Caring for our Babies: Passing on our values to the next generation

All parents want to take the best care of their babies and children. Today a growing number of parents are seeking out ethically sourced products to do just that, reflecting not only a commitment to the well-being of our children but also a deep concern for the planet and the global community.  For parents,...

Spring in Aotearoa is all about renewal—longer daylight, soft breezes, and fresh starts. What better time to refresh your wardrobe with sustainable fashion choices that look good and do good? Many of the brands featured in our Fashion & Accessories Directory are offering exclusive discounts for our...

Father’s Day is around the corner, and let’s be honest— dads can be notoriously tricky to shop for. Sure, there’s always the classic “grab him a tie” fallback, but this year, why not aim a little higher? At fair&good, we’ve curated an ethical gift directory filled with meaningful gifts...

This Mother’s Day, skip the predictable and discover something truly special. We’ve curated a fair&good ethical gift guide filled with thoughtful presents that also make a positive impact on the world. That’s money well spent! Many of the beautiful items in our fair&good directory...

Meet Gerard and Hana, the co-founders of Ethos & Co, a company deeply rooted in purpose. We’re big fans of their work at fair&good and wanted to share their story to inspire others. We’ve done a deep-dive interview with them after their recent trip to Cambodia to learn more about their journey...

Every day I find myself feeling a mixture of fear, grief, anger, despair and guilt – all before I’ve had my morning coffee. It’s a familiar cocktail for those of us who care about the current state of our planet: climate change, inequality, injustice, exploitation. Every headline, every scroll...

This entry was originally written by Weave. A beautiful hand-woven rug adds so much to a home. However, it shouldn’t be at the expense and suffering of those who make it. Unfortunately the carpet weaving industry is not known for its ‘ethical’ practices – there are questions about working...

Valentine’s Day can be a sweet reminder to show the special people in your life, including yourself, just how much they mean to you. But instead of heading to the mall for yet another boring, plastic-wrapped present, why not celebrate your loved ones in a way that’s both unique and meaningful? We’ve...

Image: Common Good Coffee, who’s profits go towards supporting community development in Kolkata, India. While browsing for ethical products online or in supermarkets, you might have come across the terms Fairtrade, Fair Trade, or fairly traded. We know these sound very much like the same thing and are...

What if we told you that you could reduce your fashion waste and earn money doing it at the same time? And no, we don’t mean spending hours listing your pieces on TradeMe for next to nothing. We mean Duffle&Co’s new initiative, My Circular Wardrobe. Duffle&Co unite ethical craftsmanship with...

This entry was originally written by Heather from Just Kai. Shopping at the supermarket is such a mundane and ordinary experience, it’s hard to imagine the dark secrets hidden behind some of the products we buy. At Just Kai, we try to bring those secrets to light while showing you heaps of good options. You...

Ana and her team in their sewing house in Bhalupali, India.  Ana Wilkinson-Gee has been enamored with India for as long as she could remember. As a pattern-maker, she easily fell in love with the country, its vibrant colours and their beautiful fabrics. After visiting India in 2006, Ana was left with...

Erica and her manager, Srey Leak in their workshop in Cambodia.  When she first set foot in Cambodia, Erica Gadsby felt an immediate connection with the country and its people. A social entrepreneur who had been working with non-profit organisations her whole adult life, Erica knew she wanted to use...

Garment workers in Bangladesh being interviewed by Reemi’s local partners.  In Bangladesh, approximately 80-95% of women don’t use sanitary products because they are unaffordable or inaccessible. Instead, many women use cloth or torn sari known as ‘nekra’.  Another study reported that 73% of Bangladeshi...

A guest blog written by Heather from Just Kai. Image by Louis Hansel via Unsplash. Ethical seafood: is there such a thing? You may have heard reports of the terrible human rights abuses that go on at sea. Men tricked onto fishing boats, drugged to keep them working 23 hours a day, subject to rape and...

Rich, smooth, fruity, nutty or milky, chocolate is the sweet treat that many of us find irresistible. We love it so much that we consume nearly 3 million tonnes of chocolate every year worldwide. Last year during lockdown, Kiwis spent $146 million on chocolate, $7.2 million more than we did in 2019. But...

Meaningful objects for play that are kind to people and planet.  We all want our little ones to be happy. And that sometimes means giving in to their request for that shiny new toy they’ve had their eye on. But these days it can be pretty impossible to find toys that: – aren’t made of toxic plastic...

Syra and Roxan are artisans from the Tribu Malagos community in Davos, Philippines.  Pag-asa Collective and Reca are two, amazing Kiwi-owned fashion accessory brands created to benefit survivors of human trafficking and former refugees. A known form of modern day slavery, human trafficking uses force,...

When it comes to ethical food certifications, Just Kai recommends Fairtrade, WFTO, Rainforest Alliance and Bonsucro. We’ve all heard of greenwashing: companies making great-sounding environmental claims with very little behind them. Sadly, the same happens with ethical claims, too. How can we know which...

Garment workers from Mehera Shaw, India, who manufacture for Mane Project NZ.  “Demand quality, not just in the products you buy, but in the life of the person who made it.” – Orsola de Castro. We couldn’t agree more. To celebrate the launch of Tearfund’s Ethical Fashion Guide 2021, we spoke with...

This article is a guest entry by Heather Roberts from Just Kai.  In 2001 I moved to Switzerland for work. At the time, there were two main supermarket chains in the country: Coop and Migros. Migros was the cheaper of the two so, being frugally-minded, that was where I did my weekly shopping. Over time...

