About WFTO Europe

We put people and planet first!

As a social enterprise, Secret Projects operates a framework which allows the organisation to generate positive change to their community in India, to achieve our vision of a world where all women have the confidence and resources to make choices, thrive and contribute to the strengthening of their communities, while maintaining healthy financial returns to our Members/Shareholders.

Behind Secret Projects there lies a passionate and driven story to economically empower women in India by selling goods, consultancy and bespoke travel, so they can support themselves, their families and make a valuable contribution to their communities.

Learn more on their website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Youtube!

L’Association Romande des Magasins du Monde brings together 40 Magasins du Monde throughout Western Switzerland. Organized into local associations and managed and run by more than 900 volunteers, Magasins du Monde specializes in Fair Trade. By selling Fair Trade products, informing consumers and raising public awareness of the imbalances affecting North-South relations, ASRO and Magasins du Monde seek to promote a solidarity economy, respectful of the human being with a view to sustainable development.

Find out more on their website!

ECO TERRA imports, processes and distributes mainly organic products such as: Ancient Andean seeds, premium tree nuts, dry and freeze dry fruits, as well as food supplements to the industry, wholesale, private label and for our own brands.

ECO TERRA has built partnerships and joint ventures in the countries of origin of its products in order to guarantee sustainable quality and sourcing. They are a social responsible company and is the first member in Germany of the Union of Ethical Biotrade “Sourcing with Respect” committed to ensure sourcing practices that promote the conservation of biodiversity, respect tradition knowledge and assure the equitable sharing of benefits along the supply chain.

Find out more on their website!

Hamac del Sol was born from a passion for Latin America, its nature, its culture and the history of pre-Columbian civilizations. The mission of Hamac del Sol is to preserve the tradition and perpetuate the ancestral manufacturing techniques by weaving objects that are more than 1,000 years old: the hammocks. Their handcrafted hammocks are more than objects of relaxation and decoration, they are the expression and the textile and cultural heritage of the generations of craftsmen who have made the hammock weaving industry live and prosper.

Today, Hamac del Sol works with 2 South American suppliers and 1 Central American supplier. By introducing this unique technique, Hammock del Sol invites you to discover its heritage and its quality hammocks.

Their hammocks are known for their comfort, their luxurious appearance and their durability. They favor family businesses or artisanal cooperatives with an ethical and ecological approach, since they believe that the future of world trade depends on respecting know-how and valuing human work.

Be sure to check their website, facebook, instagram and LinkedIn!

La Compagnie Ethique was founded in 2007. They offer 100% Organic, Recylced and Fair Trade Certified Textiles for Companies. Since its creation, it has defended the agriculture of organic cotton and the agriculture of jute. Its main objective is to initiate partnerships for sustainable development by positioning Organic, Ecological and Fair Trade textiles.

Find out more about La Compagnie Ethique on their website, their facebook or their instagram.

Palingen is an Italian social startup founded in 2019, in Naples, active in the ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

Specifically, Palingen is currently managing an ethical and sustainable fashion laboratory inside a female prison with the objective of empowering disadvantaged women by upskilling them in the art of Italian tailoring. In addition, being aware of the negative impact of the fashion industry on the environment, they are managing their fashion laboratory with an innovative and sustainable approach, by upcycling leftover fabrics.

In this respect, they regularly employ and remunerate 8 inmates of the Pozzuoli female correctional facility to provide them a second chance by facilitating their reintroduction in society and they mainly work leftover fabrics since they believe that upcycling is the most efficient form of sustainability. It is estimated that 10% is the recidivism rate for prisoners that participate in work programs. On the contrary, the rate rises up to 90% for the ones that did not follow any program. Also, it is estimated that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new textiles.

Their approach allows them to have a positive social impact within our community, helping disadvantaged women to enter the labor market, as well as to positively contribute to the protection of the environment, by reducing textile waste and pollution.

you can find out more at their website or on their instagram page.

