handbags that I’ve chosen for two of my nieces, which look great on the page and even more fabulous in reality. I love them and think they’re beautiful and I hope the girls will know that I think the same about them.
 
Ethical choice is good for me
I’m often tempted to despair about the state of the world and how small my individual contribution to change actually is, but my consumer choices for Christmas do help me to feel that I am doing my bit. Over the years, I have always battled with a slight embarrassment that the recipients of my gifts may be sick of ethical presents. However, this year, I have overcome that. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. The quality and choice of ethical gifts out there are fantastic. I am not compromising when I buy the Fair Trade stainless steel salad servers or serving spoons, which I love the design of and think look very stylish – just like my relatives for whom they are intended!
 
Being prepared is good for me
However much I have fought it and denied it over the years, I now accept that I do not function in the same way in the winter as in the summer. Call it SAD, seasonal depression., whatever you want – this year is the first year that I am going to factor in this change in my mood and behaviour. Being prepared and getting my Christmas shopping done early will hopefully reduce the emotional and physical drain that Christmas often becomes. Making choices about gifts while it is still a pleasure and not a burden makes perfect sense to me. Choosing the Vinylux Vinatge Vinyl bowl because I think it’s really cool and unusual for my cool and unusual nephew far outweighs a last minute desperate stab in the dark. Hopefully this will conserve what little energy I have in December for the things that really matter. 
 
Spreading the cost is good for me
Contrary to what my husband may think, I actually do not like spending money. It panics me inside and whilst I enjoy choosing gifts, I detest paying for them. One of my greatest anxieties about Christmas is how much it costs and how we will afford to pay for it. I do not want to appear stingy, nor can I afford to be extravagant – how hard it is to find the middle way. Like most people, I am planning to cut back on spending this year. So imagine my joy when through forethought and careful searching, I discover perfect items at reasonable prices, like the Fair Trade HOT pot stand at only £6.95. Hopefully, it really is the thought and not the cost that matters. And spreading the cost relieves the pressure on the bank account too.
 
 
So sorry if I have offended you by mentioning Christmas too soon. Sorry if this is all a foreign language to you. Sorry for those of you who have no idea what I am going on about. But to those of you who do, maybe these words will be of some comfort to you. Maybe these ideas will help you to have a very, very happy Christmas.

When it comes to being fed, my children are fairly easily pleased. Well, obviously not all of them all of the time, but they are used to a ‘one meal fits all’ approach and have learnt to live with it. I am a functional cook, not terribly adventurous, but can be relied upon to get a hearty nutritious meal on the table most days. I shop on the basis that I will be feeding 7-8 people at each mealtime, so rarely even contemplate ready meals – heating individual meals for so many is inconvenient and the cost is prohibitive. Anyway, I’m a bit of a control freak and like to know exactly what goes into the meals I provide.

This may seem like a full-time job but to be honest, most meals on our table follow a set formula:- some kind of meat (chopped up small for the child who can’t chew meat) and whatever vegetables are to hand magically transformed into a recognisable dish by a jar of organic cooking sauce – and generally served with fair trade pasta, rice or organic noodles. Chilli, spaghetti Bolognese, stir fry, sausage pasta, sweet and sour, curry…the variations are numerous. Moreover, the advantages of such a system are endless:-

• You only use half as much meat as you would with individual portions (financially and environmentally sound)
• You can have a cupboard full of sauces and pasta, rice and noodles so that there will always be a meal to hand
• There is a great variety of organic sauces out there – check out Meridian or Seeds of Change for some ideas
• If all else fails for the vegetarian in the house (ie. If I don‘t get round to cooking him anything), he can open a tin of Free & Easy chilli or curry without going hungry
• You are in complete control of what goes in
• The jars are easily recyclable unlike the packaging of the equivalent in ready meals
• This type of meal can stretch if someone extra turns up unexpectedly or can be kept and reheated for anyone who arrives home late (and eaten up for breakfast the next day by my child who prefers leftovers for breakfast to cereal or toast)
• The fair trade and organic content of meals is considerably higher than with any other alternative
• A meal can be rustled up in ten minutes after having picked one child up from tennis and before another has to be at dancing
• There’s something very satisfying about setting two big pots of steaming food on the table and ladling it out (rather like Mummy Bear)

So there we go. Ten reasons for stocking up on cooking sauces. Call it cheating if you want. Sauces could be made from first principle, I know that. I’m no superwoman. I make compromises. Anyway, it works for us. We survive. Not much gets thrown away. My sanity is intact. No-one complains (to my face, anyway) that the food I cook is boring. At least I cook. Not that ideas for easy healthy meals with ethical ingredients for a large family would not be welcomed. Of course they would. I look forward to hearing from you and trying some new recipes out on my tribe.

