Trade Aid
Trade Aid is a social enterprise that works with small-scale food and craft producers around the world. This long-standing Kiwi organisation has been around since 1973.
About
Trade Aid is a social enterprise creating fairness in trade. Since 1973, Trade Aid has been wholesaling beautiful craft and organic food products to hundreds of Kiwi businesses who put people first. Started in a garage by Christchurch couple Vi and Richard Cottrell, Trade Aid has grown into an international, fair trade whānau.
“To this day, no one owns Trade Aid, or maybe everyone owns Trade Aid. That is to say that we’d be lost without all of the Kiwis who have ‘mucked in’ over the years to keep the vision alive.”
Today, Trade Aid sells a wide range of organic food, beverages, chocolate, and craft products through hundreds of retail outlets across NZ. Their 100% ethical products can be found online, at all Trade Aid stores, and at selected supermarkets, premium organic, and wholefood retailers.
Trade Aid sources their handmade, organic, and Fair Trade products from 56 trading partner organisations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Palestine, and the Pacific. Their partners are all purpose-based organisations who have indigenous, democratic, and participatory structures in place for producers' voices to be included in decision making. These long-term trading relationships represent hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers and artisans involved in fair trade.
Trade Aid's supply chain is verified by its membership of the World Fair Trade Organization’s (WFTO), to live up to all of the ten WFTO fair trade principles. This type of trade helps producers improve their lives.
Trade Aid also places importance on protecting the environment at each stage of their supply chain. Their criteria and monitoring processes ensure that they only work with partners who have environmental protection built into their production system. Plus, they have a sustainability plan for the packaging of their food and craft products - aiming towards reusability, and recyclability.
Giving back is inherently built into Trade Aid's model. As a non-profit organisation, all profits are invested back into growing their education work and the market for fair trade in Aotearoa.
Products
Home and kitchen, leather goods and bags, jewellery, variety gifts and toys, fabric and textiles, baskets and mats, and a variety of delicious fair trade food products, including tea, coffee and chocolate
Certifications
World Fair Trade Organization
Organic
Vegan
Website
