How do we know what's Good?

Pop in to the Fair Trade POPup

2013-05-01T23:07:00.001+10:00

It's Fair Trade Fortnight again! From 3rd to 19th May. Fair Trade Fortnight showcases fairly traded products from around the world. This year, as part of the range of events happening around Australia, you can visit The Fair Trade POPup Shop in Paddington.

The Fair Trade POPup Shop at 394 Oxford St, Paddington, will be open from 4th – 19th May. Far more than just tea and coffee, you will find beautiful clothing, accessories and gifts - you'll be sure to find something for your Mum for Mother's Day. It's a great way to see a great selection of Fair Trade, quality items, all in one place.

Join the fun and come along and support these businesses that are doing such a great job. They not only source beautiful, unique items from all over the world. In doing so, they support producers, allowing fair access to markets, wage justice and support environmental standards. I've included a full list of of the businesses participating below.

Many of these businesses I have written about, and have purchased items from myself. I can vouch for the quality of the items, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But most of all, I can vouch for the passion behind these businesses. Great people focused on doing great things.

Enjoy!

Fair Trade POPup Shop
394 Oxford St
Paddington

AfriBeads hand-made lacquered Paper Beads, bags and baskets from Uganda providing employment for women that enables them to care for their families.

www.afribeads.com.au

“AWARE... The social design project” ethically responsible fashion, accessories and gifts.

www.awarethesocialdesignproject.com.au

Bozy eco sustainable bags, shoes, homewares and fabrics.

www.bozy.com.au

Celeste Handmade Ethical Trade a non for profit company who wholesales, retails and are consultants for sourcing fairly traded products directly from the producers.

www.celeste-design.com

East Timor Woven Art works with women weavers and seamstresses finding overseas markets, providing employment and income.

Ethica Accessories the trading name of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Peruvian Project provides employment and income to hundreds of women in Peru offering a wide range of alpaca products, bags, children’s clothing, toys, home wares and more.

www.ethica.org.au

Ethica Accessories and their Amazing Nuns

Every Little Girl - Fashion with a conscience and handcrafted toys for girls and boys from baby to 9 years. 10% of our profits support projects for women and girls in the third world.
www.everylittlegirl.com

Import Ants – wholesalers of Elephant Dung Paper, Natural fibre Body & Kitchen Brushes and eco-friendly gifts, wrap stationery & string from Sri Lanka.

www.importants.com.au

Kaleidoscope imports handmade, fair trade hand bags and accessories from artisans and small communities from around the world.

www.kaleidoscopeglobal.com.au

Myadashi a funky new textiles brand specialising in handprinted, fairly traded, organic quilts, wraps and tablecloths for kids and adults.

www.mydashi.com.au

My Ecofriend is a wholesaler that specialises in selling enviro-friendly stylish bags, homewares, and fashion accessories handmade from recycled materials by women in the Philippines.

www.myecofriend.com

Oxfam Shop deals with over 60 fair trade organisations around the world, who support thousands of producers including Indigenous Australians.

www.oxfamshop.org.au www.oxfamshop.org.au/retail

rrepp Fairtrade Eco Sports Balls & Organic Street Gear. Retailing to individuals and families, as well as Corporate Businesses, Schools & Sporting Clubs. rrepp - Coz the planet's watching.

www.rrepp.com.au

SANAA AFRIKA - imports art works and craft pieces by contemporary African emerging and established artists and artisans, trading fair and working with them to support their artistic endeavours and community.

www.sanaaafrika.com.au

Serendipity Fair Trade Shop and Resource centre is a Community space within St Stephens Church Belrose promoting & selling Fair Trade products.

Seven Women is an International aid and development organisation empowering marginalised and socially isolated Nepali women through skills training and employment. www.seven-women.org

WEFTshop, a non-profit enterprise enabling refugee artisans from Burma access to a fair wage by creating beautiful accessories, homewares and kids wear that celebrates the meeting of traditional skills and contemporary design.

www.weftshop.com

Fair Trade Gifts for under $100, $50 and $25

2012-11-29T17:34:00.001+11:00

Want to give something really Good this Christmas? Friends and family will love these fantastic Fair Trade gifts, and you can feel great knowing a percentage of everything you spend goes back to support the communities that make them.

Under $100

Men's Alpaca Jumper - $95.00

This beautiful Alpaca wool blend Men's jumper is from Ethica Accessories. Ethica Accessories supports marginalised and impoverished women in Peru.

Hand Woven Rug - $95.00

These plush, hand-hooked cotton rugs from Carpets for Communities are made from cotton t-shirt off-cuts, used hessian rice sacks and cotton thread. Carpets for Communities empowers mothers from the Poipet, Cambodia to earn an income, helping these mothers and their families to escape poverty.

Hand Knitted Elephant (Large) - $70.00

This adorable great big knitted elephant is made using locally spun wool by the women of Kenana Knitters. give these wild African animals a new look with their clever knitting skills.

Under $50

Orangutan Project Thongs - $27.50

Thongs that not only look good but do good. Made from a blend of natural and recycled rubber, Etiko also pays a fair trade premium to the workers involved in production. The purchase of these thongs also helps fund a project to save the Orangutans.

Banana Leaf Basket - $45.00

What better to hold your fruit than a basket made from banana leaves? These traditional baskets are hand-woven by basket weavers in the Kind Mother’s Project in Uganda, supported by Afribeads. They are made in a traditional way from raffia palm tightly woven around a core of banana leaf stem.

Cricket Ball - $27.50

Its summer - which means its time for cricket. The world’s first certified Fairtrade cricket ball from Etiko is suitable for both club and school level matches.

Under $25

Wallet - $20.00

This wallet from AWARE is a stylish solution to an environmental waste issue. Each wallet is made from recycled inner tubes and coffee sacks.

Elephant Dung Notebook - $20.00

Yes - that's right. These cute notebooks are made from elephant dung paper, by Import Ants. Great stocking fillers, or as a gift for the teacher.

Mr Soft-a-Saurus - $24.95

From The Little Sparrow, 100% Cotton, I'm hand knitted in Nepal and ready for some exploring!

Vote Now! Help Carpets for Communities achieve their Sun Super Dream.

2012-05-28T22:52:00.000+10:00

Remember Carpets for Communities? Carpets for Communities helps Cambodian mothers to produce fair trade, hand-made, eco-friendly carpets, so they can establish their own independent micro-business. They need your help to win $5000 AUD - all you need to do is vote for them in Sun Super Dreams.

