Oxfam Shop announced as one of the first “Fair Traders of Australia”

Fair Trade & Workers Rights, Media Releases, News, Oxfam Shops article written on the 07 May 2011

Oxfam Australia today welcomed the launch of Fair Traders of Australia, a new accreditation body for Australian businesses which have fair trade at the core of what they do.

Oxfam Shop is Australia’s leading fair trade retailer, selling beautiful hand-crafted kitchenware and homewares products created by artisans around the world as well as delicious Fairtrade food and a wide range of other fair trade items in its 19 retail shops around Australia and online shop, www.oxfamshop.org.au

An exciting new wholesale channel was also launched recently, and Oxfam’s new Fairtrade and organic coffee brand, Oxfam fair, is now being sold in all Coles and Woolworths stores and selected independent supermarkets.

Fair Traders of Australia is an initiative of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand. Along with assessing organisations against fair trade standards, it offers common branding to help Australians more easily recognise fair trade businesses as well as support to these businesses in Australia, to further assist marginalised producers in developing countries through fair trade. It will make it easier for Australians to find places where they can support those less fortunate than themselves in their everyday shopping.

The ten standards of fair trade include: creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers; greater transparency and accountability; fairer trading practices; fairer prices for producers; no child exploitation or forced labour; non-discrimination, gender equity and freedom of association; better working conditions; capacity building; promotion of fair trade; and environmental sustainability.

“Oxfam Shop is delighted to have been recognised as one of the first Fair Traders of Australia,” Oxfam’s Director of Trading, Nadine Silverberg said.

“Fair trade is at the heart of what we do: Oxfam’s shops sell fair trade items from more than 60 fair trade producer groups in around 30 countries, and through our trading relationships with these groups of farmers and artisans, we help to improve the livelihoods of thousands of producers and their communities.

“Choosing to buy fair trade items is an easy way for Australians to help make a real difference to the lives of families in developing countries,” Ms Silverberg said.

For more information about Fair Traders of Australia, please visit www.fairtraders.org.au. For more information about Oxfam Shop, go to www.oxfamshop.org.au

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Visiting fair trade producers Cecilia Granadino from Peru and Senarath Yatigammana from Sri Lanka, along with Nadine Silverberg from Oxfam, at the launch of Fair Traders of Australia at the Manly Fair Trade Markets, 12:30pm-1pm today, lower end of Sydney Road, adjacent to The Corso, Manly.