Ethical retailer of the week: Just Trade

Just Trade offers Fairtrade jewellery made by artists from developing countries and trains them to design and shape jewels in a co-operative way.

It was set up in 2006 to help a small Fairtrade project in Peru, the Zoe Project, to thrive and conquer a slice of the European market. Since then, the company has involved other communities in India and Ecuador.

Women from the Zoe Project managed to improve their living conditions, work from home and pay to educate their kids. Another project in India is helping empower women and allows them to learn new skills.

The company sells the jewels online and offers a wide range of pendants, earrings, rings, necklaces, brooches and cotton accessories.

Just Trade does not only sell jewels produced in the communities but it also trains them on how to design products and use materials.

The company says, “We work collaboratively on the design of our products with the artisans who make them. By teaching the fundamentals of design, we give the artisans that we work with the tools to take an active part in the product development process, encouraging a sense of pride and ownership in their work.”

It proudly defines itself a “sustainable business models”, explaining that artists are encouraged to develop new ideas and share them.

Just Trade is a member of the British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers (BAFTS) and promotes the principles set by the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) in relation to environmental and social responsibility.

www.justtrade.co.uk