Sun Super Dreams is a (rather cool I must say) online competition where Sun Super give away $5000 each month to a Dream. I love their definition of what a Dream must be:

“To qualify, your dream project must be able to be undertaken in the next six months and must do something good for the community. No self-centred dreams. No inappropriate content or language. And no dreams you've had when you've been asleep! We're talking about the dreams you have with your eyes wide open.”

So cool. And so are Carpets for Communities. They certainly fulfil the above criteria and more, as their dream is one that plants a seed that continues to grow.

As a social enterprise, Carpets for Communities Dream is based on the old adage:

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”

Carpets For Communities currently works with 37 Cambodian families. They have sent 180 children back to school, and currently support 3 students at university.

To keep this dream alive, Carpets for Communities needs to expand their product range beyond carpets and develop new products. $5000 will allow Carpets for Communities to develop these much needed new products and support more families.

Votes close on the 31st May!

So please vote for them here now

And don’t forget to pass this on to your friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook.

What are we if not our dreams?

I dream, therefore I am.

Five Easy Ways to Celebrate World Trade Day

2012-05-11T20:34:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow, Saturday 12th May, is World Fair Trade Day. World Fair Trade Day is one day a year when the World Fair Trade Organisation asks us to join together and support those who are less fortunate than us, by supporting Fair Trade.

Here are five ways to support those less fortunate than you, without even breaking your stride.

1. Make your Saturday morning tea or coffee a one with a Fairtrade label.

2. Buy some Fairtrade chocolate whilst doing your grocery shopping.

3. When you go for brunch, or lunch, or afternoon tea at your local cafe, ask them if they use Fairtrade coffee.

4. Follow the World Fair Trade Organisation on Twitter @WFTO

5. Feel great about what you’ve done, and celebrate by listening to this wonderful story of how Fair Trade has impacted suppliers lives.

I Bought a Prius

2012-05-07T18:00:00.000+10:00

Yep, I've done it. I bought a Prius.

Well a Prius C to be exact. Toyota finally came out with a small hatchback hybrid. I bought a cute aqua one - well I don't actually have it yet, it's arriving in June - but when I do it will look like this:

Actually, I think the colour might be bit lighter than that in real life... the colour of course being of utmost importance.

I have wanted a hybrid car for ages, but really didn't want or need a full size Prius. I drive a Toyota now, and have always found them good cars - so although other manufacturers have brought out hybrids - I was really waiting for a smaller Prius to come out. And now there is one.

Some of you are now burning to tell me that there are more environmentally friendly vehicles out there - I know I know, I could go diesel, or gas - or plug in electric, or a different hybrid. To be honest, I know there are. But I also know that the difference is minimal, and that this is still close to one of the most fuel efficient cars in Australia.

I took it for a test drive (obviously - its not just about the colour). It drove really smoothly. My current car is an old Yaris - a manual, and - as I am a bit of a hopeless driver of a manual, I do actually stall at least once on every journey. So it was quite a cool sensation to drive this automatic - very very smooth, as there are no 'gears' as such, so you can't feel them changing when you drive.

But the absolutely coolest bit - is - the silence. You switch it on with a button. The only way you can tell it is on is because the light on the dash comes on. And when you start to drive - silent. So so cool. I truly long for a day when all of our traffic is this quiet.

Can you imagine how different our cities would be?

Votes Needed! Best Australian Blogs Competition

2012-04-16T13:25:00.001+10:00

If you like my blog - and I hope you do - please vote for me by clicking on the button on the right. This gives me votes in the People's Choice round for the Sydney Writer's Best Australian Blogs Competition 2012. I need all the votes I can get!

Singapore Airport Drinking Fairtrade Coffee

2012-04-07T09:08:00.003+10:00

Here I am at Singapore Airport, with 15 minutes free internet, waiting for my flight to Cambodia. I've just finished a delicious Fairtrade skim latte and a croissant with 'No Trans Fats and No Preservatives'.

Being in a huge international airport, I am reminded of just how truly connected and global our world is. So it feels great to be able to drink a Fairtrade coffee, and know that I am not the only person thinking about people we share this world with. Those who may not be able to dream of sitting in a luxurious carpeted airport awaiting their flight.

So congratulations to Cedele Cafe by The Bakery Depot. After quick look at their website, it is clear they have a commitment not just to Fairtrade, but to organice produce as well. They also have information about catering for those with food allergies and intollerances, which is impressive.

Next time you are travelling - no excuses. Have a quick look around and try and drink Fairtrade, its one of the best ways you can support the countries you are visiting.

And the coffee was yum.

One Colour: It's All Good

2012-04-05T19:50:00.001+10:00

One Colour launched a brand spanking new website today, which showcases their brand values, connecting customers with the people who make what they buy.

What is One Colour you ask? Di Stitt started One Colour to support those in extreme poverty to support themselves.

Horrified by the extreme poverty in the world, Di wanted to do something about it. When she heard about Fair Trade and the positive impact it can have on communities in developing countries, she was inspired to act.

“I wanted to somehow connect the people who make what we wear and with the wearer,” says Di. “I decided that if I was going to do anything it would have to support those who struggle to support themselves.”

Di figured we all wear clothes and need to buy gifts from time to time, so decided to source clothing and gift items designed or made in Africa. The One Colour clothing range is stitched in Kenya using East African sourced cotton fabrics. The accessories, jewellery and gifts are from Kenya, South Africa and Nepal.

I particularly like the brightly coloured jewellery; it is really different and striking. And the toys from Kenana Knitters are really gorgeous. I’m quite a fan of knitting.

Di visited Kenana Knitters in Kenya earlier this year. Kenana Knitters is a self-supporting knitting co-operative, where the knitters and spinners are paid a fair wage. Sales also fund a range of welfare projects in Njoro, Kenya. Speaking with Monicah, one of the long term workers at Kenana Knitters, Di was touched by the impact consistent safe work had on Monicah’s life.

“Before I came to Kenana Knitters I was doing difficult work on a farm,” explained Monicah. “Ever since I came here, my home and even my health have improved. I no longer have to carry heavy things. Having work has helped me educate my 6 children. I even have a daughter at University studying law with the assistance of school fees from the Watoto Foundation.”

Monicah is known as a superb knitter and will head up the apparel section of Kenana Knitters when it starts up later this year. I’m a little envious. My short stints at attempting to knit were never very successful – too impatient and not neat enough.

