This week sees the launch of the first ever BAFTS (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) week, so we asked Kathryn Sygrove, the Marketing and Membership Coordinator at BAFTS what is was all about:
“BAFTS (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) is delighted to announce its first ever campaign week from 21-28 September. Set up in 1998, BAFTS is a membership organisation for suppliers who import, and shops who sell, a minimum of 70% fair trade goods from recognised sources. Its members are vetted by peer review on an annual basis, and customers can shop or order with confidence from a BAFTS member, knowing that this organisation has had its fair trade principles monitored and assessed annually.
The primary aim of the week is to raise awareness of BAFTS and its almost 150 members, independent businesses who sell fairly traded goods in locations all around the UK. It is also an attempt to answer the questions: what about products for which there is no FAIRTRADE Mark? How can we be sure that they are fairly-traded?
Whilst many consumers recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark thanks to successful publicity by the Fairtrade Foundation, and campaigning by Fairtrade towns, this is not the only organisation dedicated to fair trade. Items that can be certified Fairtrade are usually products that are grown, like cotton, rubber and food. The Fairtrade Foundation describes the situation thus:
‘Fairtrade certification and its system of minimum pricing were designed for commodity products. It is technically difficult to adapt this model of standardized minimum pricing to crafts and other products made by small-scale artisans, which are each unique and have highly varied production processes and costs.’
In our opinion, a good starting point for the answers to these questions lies in membership of BAFTS, building on the solid foundation of the WFTO 10 Principles of Fair Trade, and adding to the mix a community with a wealth of experience, commitment, passion and shared goals.”
At fairandfunky we sell a range of products with the FAIRTRADE Mark from suppliers who are members of BAFTS and WFTO, including: Visionary Soap, Traidcraft, Divine, and Bishopston Trading.
We also sell a range of products without the mark, but all who adhere to the principles of Fairtrade. We are very interested in how BAFTS can work to support these suppliers and support independent retailers such as ourselves. We’re interested in hearing your thoughts on BAFTS so please do tweet us, share on facebook or email your thoughts.
Together, we will change the world.
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