What we do

We are a family-run social enterprise working with fair trade producers in Africa, Asia & Latin America, both directly and indirectly through our partners such as Traidcraft.

Our products are nearly all handmade using recycled or organic materials; take a look at our beautiful Bolivian wine glasses made from recycled coca-cola bottles.

Every item you buy helps build a positive future for the producers and their families, such as the Cotton Co-operatives in Batimakan, Mali, where the Fairtrade premium has helped to build a school and health centre.

We have a showroom near Henley on Thames and share a warehouse in Cornwall. We offer free delivery on all UK orders or wedding list purchases over £30.

Ethical action

Our goals are:

• To provide fair market access to fair trade producers in Africa, Asia & Latin America
• To transform the wedding gift list market in the UK, so that every item is ethically sourced.

This is achieved in 7 ways:

• BUILDING CONNECTIONS between consumers in the UK and fair trade producer groups in Africa, Asia & Latin America, to increase mutual understanding, supply beautiful products and help overcome poverty.

  Fairgift products are accompanied by the story of the producer and the producers are provided with information about the customers, such as input on design trends, production methods and quality standards.

• FAIR & SUSTAINABLE PRICES to the producers that cover costs of production including product development, transport and environmental protection.
• FAIR WAGES & WORKING CONDITIONS that are safe & healthy for individual workers including no discrimination. The participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play and conforms to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the law & norms in the local context.
• POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT ensuring the trading relationship benefits the wider community of the producer, including enabling marginalised members of the community to have access to world markets.
• SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES that encourage handmade & rural traditions; using recycled or sustainable materials in products & packaging and responsible methods of production.
• LONG-TERM & ACTIVE RELATIONSHIPS with producers, whereby the producer is given guidance and advice on product quality & development, sales & marketing, skills & organisational development to build their capacity for long-term growth & independence;
• CAMPAIGN towards greater justice & equity in global trading relationships.

These standards are based on the internationally recognised criteria & definitions developed by IFAT (www.ifat.org).

This is a social movement, where people come before profits. As such, all profits are reinvested back into growing sales for the producers and the remainder donated to the development charity, Traidcraft Exchange.

Awards & Recommendations

• Member of Ethical Junction
• Approved use of Fairtrade Mark and IFAT logo in marketing materials

A few ways we're trying to make a difference

Recycling

Fairgift and our partners work with the fair trade producer groups to develop environmentally sustainable methods of production and packaging. This includes widespread use of recycled materials, such as our stylish Bolivian wine glasses & tumblers which are made from recycled glass and our beautiful Eco-Cotton Leather Frames from near Delhi which are made from waste from the garment industry.

Any packaging materials that need to be added in the UK to ensure safe transit are derived from recycled materials. For example, rather than adding bubble wrap, our warehouse team has a developed a way of shredding used cardboard in a way that successfully protects the products during the delivery to customers.

Reducing carbon footprint

Fairgift and fair trade in general often has a positive impact on the carbon footprint of communities and industries. This is because rather than prioritising low cost production, our goal is to develop socially & environmentally sustainable businesses, often in countries where the regulatory framework and enforcement of social & environmental standards is weak.

For example Fairtrade the Agrocel farmers in Kutch (India) were heavy users of pesticides prior to their switch to Fairtrade. A lot of carbon & oil is used in the production of pesticides for cotton, which also caused many other problems: water contamination, poisonings, farmers’ debt to pay for the pesticides and the de-population of rural communities as the younger people fled to the cities. As a result of education and investment from Fairtrade, around 2000 farmers have switched to organic production. Soil fertility and water quality has dramatically improved and migration to cities has reduced significantly.

Water conservation

By helping fair trade producers make the switch to organic production, this has a great impact on water conservation. Pesticides used in farming (especially cotton) are responsible for widespread water contamination and poisonings.

Supporting fair trade

All Fairgift products are sourced under the principles of fair trade, as defined above. More information is available at Fairgift - learn more

Supporting / working with a charity

All profits are reinvested back into growing sales for the producers and any remainder donated to the development charity, Traidcraft Exchange (registered charity number 1048752).

Supporting / working with a community / social project

Traidcraft Exchange supports a number of important trade-related development projects in Africa & Asia. For example, supporting the farmers of Kutch, India as they converted to fair trade, organic production and developed rotational crops to address their economic, social and environmental problems.

Read more at Traidcraft International Development Programmes

Fairgift - Reviews

Here's what a few past customers have said:

"We loved the variety and originality of what was available" - Sarah & Paul, Leamington Spa

"Fairgift was a wonderful wedding list service. Setting up the list was fun and easy and a refreshing change from looking at toasters and kettles.

The service from Fairgift was impeccable at all times, with real attention to detail. Our friends and family really appreciated the opportunity to choose these unique and special gifts." - Belén & Tony, Greenwich

"The gifts are wonderful - the people who make them obviously take great pride in what they do" - Joanne & Julian, Enniskillen