Knitting seems an interesting choice for a business enterprise, but in fact it is a very practical choice. Knitting requires minimal equipment, can be done in snatches, when time permits. This means workers can tend to their farms as they need to working around seasonal changes, and can supplement their income in tough times, for example during drought when crops fail.

Kenana Knitters helps the local community income on two fronts, by buying the wool locally, and then by using that wool to produce marketable products, such as toys, household items, and clothes.

One Colour also sources products from other social enterprises. Viva Africa specialise in using traditional East African fabric made from cotton grown in Tanzania, Uganda or Kenya, and Edun Live supply African made T-shirts.

You can check it all out on the shiny new website.

Its very Good.

Sshhh Chic

2012-04-04T22:17:00.001+10:00

Wandering through Glebe Markets, these unusual necklaces caught my eye. Each is a piece of hand embroidered cloth, framed and then used as a necklace or earrings.

I have a soft spot for embroidery. I remember my grandmother, and then my mother, trying to teach me how to embroider. I loved the idea of it – my grandmother had beautiful hand embroidered pieces that had been handed down through the family. And I thought I would love to make something so beautiful.

Embroidery is crazy hard. Particularly for me, who is always in a hurry, and not particularly neat. I remember my grandmother actually laughing (kindly) at my efforts, with regular exclamations of 'Small stitches! Not dog stitches!’ – none of which helped. In the end I reverted to less precise crafts, like tapestry (which is essentially colouring in with thread).

So when I see beautifully done hand stitching, I really appreciate it.

The eye catching jewellery is made by Sshhh Chic, a design company owned by Sharmeen Shahidullah.

“I did the unthinkable,” says Sharmeen, “in the height of the GFC, I quit my job to start up my own design company.” Sharmeen took some time off to travel around Bangladesh and Northern India, where she found the inspiration she was after.

On returning from her travels, Sharmeen started Sshhh Chic which specialises in jewellery made with a mix of western contemporary and eastern traditional styles. No two pieces are the same.

“Travelling through Bangladesh I felt a reconnection to my cultural heritage,” explains Sharmeen, who’s cultural roots span the UK, Australia and Bangladesh. “I was fascinated with their natural use of materials and colours and wanted to capture that in my designs.”

In her design and manufacturing process, Sharmeen collaborates with Fair Trade organisations that help educate and train disadvantaged tribal people from remote regions of Bangladesh. This starts with an acknowledgment and understanding the cultural differences between Bangladesh and western countries like Australia.

Sharmeen spends time in Bangladesh each year to understand their traditional designs and processes. Sharmeen then works with the her suppliers on understanding how to transfer these designs and processes to new materials, and in some case designs, that she uses for her jewellery.

“The communities I collaborate with have never used the materials in the way I have designed them for my ranges. So for them it is a new and welcome challenge. It gives them something new and different to work on and learn from.”

The workers then manufacture the core jewellery elements, and Sharmeen handcrafts them into jewellery or household items in Australia.

The simplicity in the final pieces is a relection of Sharmeen’s experiences with her workers. They are beautiful, simple unique pieces of jewellery. And it feels good to know that buying one provides jobs for disadvantaged men, women and children in Bangladesh, which in turn provides a true warmth and uniqueness to their range.

My favourites will remain the embroidered pieces. I think my grandmother would like them.

Naturally Gifted

2012-04-02T19:57:00.000+10:00

‘We hope this makes you feel happy’.

That was the message to me all the way from my lovely friends and their children in The Netherlands. It came on a beautifully wrapped box, full of chocolate goodies – cookies, chocolate covered almonds - chocolate. It certainly did bring a smile to my face, not just because of the lovely message, or the sight of all of that chocolate, but because all the goodies were organic and/or Fairtrade.

I had to investigate further – where had these goodies come from? In this wonderful global world that we live in, my Netherlands based friends had ordered from an Australian business, Naturally Gifted who specialise in hampers that are ethically and environmentally responsible. I made contact with Sarah Helm, Director and founder of Naturally Gifted, to find out more.

“Naturally Gifted is unique because all of our gifts, and our whole corporate philosophy, is based around sustainability. Everything is locally produced, organic or fair trade, and as a company, we are really committed to giving back,” says Sarah.

Fairtrade Chocolate Gift Hamper

Back in 2008, Sarah received a hamper from a real estate agent after buying a house.

“Despite feeling very grateful for the lovely gesture, I was really surprised by the low quality of the products and waste and filler inside the hamper,” says Sarah. “Coming from a corporate background, I know just how important it is to develop good customer relationships so I knew immediately that this was not the message the real estate would have wanted to send!”

So, in the way of so many entrepreneurs before her, Sarah set about doing a better job of it herself. Her interest in organic and local produce naturally led her to investigate using these in hampers, and found that most hamper companies were using lots of imported or low quality goods.

“I was surprised that the quality of what was being used was so low,” said Sarah. “I knew there were so many amazing products out there which would be perfect in this kind of gift.” So Sarah started Naturally Gifted, providing gourmet organic hampers, and then moving on to a whole range including organic baby and bath gifts. They currently have Easter hampers, and more for Mother's Day.

Fairtrade Chocolate Bunny Basket

The gift I received was great, and was eaten with appropriate gusto. But what was really special was the personal message that came with it, and the obvious care that was taken with the presentation and wrapping. I did not feel like I had received something that had been taken off a shelf in a warehouse. I felt like I was really receiving a gift from my far away friends.

And to me that is the real difference. Anyone can throw a few jars into a basket and shrink wrap it. But to put something together that has warmth to it, that takes care and - a little passion.

“I found my niche and it is something that I feel very passionately about,” says Sarah.

We are glad you did Sarah, very glad you did.

Fair is Fare Fashion Tour

2012-03-27T22:04:00.001+11:00

What is a fashion tour? Pfaffing around on Twitter I came across a link for the Fair Fashion Daily Damask newsletter, which led to the Fair is Fare Fashion Tour website . I was intrigued. What was this whole idea of a Fashion Tour to raise awareness about human rights?

The Fair is Fare Fashion Tour was born out of a series of university events run by The Human Rights Awareness Tour and the Fair is Fare Project at the University of Connecticut. It was such a success that the now graduated students decided to take it on tour. Fair is Fare Fashion Tour is now a community project of Del Monsoon, which runs events showcasing clothes and accessories that strive to be eco and worker friendly.

