10 Principles of Fair Trade from WFTO

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Hannah Hodson

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10 Principles of Fair Trade from WFTO

Tovi Gifts works hard to embrace the ten key principals of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) when working with our artisan suppliers.

Opportunities for Disadvantaged Producers

Poverty reduction through working directly with our small producers forms a key part of Tovi Gifts approach.  We often support marginalised small producers, whether these are independent family businesses or small, local co-operatives. We work hard to remove income insecurity and poverty and help our suppliers attain economic self-sufficiency

Transparency and Accountability

We work transparently, openly, and fairly with all commercial elements with our suppliers, as well are our open commitment to donate 1% of our revenue back into the communities where we source our products from.

Fair Trade Principles

Tovi Gifts operates with concern for the social, economic, and environmental well-being of marginalised small producers and we don’t maximise our profit at their expense.

Fair Payment

We remain always focused on fair pay to our producers and the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men.  We don’t obsess on constantly reducing our supplier costs – we work with our suppliers to ensure fairness in payment. 

The aim is always the payment of a Local Living Wage plus more! Fair Payment is made up of Fair Prices, Fair Wages and Local Living Wages. And importantly we pay our suppliers as soon as they complete each batch of products and sometimes before they commence the work.

Ensuring no Child or Forced Labour

This should be a given anywhere in the world however we remain vigilant that no child or forced labour is not used in the production of our products.

Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity and Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Freedom of Association

Tovi Gifts works to ensure that all our producers embrace a culture of non-discrimination, gender equity and women’s economic empowerment; and often it is our choice of supplier which helps to ensure this principal is meet and often enhanced. We often choose to work with producers where we can help in the empowerment of this principal.

Ensuring Good Working Conditions

Our large team in Sri Lanka really work hand in hand with our suppliers, developing great relationships and we ensure they operate with good working conditions.

Providing Capacity Building

We consider it a privilege to be able to help our small-scale suppliers directly, and this includes training, support and often includes financial assistance by simply ‘gifting’ the tools required to make our products.  This then enables our future suppliers who have the skills and willingness, but lack the finance, to buy the equipment.

Promoting Fair Trade

This blog, our website and indeed our whole business model is about promoting the need for the entire concept of Free Trade. Free trade manifests in a manner ways from paying an ‘above market’ rate for our products, offering payments terms that help our suppliers, offering free manufacturing equipment and as always ongoing mentorship to create independence.

Respect for the Environment

The team is absolutely focused on our environmental impact, how we can work more sustainability, how our suppliers can work more sustainably and as needed where we can ourselves help protect or reinvest into the environment. It is a core part of our Triple bottom line business principal – People, Planet & Profit.

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