Would you buy overseas hazelnuts grown and packed by exploited children? Or canned tomatoes produced by abused migrants? No? As consumers how do we know the true methods of production of what we purchase? A number of modern slavery cases, particularly in Europe, have hit the headlines in recent years. In...

It gets easier to make ethical purchases when you know what to look for.  Ethical shopping can be a tricky affair. Especially when you’re not sure about which brands are truly walking the walk. With more companies using buzzwords like “green”, “sustainable” and “artisan-made”, it can be tough to separate...

Christmas is coming! Maybe you’re thinking of putting a box of fine chocolates under the tree or stuffing a chocolate Santa into your child’s stocking. But maybe you’re hesitating because you’ve heard serious worker abuse goes on in the chocolate industry. How can you know that treat didn’t hurt someone...

Alanna & Pete Chapman of 27seconds Wine with their family in their beautiful vinyard in Wairapa, Christchurch. When we talk about business, how often does the word ‘love’ come to mind? From age-old war references (strategy, capture the market) to advice like “never mix business with pleasure”, the...

The team of weavers at Krama&Co laughing in their workshop. Credits: Krama&Co The world of business is still very much a man’s, man’s world. In many developing nations, power imbalances and higher poverty rates mean that women’s roles are largely unrecognized, with many women expected to carry...

There is no sustainable fashion without fair pay and safe treatment of workers. Fast fashion brands and big retailers have made billions from the exploitation of labour and natural resources. They produce too much too fast, and manipulate consumers into a toxic cycle of overconsumption. Meanwhile, the...

This article is a guest entry by Tim Jones from Grow Good.  Certified B Corp. You might have spotted their signature B logo on one of your favourite ethical brands. But what does it mean to be a certified B Corporation? And what makes them stand out from other sustainable certifications? We asked The...

This article is a guest entry by Heather Roberts from Just Kai.  Did you know that 20% of the world’s cocoa is produced by children? Some of them have been trafficked from neighbouring countries, but most of them are just working for their own parents. There’s not much money in cocoa, and...

Merly harvesting a cocoa pod.  “Before you’ve finished your breakfast this morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world” – Martin Luther King Take a moment to think about the products you use every day. Your morning cup of coffee or tea, the cotton t-shirt in your wardrobe,...

Most Kiwis are aware of the ways that their purchases have an impact on climate change, the environment, or people. Not buying factory-farmed eggs or cosmetics tested on animals. Choosing fair trade, less carbon-intensive or lower waste products. Walking more and driving less. These are all small changes...

I’m from a small rural town in Vermont, with one paved road and general store. I was raised in a bicultural household and, somewhere between my Hindu grandmother and Catholic grandfather, I developed a belief early on that the purpose of life is to be happy and help others and you can’t do one without...

What does ‘home’ mean to you? We put this question to our community a while back and were blown away by their answers: “A safe, comfortable and warm place for whanau and friends” “A place where I can kick back and truly be myself” “It’s where the people and things in it bring me comfort” Across the...

Why do we at fair&good place so much emphasis on reaching a TIPPING POINT in ethical consumption? In fact, it is at the core of all that we do. Our mission (also known as our elevator pitch) is to mainstream ethical consumption by harnessing the purchasing power of conscious consumers to change demand...

As Christmas approaches, shops are lined with chocolate treats, but behind the sweet facade of brightly coloured foil lies the bitter taste of slavery and child labour. World Vision’s Advocacy Campaigns and Policy Advisor Morgan Theakston explores the dark side of a favourite holiday treat. Cocoa is...

In my job, it’s a never-ending rollercoaster of discovering the shady truth behind the products I love. From my clothes, to my daily flat white, phone, and chocolate, all are tainted with the devastating story of child labour and modern-day slavery. Well friends, the rose-tinted glasses are off...

Every week, Kiwi households unknowingly spend an average of $77 on products implicated in modern slavery. From our smartphones to our clothes, many of the imported goods we purchase are associated with child and forced labour. While we enjoy the benefits of a globally connected market, we are often blind...

As good as their products taste, Bennetto Natural Foods has always aimed to do more than simply produce great chocolate.  Who doesn’t love a good chocolate bar? It’s a universal delight, a small luxury that brings a smile to faces around the globe. But behind every decadent bite, there’s...

Ethics might be said to be “doing the right thing”, derived from the golden rule to treat others as you would like to be treated. For businesses, the question then becomes: How are the workers who make our products treated, and how are we treating the environment in which our products are made, and...

fair&good’s goal is to make ethical shopping mainstream. Why? Because we see ethical consumption as having huge potential to have a huge impact on many lives – if it is mainstreamed. In the past ethical shopping has often been regarded as niche. But that is changing, and we want it to change. fair&good...

The Combatting Trafficking in Persons and Modern Day Forms of Slavery Bill was released today by the Modern Slavery and Trafficking Expert Practitioners Group (MSTEP), which includes criminal and regulatory barrister Jacob Parry, ANZ’s ESG Lead Rebecca Kingi, and World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice...

It’s the season for family get-togethers, scrumptious meals, and cricket on the beach. But of course, as every Christmas movie tells us, there is a deeper meaning to the holiday. At fair&good we believe that the Christmas season should be a time to love our neighbours, give from the heart, and practice...

It’s nearly Christmas, and that means another year of trying to sort out the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Lucky for you, we’ve put together this list of ideas for everyone in your life. And as an added bonus, everything on this list has been ethically-sourced so you know the people who made these...