“We wanted to show people that clothes from sweatshops don't have any life or love in them,” explains Xzaviar Boston, the founder of Del Monsoon.

“So far we've done the IOU fashion show and, as the parent company of Del Monsoon, a jazz themed dinner for a local charity,” says Xzaviar. “The fashion show was a mixture of industry and earth while the dinner was more relaxed and was more about connecting with people through music, dance, and speech.”

Modelling for Fair is Fare Fashion Tour
Source: flashesofstyle.blogspot.com

It’s a great concept. The idea of a fashion tour is so different from many non-profit and social movements out there. I like it because it’s so positive and gives people a way of being involved, without lecturing at you or just asking you for money.

Although no longer at university himself, Xzaviar aims to continue to include the universities in the Fair is Fare Fashion Tour’s work, and hopes to see a Fare is Fair Fashion Tour go on a tour of US and Canadian universities. Fair Fashion Tour is reaching out to connections beyond the US, but at this stage funding means that the events will be US focused.

Fair is Fair Fashion Tour showcasing upcycled wallet
Source: holstee.com

“In the future we are planning to bring in more outside assistance, especially for future fashion shows where we hope to find more aspiring models to grace our runways and gain some exposure and experience.”

Now in its fourth year, the Tour includes interactive programs, community workshops, and multimedia events to complement the fashion shows. In their words:

“The creativity, the artistry, the absolute elegance of an evening of fashion fused with raising awareness of sweatshop free and eco-friendly clothing lines is what many have come to expect from the Fair is Fare Fashion Tour.”

So that’s what a fashion tour is. Sounds like fun.

New Blog Address

2012-03-14T22:55:00.000+11:00

Hi everyone! Just to let you know, I've changed the domain for this blog. You will now find it at:

www.howdoweknowwhatsgood.com

You don't need to do anything - but maybe update your bookmarks or favourites if you have it saved.

Carpets for Communities: Changing Lives for Women in Cambodia

2012-03-08T07:08:00.000+11:00

Today is International Women’s Day. How better to celebrate than by taking a look at Carpets for Communities, a social enterprise that is changing lives for women in Cambodia right now?

I first came across Carpets for Communities at the Fair Traders of Australia launch last year. Their brightly coloured one-of-a-kind carpets were hard to miss. They are made from T-shirt off cuts, used hessian rice sacks and cotton thread – a great up-cycling of materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. Each rug takes about 20 to 30 hours to make – and are all hand-hooked by mothers in Cambodia.

Cushion Cover

This amazing enterprise was started by David Bacon at the tender age of 23. David was inspired to try and make a difference to the lives of some children he befriended in Cambodia while working with AISEC as a student.

“It started after I had made several trips to the Cambodian-Thai border to extend my visa,” says David. “On each trip I met and started to make friends with the same small group of children who were begging from tourists. They were so full of energy and had such potential but I could see that their future was dim at best – it triggered something inside me. I decided to meet their families and try to improve their lives.”

Bath Mat

Many of us have been moved by what we have seen overseas. But few of us do anything about it. David took action, and asked the village women what would help improve their situation. The answer? Money or work. It was agreed that starting a factory and employing them and training people in skills like sewing and electronics would be best. And so Carpets for Communities was born.

Having been up and running now for since 2005, I was excited to learn Carpets for Communities have recently become a Fair Trader of Australia.

“Becoming a Fair Trader of Australia is very important for us,” said Rowan Klaassan, Sales and Marketing Manager. “It is great to be recognized by such a widely respected organisation. Carpets for Communities aims to be a social, ecological and financial sustainable enterprise. This certification proves to us and our customers that we are on the right track.”

Becoming a Fair Trader of Australia required Carpets for Communities to review their whole production process, and which has helped them to make improvements and find areas for further improvement.

“As a social enterprise we aim to make a profit from our products so that we can use this profit to fund our development projects. Through the sales of our carpets, through market sales, retailers and online, we earn money to invest back into our projects. This however is a very difficult process… so in practice we still rely on donations to keep operating,” says Rowan. “However, in the future we want to eliminate all dependency and become a financially sustainable business which aims to create social change in Cambodia.”

So has David succeeded in his mission? Are they creating social change in Cambodia?

To understand the impact, we need to understand the world that Carpets for Communities works in. Working in Poipet, extreme poverty means that the children normally don't go to school as they have to work or beg for money for food. A hotspot for human trafficking, this also makes them a vulnerable target for traffickers.

The impact Carpets for Communities can have for these children and their family is immediate. As soon as a family is taken into the program, their children return to school within 48 hours. As the families move through the program they switch from making carpets to running their own micro-businesses. The money they make with these micro-businesses provides financial stability, money to buy food and enables children to go to school. With a new scholarship program, three children from Carpets for Communities families now attend university.

Gnean Ouch Family

Feeling inspired?

Carpets for Communities are running a promotion for International Women’s Day, selling a limited number of canvas pictures on their webstore. You will also find there the full range of carpets, cushion covers, mats and rugs – so go nuts.

Go do some guilt free shopping, celebrate International Women’s Day, and feel really Good.

Ethica Accessories and their Amazing Nuns

2012-02-29T17:44:00.000+11:00

Ethica Accessories has recently become a Fair Trader of Australia, selling beautifully handmade Peruvian craftwork here in Australia. Run by nuns, or more specifically, the Sister’s of St. Joseph founded in North Sydney, Ethica Accessories provides disadvantaged women in Peru with a skill, stable income and a support network that goes far beyond money.

Hand Knitted Finger Puppets

So who are the Sisters of St Joseph? I have always had a soft spot for them since I went on an excursion to stay in their convent for three days in high school. An odd thing to do for a teenager, but I was intensely curious about what these nuns did all day and what went on inside those walls.

Considering recent events one could say I would have been better off joining them and becoming a nun myself. Not sure if they’d have me now.

As it happens, the nuns didn’t spend much time in the convent at all. And as for what they do with their time – mostly hard work, mixed in with a bit of praying, but mostly hard work. People are so unaware how dedicated many of the nuns are, women working very hard, quietly for no reward, to try and help others and make the world a better place. Whether or not you believe in their choice of life and faith, it is hard not be moved by their dedication. I remember how focused they were on the individual – their focus was on helping each person, not on big things.