According to the World Fair Trade Organization Europe (WFTO-Europe), the HREDD is an essential component of any business. This article discusses what it implies in practice and how the WFTO Guarantee System fits into present and prospective future frameworks for HREDD, which will hopefully become essential. If we want to assure a sustainable future for people, earth, and business, these business principles should become the standard. If you want to learn more, read our position.

HREDD – WFTO – Europe Position.docx

Mifuko

Mifuko was founded in 2009 by Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen, both graduates of the University of Industrial Arts and Design, Helsinki. They are a Finnish design company producing handicrafts such as colorful kiondo baskets, jewellery and bags, combining Finnish design with traditional Kenyan handicraft techniques. All their products are beautifully handwoven by artisan women in rural Kenya in small workshops in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. 

Mifuko’s products are already handcrafted by more than 700 artisans, providing an important source of income for rural women in Kenya. By purchasing a product from them, you can influence directly in the story of the author of the product. By subscribing to their newsletter you can get more information about new products, discounts and their social impact work, besides receiving a 20% discount code by joining their mailing list.

 

Ojoba Collective

Ojoba Collective is a social enterprise co-founded by Johan and Tracy Wulfers in 2003. They use Fair Trade principles as a vehicle for creating healthy, empowered, and environmentally sustainable rural communities. For the last 18 years, they have worked directly with producer groups in West Africa. Ethically sourced natural plant oils, such as baobab oil and shea butter, for  high quality skin care ingredients combined with empowerment of marginalised communities and various capacity building projects define Ojoba Collective’s unique character and mission. They also do consulting work for ethical companies interested in creating successful capacity building projects in their supply chain..

During the past years, they implemented solar and simple rocket stove technologies, permaculture training, workshops on organic practices, re-use and recycling packaging, and much more. Together with their business partner LUSH, they co-fund multiple social development projects in rural Ghana, watch the video to meet these women of Ojoba collective!

 

Maailmankauppojen liitto ry (Finnish Association of Worldshops)

The Finnish Association of Worldshops is a network of 22 Finnish World Shops. They support small family farms and artisan groups in developing countries and provide them with employment opportunities, also highlighting the efforts of disadvantaged people in their own societies, such as the disabled and women.

The Association publishes a Fair Trade Magazine called Maailmankauppalehti, 20 000 – 40 000 copies per issue. The articles cover fair trade producer groups, products and raw materials, as well as the circumstances of developing countries. In recent years, the focal point of the magazine has been to inform people about Fair Trade artisans’ level of wages and purchasing power of money in different countries.

 

Tampereen Kehitysmaakauppa

Tampereen kehitysmaakauppa (TKMK) is a non-profit association born in 1983 whose purpose is to promote Fair Trade between industrialized and developing countries in order to raise producers’ position in the value chain, both internally and internationally. It is part of the Finnish Association of World shops and founder member of IFAT. Besides instant coffee from KCU (**) and growers own factory, Tanica ground and beans roasted coffee are its main specialty, including high-quality Kilimanjaro coffee, a distinctive washed Arabica from Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union (KNCU) members in northern Tanzania. 

TKMK has recently faced several challenges in its overall sales as the number of Finnish world shops has gone down, without noncurrent permanent shops. There is also national favoritism of bigger development consultant companies working with non-Fair Trade retailers that hinder a deeper implementation of projects focusing on local sustainability and small producers. However, TKMK keeps up with a strong commitment to supporting local added value initiatives for coffee farmers. For instance: Café Caracol in Chiapas, Mexico, an indigenous solidarity coffee organization pre-financed by TKMK with consumers’ support; besides promoting environmentally friendly techniques, supporting Tanica in Tanzania on their plan to update roasting and packaging methods to save energy in production. TKMK is working in a constant effort to benefit and protect farmers and their communities, showing the importance of a fair relationship reflected in every life of each smallholder farmer. Photo: Heiveld cooperative, South Africa