The hot weather has been beating down all week, and I don’t know about everyone else, but my thoughts have been turning to picnics, barbeques and enjoying myself in the open air.

There’s the perfect opportunity to get involved in this summery vibe coming up – put the 19th of July into your diary – the nationwide ‘Big Lunch’ is coming right to your doorstep! Well, only if you choose to get involved, but we think that this countrywide picnic sounds like a great plan.

The idea is that two weeks tomorrow, millions of us throughout the UK will choose to sit down and have lunch together, wherever we fancy. It’s a great excuse for a street party, and a wonderful way to have a fun day with family, friends and neighbours. Just register on the Big Lunch website – www.thebiglunch.com -  to plot your event on the Big Lunch map, sort the food and get the invites out, and you’ll be good to go.

We’ve teamed up with the lovely folks at Divine Chocolate to devise a The Big Lunch Fair Trade Hamper to make sure your party goes with a swing.  It’s designed to take away the hard work by creating your picnic for you – complete with delicious sweet treats as well as something healthier to munch on, not to forget drinks for adults as well as the kids. In fact all you really need to add is the sandwiches!

We’d love to know if you’re planning to get involved in the Big Lunch – where are you, who are you inviting, and how are you bribing the weatherman…?

Image via: foodforlife.org.uk

It’s that time of year again – judging for the fourth annual Triodos Women in Ethical Business Awards is under way, and here at Ethical Superstore we are delighted that three of the finalists are business-women we have been supporting for years.

Anne MacCaig, chief executive of Cafedirect, has been nominated in the Ethical Business Awards category. Cafedirect’s Fairtrade labelled coffees and tea were among the first products seen on the virtual Ethical Superstore shelves, and since then the brand has grown into a nationally recognised name. Anne’s commitment to generating social and environmental benefits for grower communities deserve the recognition given in this finalist position, a worthy winner of the title.

Sarah Brooks and Susi Lennox and their company Yes Pure Intimacy, the only range of organic intimate lubricants and moisturisers, have been nominated in the Ethical Small Business Award Category. Sold through EthicalSuperstore since 2008, Yes products may not be the first line that springs to mind when thinking of ethical trading, but these intimate products have become one of our increasingly popular lines. Sarah and Susi are pioneers for ethical trading in this field, making them excellent contenders for the award.

Zaytoun, also nominated in the Ethical Small Business category, is an olive oil producing company run by Heather Gardener-Masoud, dedicated to improving the lives of olive farmers in Palestine. Showing real dedication to her cause Heather started as a volunteer, before identifying the market gap and transforming her fledgling idea into a multi-million pound business. Her development of the world’s first Fairtrade olive oil and obvious commitment to the cause makes Heather a forerunner in this category.

Despite the current economic climate, people are still choosing to shop ethically to ensure that their hard earned cash benefits the people who deserve it most. Indeed perhaps you could even say that shopping ethically will help to foster the green shoots of hope of economic recovery in places that really need it.

Here at Ethical Superstore we are proud to support women who pioneer in ethical business. The three women nominated for the 2009 awards have vitally contributed to improving the lives of others through viable and profitable businesses, and we wish them all possible success in the final.

Click here to place your vote. The deadline is Friday June 19 at 5pm.

India is a remarkable country. After only a three week visit I’m hardly qualified to say that I know it well, but during my trip I certainly got a wonderful impression of the place, the people and the varied and colourful histories of the different areas.

It’s a country of extreme contrasts: from dry and arid deserts to humid jungles and back waters, but I think the starkest contrast is that of the way that people have, and still do live. With World Fair Trade Day around the corner, it’s a good time to recognise and reflect upon these contrasts, and give extra recognition and a round of applause to the people who are working towards making a difference.

Upon my arrival in Delhi, I was lucky enough to be introduced to the people behind Tara Projects, a long established Fair Trade organisation which is helping to make a difference for the people involved in their programmes. Having never visited a workshop of this kind before I was really excited to be able to visit and discover more of what goes on behind the scenes, and meet the driving forces behind the widespread good work that this organisation achieves.