Ethica Accessories grew out of the work started in Peru by a small group of Sister’s of St Joseph 30 years ago. Realising there was a desperate need, a group of 10 sisters went to work in Peru. They started with pastoral care and now their work includes a whole range of activities including working in jails, running soup kitchens, providing dental services and running handcraft workshops.

Hand Stitched Appliqué Cushion

The workshops began when the sisters noticed that women were bringing them beautiful handcrafts as thank you gifts. This gave them the idea to start workshops to share the women’s skills and teach other women in the community. “Women are paid for the work done, without having to wait for the goods to be sold,” explains Gina Bradley, Sales and Operations Manager for Ethica Accessories. “By then selling the goods made in the workshops in Australia, we provide a solid income for the women.”

There are now 4 different training workshops; one of these is attended by mothers of handicapped children. The mothers meet once a week at the parish to make bracelets whilst their children are in respite care. “I met some of these women in 2010,” says Gina. “They said that the workshops were like therapy to them, it was not just about the money. It enabled them to get together and connect and share, and feel the support of the other mothers.”

Bracelets with Mary MacKillip Medal

“I really admire the dedication and commitment of the sisters,” says Gina. “In the 1980’s one of the sisters was murdered, but they decided to stay and continue their work.”

It doesn’t get much more dedicated than that.

Thankfully we don’t all have to become nuns to do our bit. We don’t even have to suffer at all – we can simply spoil ourselves with a bit of handmade love.

Hand Knitted Jumper

I am a big fan of Peruvian handcrafts, I love the bright colours and the Alpaca wool. So bright and cheerful. So cosy and warm. When my cousin brought me back a jumper from Peru years ago – I wore it until the holes in the elbows were too big to ignore.

So – maybe the nuns won’t have me, but it does make me feel good to help them out. With beautiful things like this, it’s not even hard.

Help the Blind to See: Volunteers needed!

2012-02-15T16:48:00.000+11:00

What are you doing on the 2^nd and 3^rd of March? If you could give a few hours of your life to help a blind person see would you do it? Well now’s your chance.

Coastrek is a 50 – 100 kilometre team trek running from Friday 2^nd to Saturday 3^rd March 2012, aiming to raise $1,000,000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation. The organisers, Wild Women on Top, are in desperate need for volunteers to help out during the trek. Can you help?

Beware though – I have heard that if you volunteer this year, it is highly likely you will be so inspired and motivated that you may find yourself walking 50 or 100km next year. Evidently that is why there is a shortage this year – many of 2011’s volunteers are walking this year – which is great! But they need help.

Walkers on the Beach during Coastrek 2011

Coastrek “is an endurance challenge, to promote health and fitness as well as team work, mental and emotional tuffness and fun! “ As an endurance challenge, it is far from easy. Teams need to train for months leading up to the event, and will need a lot of support along the way. But in the words of one of last year’s participants, Adam Spencer from ABC Radio, it must be worth it.

"TEAM!!! Don't know about you, but I woke up this morning after 2 beers and the best bath EVER - feeling like I could do it all again!!! Great effort guys and The Fred Hollows Foundation smashed the half million. Over 20,000 eyesights will be restored. Puts our pain in perspective."

Coastrek 2011 Participants

This year, Coastrek is hoping to raise $1,000,000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation – nearly double last year’s target. It is an awesome goal.

The Fred Hollows Foundation works in over 18 countries to eliminate avoidable blindness. Through reducing the cost of cataract operations to as little as $25 in some developing countries, they have helped to restore the sight of more than 1,000,000 people worldwide.

Professor Fred Hollows examines a patient while Dr Sanduk Ruit watches on. Photo: Jonathan Chester/Extreme Images

What do you have to do to help? Not much. Just register on the website, turn up when they ask you, and help out. Volunteers will be asked to do a range of things like providing directions and information to participants out on the trail, assist with road crossings where required and encouraging and cheering on teams on as they pass. You might work at a checkpoint or give those who finish their certificate at the end.

Coastrek 2011 Checkpoint

I’ll be at Coogee at 5.30am on Saturday 3^rd, when I hope to see folks from my trek training group finish. It’ll be an early start, but what better way to kick off a Saturday? And if a 5.30am start is not for you, they need help at all times through the day and night, so just let them know when you can help.

Go on. You know you can. And it will make you feel great.

Landcare for Singles: If you want to hug more than trees

2012-02-14T12:33:00.000+11:00

No – this is not a joke. Landcare have chosen Valentines Day to launch Landcare for Singles, where you can go and plant trees and meet other spunky single folk at the same time.

Well I thought I’d seen it all. Speed Dating, Online Dating, Blind Dates, attempted set ups in every manner possible. But no – there’s more. Now that the real drought is over, it seems that Landcare, a government founded non-profit supporting environmental programs, have turned their attention to helping out those stuck in the Man Drought (or what seems to be a Woman Drought for others – I think it just depends on which side of the fence you are sitting as far as I can tell).

“Landcare for Singles events provide the perfect opportunity for environmentally conscious people on the look-out for that special someone to try a new and unique form of speed dating, or in this case – speed planting.”

The first events were run in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges last year – and were evidently a huge success. It seems that spreading one’s seed (sorry I couldn’t resist) is as popular as ever.

Landcare are so excited about it that they have put together an impressively detailed project kit so that you can go and run your own Landcare for Singles event. The idea is that these events may be used to start a new planting group, or to re-invigorate an existing group with new recruits. There is also a whole bunch of resources including questionnaires, love letters, and badges denoting your status like ‘I'm Single’ or ‘Interested in Boys’ – cute I guess.

One of the things it talks about is age groups. I'm glad they mention that, because when I think Landcare I think about my 80 year old uncle who used to be a member of Landcare. Lovely as he is, being paired up with an 80 year old may be a bit of a shock to those hopeful singles out there.

I tried to organise a singles party for my birthday once. The idea was if you were single you could come along, and if you weren't you had to bring someone single. Unfortunately, as all the people I invited were my friends, they kindly all brought single men. Great for me – not so much fun for all the single guys who had been promised single girls aplenty.

As much as there is a part of me that finds Landcare for Singles – well hilarious, I can’t help but smile on the inside. It’s such an innocent and hopeful idea, and hey – what’s wrong with a little fun and hope?

The Giving Tree

2012-02-10T17:19:00.000+11:00

Ever frustrated that you can’t find Fairtrade goods that you actually like? Well if you were Kristin Wilson you’d just make your own.

