Fairtrade Fortnight with FAIR SQUARED

February 22nd to March 7th 2021 is Fairtrade Fortnight, a time when people across the UK come together to share the stories of the people who grow our produce for food, drinks, beauty products and more, people who are sadly often exploited and underpaid.

In this weeks special guest blog we are highlighting one of our favourite ethical brands who has Fair Trade at the centre of their story, FAIR SQUARED.

FAIR SQUARED

FAIR SQUARED is an alternative trade organisation, we aim to do our bit to reduce inequality in world trade. The idea came from seeing the Oxfam campaign “Make Poverty History” in 2005, this made us consider what we could do to help reduce poverty. Five years later the first FAIR SQUARED products were sold through Oxfam and Amnesty International stores. In the UK students and a number of organisations picked up on the idea and helped make the products more widely available.

The name FAIR SQUARED comes from our promise to always be fair to partners all over the world. As we have learnt throughout years of trading, Fair Trade really works, and we are proud to still carry the ‘fair’ in our name. Ever since our founding, we have maintained the claim to be international and see ourselves as activists for complete transparency and creative ideas.

We believe in fair trading conditions, environmental responsibility, and a strict ‘no’ to child labour and animal testing – fairness for us is something which should be connected to all areas. We are a multicultural, strongly committed team with the dream of making the world a better place.

Not only do we work with multiple Fair Trade suppliers, but we also ensure that our products are created to the highest quality while being certified by multiple certification bodies such as: NATRUE, FSC, PETA Cruelty Free, Fair Rubber, HALAL, CO2 Neutral and of course Fairtrade. Our products are also registered with The Vegan Society.

Since 2017 all FAIR SQUARED products have been climate neutral, because we believe in being fair to our partners but also fair to the environment. Since 2014, all FAIR SQUARED condoms have been neutralised through reforestation projects. We are currently offsetting our emissions in Raichur, (a rural district in central India) by purchasing clean and efficient steam cookers for the local families.

Why does Fairtrade matter so much to us?

Fairtrade doesn’t just mean an equal pay; it means so many other things too such as…

Economic benefits: We pay the Fairtrade Minimum Price for our materials which is a safety net that supports farmers to become more income-secure and less vulnerable to poverty. Through Fairtrade farmers also earn a Fairtrade Premium to invest into projects of their choice. This is an extra payment which the farmers and workers can decide for themselves how it is spent to support their community and help create a better future for the younger generations. Many communities have used it to build community centres where educational classes can be held to benefit the wider community; create pension schemes for retired workers or even go towards financial gifts for newlywed daughters of the workers to allow financial stability. Regular audits guarantee that the money is spent accordingly to fair trade criteria. All in all, the fair trade premium is an excellent way to improve the living and working standards for the producers involved.

Empowers Communities: Fairtrade is gradually empowering communities to organise into co-operatives and improve their negotiating position within the supply chain. This can enable them to negotiate a higher price for their product than the conventional marketplace.

Environmental Benefits: The Fairtrade standards cover key areas for environmental protection, including energy use, soil and water quality, biodiversity protection, prohibition of genetically modified organisms and harmful chemicals, and waste management. The standards promote training for farmers including advice on switching to environmentally friendly practices. By ensuring no chemicals are used on the crop our farmers are able to lead a much healthier lifestyle and know that they will not come into contact with anything that can have a long term impact on their health.

Gender Justice: We make every effort to achieve gender equality. Women’s labour rights are specifically supported by us and the farmers, this ensures women can work on an equal basis and can therefore increase their own future prospects.

To see our full range of FAIR SQAURED products click here

THIS IS A GUEST FEATURE WRITTEN BY CHLOE CASE BRAND CO-ORDINATOR FOR FAIR SQUARED AND ORGAN(Y)C