Read the rest of Fair Trade in Action – My Visit to Tara Projects »

Peaches Geldof lives her life in the limelight. As the daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates, Peaches has had a high profile right from day one, and as one of the UK’s most prolific socialites she’s rarely out of the glossy mags.

Some people might be tempted to criticise her for having life handed to her on a plate, but today we’re applauding Miss Geldof for going the extra mile. Proving that she’s listened to some of the lessons that her dad’s work has taught her, Peaches has been working alongside one of our favourite fair trade jewellery manufacturers, Made, to design and produce a fabulous new range of handmade fairly traded jewellery which we think really hits the spot.

In Peaches’ own words:

“I like Made because it’s ethical yet this doesn’t compromise the fashionable status of their collections…the handmade attention to detail adds something special to each piece created.”

This bold, bright and stylish range was inspired by warm summer days and daisy chains. It’s the perfect way to jazz up your summer wardrobe as the days (slowly!) start to get a little warmer.

Photo via: peachesgeldof.net

I was thinking of enrolling my two youngest children on a Drama course in the Easter holidays until I checked the dates on the calendar – the course took place on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. There must be some mistake. I checked again. No, definitely those days. Would people really send their kids on a course on those days? Don’t they have better things to do as a family on Easter Sunday? Has it really become just like any other day?
It reminded me of last football season when I wrongly assumed there would be no game for my son’s team on Easter Sunday morning. I was made to feel a fool, but was I really the fool? Do we really believe that just buying all that is on offer will make for a proper celebration?

Easter, like all our annual festivals, has become a great marketing opportunity – Easter bonnets, bunnies, gifts and of course, chocolate eggs. Not that any of this is in itself  wrong, but it focuses our attention on what we buy and away from the actual significance of the event.

Whether as individuals we share in the Christian celebration of the Easter weekend or not, we can all participate in celebrating new life –

Read the rest of Celebrating Life At Easter »

Twenty years ago, my husband and I got married at Castle Methodist Church, Colchester. I wore gypsophila in my hair a la Charlene from Neighbours; he should have gone to Specsavers. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were happy smiley people.

Twenty years ago, we were local Traidcraft reps in a fair trade wilderness. We held stalls in church halls and did talks at women’s groups in church halls. We tried to persuade people to give the coffee a go. Muesli and honey were seen as the safe options to try (although I did once find a small lump of coal in my muesli which was reduced to dust by the time I sent it to Customer Complaints). You could not buy a single fair trade item in a supermarket; you could not even envisage a day when that would become a reality.

Sixteen years ago,

Read the rest of Twenty Years On…. »

Comparing ourselves to other parents is a risky business. I waver between criticism of them eg. “Other parents let their kids stay up too late” – or inferred criticism of myself eg. “Other parents spend more time reading with their kids than we do.” Either way, it sucks.

Still, with Mother’s Day on the horizon, I will be affirmed in my role as Mum for one day, at least. The one day where having five children really pays off! Although to share the day with my daughter’s eleventh birthday is rather unfortunate, in my opinion.

Anyway, what is possibly even worse than comparing myself to other parents (and being compared to them by my kids is up there, too), is assuming that all parents think as we do. When I was called into school last Friday with a group of parents to discuss an incident of fighting, I was amazed when one man assertively informed the teacher that he was sure that all parents would join him in saying that they teach their children to

Read the rest of Other Parents »

Whilst enjoying my tea and toast this morning, I was pleased to hear the news announcer declaring that America anticipates pulling itself out of the recession by the end of the year. This headline was music to my ears, as surely global recovery will eventually follow. I’m sure everyone is as sick of hearing about ‘the current economic climate’ as I am, so an end to this Credit Crunch will be a huge relief.

With so much doom and gloom in the media, one would be forgiven for thinking that everything in our economy has ground entirely to a halt. However here at Ethical Superstore we’re absolutely delighted that even in this current economic climate (sorry – I couldn’t resist using the phrase!), people are still staying true to their beliefs and their ethics and continuing to buy what they believe.

Beliefs and principles are important to all of us, but the good news for consumers is that often products that are easy on the environment don’t need to cost you a fortune – We’ve got plenty of energy saving gadgets which will help you to reduce your fuel bills, and many of our household and cleaning selection are great money savers too. But beyond these items, we are so pleased that so many of you are staying faithful to your loyalty to fair trade and organic products amongst other beliefs, despite their (often unfounded) reputations for being slightly more expensive.

Read the rest of Credit Crunch Defying Ethics »