I own quite a few truly beautiful ethically made things. The problem is, however beautiful they are, there is no way I could wear them to work. Great for weekends in Glebe - not great for corporate lunches.

Surely the aim is for Fairtrade goods not to just be a weekend treat? Kristin certainly believes so. “The Giving Tree came about because I couldn't find Fairtrade products that suited my taste” says Kristin. “I have friends who believe in Fairtrade but for whatever reason don't go looking for it. If we want Fairtrade to take off I believe it needs to be on shelves where everyone can find them. Not just in the arenas of the already converted.”

As one of the converted, I like the idea of being converted full time, not just on weekends. Now, these bags are gorgeous – Fairtrade or no. I would happily take one of these to work, even whilst lunching.

The Giving Tree has recently become a certified Fair Traderof Australia, which means they have committed to the Australian standards for Fairtrade. Kristin believes certification is important so that consumers have visibility of the ethics behind business they are buying from.

"On my first trip to South East Asia I was deeply stirred by the realities of life there and returned home compelled to see change,” says Kristin. “Learning more about Fairtrade I saw the link between what I consumed and the impact those choices had on the people who produced them.”

Kristin started by selling Kasuri beads that she strung herself. Kristin was drawn to things made by skilled craftsman, products that were luxurious in the way that they had been made, and fell in love with the bead’s texture and originality. However, to achieve her vision of competing in the main stream Kristin needed to do more.

And so The Giving Tree was born. They now sell a beautiful selection leather handbags and purses (I really like the green one J), plus some knitted beanies and scarves.

So where to from here for Kristin? “The best way I can explain what I hope to do, is through the words of a fantastic retailer, www.iranthewrongway.com in Surry Hills,” says Kristin. ‘"There is nothing new in the concept. Nor brazen in our message. Just a belief that to win the hearts and minds of humanity you need to heal rather than harm. We're here to assist those working towards a more sustainable and fair lifestyle because we too think that the see-saw of our existence has flipped a bit far one way. It is they who we fossick for."’

Couldn’t have said it better myself. So I won’t.

I'm Walking 10,000 Steps a Day for a Week

2012-02-09T16:12:00.001+11:00

I've decided that I want to make my birthday this year a really Good one. (I'll be 39 - good lord!)

So I’m walking 10,000 steps per day the week of my birthday, from Monday 12 March to Sunday 18 March 2012 as part of CARE’s Walk In Her Shoes challenge.

Millions of women and girls walk over six kilometres a day in search of food, water and firewood. This leaves little time for school, accessing health services and earning an income.

So I'm going to try and raise $2500, which is enough to provide a water system and taps to a village, so families can access water from their homes. As little as $250 can provide a girl with an education.

So if you can spare a few dollars, please support me in this latest quest. It would make my birthday a very happy one.
You can donate online here: http://walkinhershoes.org.au/nimmity_zappert.
Wish me luck!

Where's my BioCup?

2012-02-05T21:49:00.000+11:00

I had a large takeaway skim latte today. It cost me $5. That is an expensive coffee – large or no. It was not a special coffee – not single origin, or spectacular in any way. I was not in the city, not in any special place where I would expect to pay more for a coffee. It was just at the mall in Cronulla. Just an expensive, half decent coffee - served in a very ordinary cup.

If people are prepared to pay $5 for an ordinary coffee, surely there is no longer an argument that environmentally friendly cups are too expensive.

Although my preference is for a re-usable cup, my KeepCup being my favourite, sometimes it just isn’t possible. Sometimes you really need a coffee when you don’t have your KeepCup on you. So if I must use a disposable cup, I would at least like to know that it is making as minimal environmental impact as possible.

I have recently been pleased to see BioCups being used more and more in cafes. When I see this I always let the café know that I think is great, and that it will encourage me to buy coffee there again. But what is a BioCup? And does it really make a difference?

BioCups from www.biopak.com.au

So let’s think about what makes a Good disposable coffee cup – if there is such a thing. Firstly – preferably no plastic if possible. The material that it is made out of should be recycled material, and/or ethically sourced. It should be able to be disposed of with minimal environmental impact.

Well, according to the BioPak website, BioCups tick all of these boxes. BioCups are lined with bioplastic derived from corn starch, not petroleum-based plastic. This is Good. The paper used to produce BioCups comes from plantations, and BioPak offset carbon emissions from this process. I would prefer that they were made from recycled paper, but this is far from a bad second. It’s actually a pretty Good option.

Interestingly, the BioPak website suggests that as the cup is biodegradable, the best way to dispose of it is in compost. I have to admit this seems a little impractical to me, but as they are biodegradable even if they end up in landfill it is better than a traditional paper cup lined with petroleum based plastic.

There are a couple of different types of lids, one of which is plastic. It can be recycled – not my favourite option as these usually end up in the bin. There is a compostable option – which I much prefer.

BioPak claims that in Australia and New Zealand over 1.5 billion paper cups are disposed of each year. That’s a lot of cups. And a lot of coffee. The best option is clearly to keep your KeepCup in your handbag. But in a coffee emergency, the BioCup is a Good option.

And if we are now paying $5 for a cup of coffee, goddamn it I expect the café owner to chip in a few extra cents to give it to me in a Good cup.

Otherwise I might just get really cranky.

Starting School: More precious than we think

2012-01-30T22:48:00.000+11:00

Ever thought how lucky you are to be able to read?

I’ve just finished reading the inspirational story of George Dawson, grandson of an American slave, who learned to read at age 98. It got me thinking about what a precious gift education is. For many children around the world, going to school is still no more than a longed for dream. How can we help them?

Thousands of little children all over Australia start school for the first time this week. Decked out with their new clothes and mushroom hats, filled with trepidation, nervousness or excitement – it’s a privilege we don’t even think to question in a country like Australia.

What would your life be like if you had never had the chance to go to school?

“I always had a dream that I would learn how to read,” says George*. “It was my secret, that I couldn’t read. There was nothing I couldn’t do and my mind was as good as anyone’s. That’s just how it was. All my life, I had been just too busy working to go to school.”

“My mind worked hard. When I travelled somewhere, I could never read a sign. I had to ask people things and had to remember. I could never let my mind forget anything, never let my mind take a vacation.”

This is still the reality for many children all over the world. They have to work to help their families, for their own survival. Often they are working to make things for us, to bring us our morning cup of tea.

