Fair Trade Federation

Um, fair trade means different things depending on your point of view.

Uh, our group has been a member of a group called the Fair Trade Federation now since, uh, 2016, and what that means is that we need to demonstrate how we are complying with nine different fair trade principles.

And some of the core ones are that we're creating opportunities for the artisans that we work with, that we're respecting cultural identity, we're ensuring the rights of children, we're cultivating environmental stewardship, we're supporting and empowering safe working conditions, we're paying fairly and promptly, we're promoting fair trade, we're building artisan capacity, and we're developing transparent financial relationships with our partners.

So these are all things that have to go into being a, a legitimate or let's just say a full-fledged fair trade organization.

And I will say, like, like, I think I've said it before too, but, like, being Fair Trade Verified really, really changed the game for us.

So for me, the Fair Trade Federation was amazing.

I'd love to hear a little bit about advice that you'd have for an entrepreneur who wants to build a purpose-driven business.

But, you know, we also need to make sure that, uh, building something purpose-driven doesn't let the mission become, become an excuse for not being good businesses.

Yeah.

As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, like for example, DEMÈT went through an excruciating process.

So they verified how people were paid, where our raw materials came from, how is our factory powered, how, like how are the, how are things operating? And it's a, it just like took like almost a year process to be verified.

But what that means is that customers can have the confidence to know that everybody at DEMÈT or at any fair trade company is making a, a good wage, has the insurance, the health insurance, and all the benefits that they deserve as a person in the world, that the raw materials are not harming the planet.

Two hands, yep.

Yep.

DEMÈT is, is us if you want leather goods, but also, yeah, you can check out the Fair Trade Federation.

They have a great website what lists a lot of different brands that are Fair Trade verified, and there's a little logo with like five black circles.