This may seem like a problem too big, too huge for us to tackle. But it is not. By buying Fairtrade tea, you could actually be helping to support that child’s community. By ensuring that their parents are fairly paid you provide them chance to attend school and learn. Provide them with hope.

George Dawson’s story is not one of hardship, it is one of hope. At 101 years old, George was working to get his GED (a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American academic skills). In his words “The reading is coming along. I work on my writing every day and that is getting better too.” When asked if he would consider an honorary qualification to take into account his age, his response was, “No, what I get, I will work for and earn... Last week a lady sent me a letter. She is sixty years old and thought she was too old to go back to school. Then she read about me and changed her mind. She went back and told me that it was the best thing she ever did. Too many people need me so I can’t do anything less than my best.”

We don’t always need to do the big things to make a difference. It can sometimes be as simple as making the small choices Good ones.

When you drop the kids at school this week, and you sit down to drink that first cup of tea – think about who worked to bring that tea to you. If you are drinking Fairtrade tea, you may just have given a child like yours the chance to hope, the chance to dream.

And then spare a thought for George. In his words, “Be happy for what you have. Help somebody else instead of worrying. It will make a person feel better. It’s good to be generous. It doesn’t take much to make a difference.”

*Life is so good, by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

Could you Buy Nothing New for a Month?

2011-10-05T19:30:00.000+11:00

What do I think when I see a K-Mart ad with towels for $5 and jeans for $10?

Who and what has been exploited to make this possible? And why? How many towels or pairs of jeans does one person need?

We continue to buy more and more, of less quality at cheaper and cheaper prices. But why? Buy Nothing New asks us to stop and think about the real price of endless shopping by pledging to Buy Nothing New for the month of October.

What’s wrong with buying lots of new stuff? Its fun isn’t it?

An ad I caught recently (for K-Mart) had a woman saying something like “$10 jeans! I could have a pair for every day of the week!” Really? Who on earth wants that many pairs of jeans? Another one had a woman saying “With prices like these I had a full trolley in no time – and I just want to come back and keep shopping!” If this was an ad for food, and there was someone stuffing themselves with cheap junk food to the point of bursting, there would be outrage. But in the world of clothing and household items, this mindless consumption now seems the norm. Why not buy more if you can?

Chances are we will barely use what we buy, if at all. According to the Buy Nothing New website, Australians have admitted to spending over $10 billion every year on goods they do not use.* Think about the last council Clean Up on your street.

Council Clean Up (Photo by Jo Smith, My Project Daphne)

Council Clean Ups are the world’s best garage sales where everything is free. I’m always amazed at what people throw out. Each year in Australia nearly 20 million tonnes of waste goes to landfill.

Buying more and more for less and less impacts more than just the environment. Someone actually has to make these items. Someone sits at a machine and adds the finishes to the towels, someone sews the jeans. If we are buying a pair of jeans for $10, how much does the person sewing them get? Considering that this price must include purchase of the material used, transport to get it to us, the overheads of the retailer… you can do the maths.

It just doesn’t add up. Despite all of the above, destroying the planet, exploiting people poorer than ourselves, the saddest thing about mindless buying is what it has done to us. When did shopping become entertainment? As Bill Bryson famously said, “We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls.”

We build shopping malls, where we buy poor quality items, mostly clothes. Clothes which we wear - to the shopping mall. We probably only wear our purchase once, because while we are there, we buy more clothes for the next time we go ‘out’ – to the shopping mall.

I believe you deserve more than endless trips to the shopping mall. How do we end the cycle? Stop and think before you buy. Buy Nothing New is an initiative asking you to do just that. The idea is not that you don’t buy anything new ever again. Buy Nothing New asks people to pledge to Buy Nothing New for the month of October, as a way of assessing what you really need, and the impact of your purchase.

If you are worried that scaling back your purchases will cramp your style, this is what Vivienne Westwood, one of the most stylish people on the planet, has to say on the subject: “If you ask me what I think people should be getting next season. I’ll tell you what I’d like them to buy – nothing. I’d like people to stop buying and buying and buying…”

And if you must buy, I say buy quality. I understand that not everyone is so keen on the idea of second hand clothes. But maybe think about buying one pair of ethically made jeans, a pair that will last and continue to look stylish.

And then leave the mall.

*Based on 2005 paper from the Australia Institute by Clive Hamilton Richard Denniss and David Baker

The Little Sparrow Tackling the Big Issues

2011-10-04T16:35:00.000+11:00

How can one little business tackle the big issue of exploited workers?

The Little Sparrow’s beautiful ethically handmade, one-off items for children are the embodiment of Megan Johnston and Allison Holland’s vision. Believing beautiful products should also be beautifully made; The Little Sparrow empowers communities previously exploited by providing a fair trading environment.

I first came across The Little Sparrow at the Manly Fairtrade Market. The warm colours and higgledy piggledy shapes of the children’s toys just made me want to pick them up and cuddle them. I particularly love their hand knitted Spaceship Toys.

Spaceship Toys

The quirky shape of the toys is mirrored in the bibs - I love it when great design and functionality come together as something both fun and practical. This is reflected again in the colourful hand embroidered baby wraps, so different from the run of the mill wrap. I’m always drawn to warm colours, so these were right up my alley.

The Little Sparrow immediately ticked the first box for me; provide a good product - things that I want to buy.

Bibs

Those of us who to try to buy ethically made items understand that finding good quality ethically made products is not always so easy. When Allison and Megan couldn’t find ethical children’s products for their sons a few years ago, they set about designing and developing their own. Before launching The Little Sparrow in 2009, they spent two and a half years researching and sourcing producers with the values and skills they were looking for.

Wyler

Research began by visiting producer groups in Bangladesh that were tackling poverty and exploitation, such as Fairtrade Labelling. These groups were empowering marginalised men and women through providing fair wages, health care, finance and education.

“We travelled and met with each supplier personally, this really helped to establish a good understanding of each others needs and build a great working relationship,” says Allison. “We then work with the skills of each of our suppliers to ensure that the designs will be made to meet quality standards and use existing skills held by the workers.”

Behind the Scenes with The Little Sparrow

To understand how this works, let’s look at the embroidered wraps. They are made in Rural Bangladesh. Workers spin the yarn then weave the fabric on a handloom as they dye and embroider the design. The yarning and weaving alone takes two women two days. The final product is then cut and sewn, with the whole process being completed at the one supplier. The money made from the sales of these products support a childcare and a primary school in the community.

Embroidered Baby Wrap

“When we placed a recent order for our wraps,” says Allison, “we were told; 'Thank you, the embroidery department had no work for this month'. We had just employed and entire department for a month!”

How can one little business tackle the big issues?

One embroidery department at a time.

Fair Trade: Who makes it tick?

2011-09-20T22:06:00.000+10:00

How passionate are you about your day job?

There’s nothing like a posse of people passionate about their cause. Not many of us go to work each day committed to what we do for a living. Tonight I enjoyed cheese and wine as a guest of the executive committee of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ). I was invigorated and refreshed to be surrounded by business people passionate about their day job.

Fair Trade is all about business – ethical business. Fair Trade ensures that suppliers are treated well and fairly paid for the products and services they provide. It is business – not charity, and this is what really appeals to me. By focusing on ethical business you have a model that helps move people out of poverty, that is self sustaining and empowering. I have been a member of FTAANZ for some time, and have spoken with many people who sell Fair Trade products. I have a keen interest in the work that the FTAANZ do and was interested in learning more, so when I received the invitation to come and meet the executive committee over wine and cheese I thought; why not?

What I met was a warm welcome, hosted by the gorgeous Better World Arts store in Bronte. Surrounded by the beautiful colours and designs of the Better World Arts pieces, it was great to meet in person the team that is working together to bring Fair Trade products to the Australian market, collaborating whilst working side by side in friendly competition.

My cushion cover from Better World Arts

Fair Trade business people stand out in their willingness to work together for their common cause. Cheryl Kernot, Chair of FTAANZ, spoke about her pleasure working with a team so committed to the Fair Trade movement. Certainly I felt this commitment from the executive team there this evening including Robert Roberts of Fair Go Trading based out of Perth, and Shannon Sheedy of The Dharma Door, whose products I absolutely love.

Baskets from The Dharma Door

It was great to connect with people who had come from some distance to be there, Karen Mapusa had flown in from Samoa where she works for Women in Business Development. We had some interesting conversations about elephant dung with John Anderson from Import Ants. Rosemary Frank from Afri Beads inspired me with her story of how she started her business part time, and is now a thriving full time business.

It’s amazing how far a bit of passion can take you. We may not all be about to give up our day job, but maybe, just maybe, if we consider Fair Trade options whilst out there shopping, we can let a little of their passion seep in.

GreenUps: MeetUp with a bit of Green

2011-08-04T11:26:00.000+10:00

I went along to my first GreenUp on Tuesday night, a meeting for people who are interested in meeting other Green minded folk. I found myself in a beautiful design exhibition in the Muse Gallery in Ultimo, surrounded by interesting intelligent people talking passionately about environmental sustainability.

GreenUps is a group who meet for drinks once a month to talk about the environment and sustainability, organised via MeetUps. MeetUps is a free website service that connects people, not just online, but actually enabling you to join a group of like minded to folk to meet – wait for it – in person. There are all sorts of groups and anyone can start one – some just meet for dinner, there are book clubs and sports groups and others are about political causes.

With that in mind, I was very impressed by the quality of the event put on by GreenUps. It was a free event, asking for a gold coin donation – for which there was a generous spread of food. Good quality wine and beer (sustainable of course) was available for around $5 a drink, plus your business card in a draw for a lucky door prize (which I was very disappointed I didn’t win – gorgeous T-Shirts from Moral Fibre). Once I was fed and watered, I had a wander round and perused the exhibition at the Muse Gallery, a great design exhibition put on by the TAFE in Ultimo. The theme for this months GreenUp was Sustainable Design, hence the location. This drew a good mix of people with both environmental interests and design interests.

T-Shirts from http://www.moralfibre.com/

My interest was really piqued by the speakers. It was a shame they did not provide a list of the speakers, their details were quickly flashed on a screen, it was crowded and difficult to see, and I didn’t have time to stay back to speak with them directly. I will be tracking them down to find out more though – some very interesting stuff. The first speaker, Chris spoke about ‘skinning’ buildings and his work as an architect on the highly energy efficient and visually stunning Watercube building built for the Beijing Olympics. Then we heard from Anna Lise De Lorenzo from &company, who gave some great thoughts on Responsible Design, with a wonderful example of moulded oyster shells being used to help organic oyster farmers make ‘wild’ oysters more marketable.

Oyster Shells from http://www.andcompany.com.au/

The last speaker, Andrew Simpson, I found particularly fascinating – because this was seriously cool nerdy stuff. Andrew, an industrial designer, explained how difficult it is for designers to source and compare sustainable materials. For a time he was forced to do traditional industrial design work, but in parallel now has a business called Best Practice Plastics who specialise in the injection moulding of sustainable materials. Andrew talked about 3D printing, which – as I understood it with my lay persons brain – enables you to take a 3D picture of something you wish to manufacture, then Andrew’s team do their magic and use this technology thingy to produce – or ‘print in 3D’ an object that matches the form you captured. Trust me it was cool.

http://www.bestpracticeplastics.com/

Cool pretty much sums up my first experience of GreenUps. I came away excited by the heap of cool sustainable stuff going on out there, and realising I have a lot more to learn. I look forward to the next GreenUp to see what further treasures can be uncovered.

Fairtrade Coffee & Train Travel : a Pipe Dream?

2011-06-27T21:17:00.000+10:00

Fairtrade coffee whilst travelling on a train - just an ethical dream of sorts, surely? Sitting on a Virgin train from Preston to London on a recent trip to the UK, I was delightedly surprised to be served this Fairtrade coffee.

Not only was I on a train (albeit a very expensive one – one way Preston to London was well over £100), which is generally Good (or better than other options) for the environment, I was able to drink Fairtrade coffee at the same time.

It tasted pretty good too, not as awful as I have come to expect train coffee to taste. The cup seemed to be made of recycled paper from what I could tell, although the lid was plastic – but recyclable. Not sure why we all seem to need to use plastic lids on our coffees? Surely a recycled cardboard lid would work just as well?

But I digress – well done Virgin. Virgin became the first national company in the UK to move to Fairtrade drinks in 2006. Yes 2006 – Australian companies take note – that is 5 years ago! I was particularly tickled to read that they also use Fairtrade chocolate sprinkles on their hot drinks.

I dream of a day when we can travel in Australia by train with half as much ease as the UK or Europe. And if we could drink Fairtrade coffee whilst doing it… well that would be just magic.