We are on the last hurdle of our A – Z of a Fair Trade Christmas and today it is R

R is for Ring and aren’t these rings lovely? They would make the perfect accessory for a Christmas outfit. At only €9.95 each they are also nice to your pocket. Both of these cocktail rings are made from freshwater pearls and semi precious chippings and would make a great accessory for a special occasion this summer. They are adjustable to fit most sizes.

These lovely Fair Trade rings are from Lotusfeet and are made in the Philippines. The co-operative producing this jewellery is made up of sixty women, and was specifically set up to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for families and communities displaced from their homes by a major hydro-electric project. Nearly 800 households were affected by the project.

Both rings are available for immediate despatch from Arusha Fair Trade.

R is also for Recycled

R is also for Recycled and there is a wide variety of fair trade goods available made from recycled goods. For example, you can buy recycled bowls, jewellery, pens, pencils and even laptop bags from recycled rubber.

We are particularly fond of these two bowls made in India from recycled aluminium. Either would provide a great talking point as a gift at a Christmas dinner party.



Square Platter made from recycled aluminum



Black and White Swirl Dip Tray alsofrom recycled aluminum



Christmas Delivery Deadlines

To ensure delivery in time for Christmas 2010 your order should be placed before the following times/dates:



Dublin                                           10am 24th December


Rest of Ireland including N.I.      Midday 20th December

Great Britain                                10pm 18th December

All orders, including those for the rest of the world, will continue to be despatched as they are received, however if order is received after the relevant deadline it may not arrive until January 2011.

Q is for quality.

Fair Trade Produces Quality


Workers in developing countries are just like you and I, when we know that our work is appreciated and fairly remunerated we take more interest in what we are doing. Quite simply, when artisans know they receive a fair, living wage for their work, they can focus on their work, focus on creativity, focus on good materials, and focus on quality.

Fair trade produces quality, empowers producers, fuels creativity and fosters respect and peace. Producers have a quality of life that would not be possible for them under the free trade system.

P is for Picture Frame.

We have a number of lovely fair trade frames suitable for a Christmas Gift. Send us a photo of your family and we will put it into your chosen frame before gift wrapping and sending to your loved one. There is no charge for this service.  Order the frame, tick the gift wrapping box at check out and tell us in the comment box that you will be sending on a photo, then email the photo to info@arushafairtrade.com

This service applies to digital photos only, please make sure your image fits the 4 x 6 frame.

Continuing our A to Z of a Fair Trade Christmas and we are on the letter O

O is for organic.  Why not give a very conventional Christmas gift an ethical twist with these fairly traded black beauties. They are made of organic cotton and we have just reduced the price by 25%

These socks were produced by Craft Aid in Mauritius, a non profit-making organisation dedicated to the welfare of disabled people. It was created in the year 1982. Their main objective is to provide paid employment to the disabled and rehabilitate them in society. The workforce includes a significant number of mentally and physically handicapped persons as well as mute and deaf persons.

“Cotton is one of the most pest-prone crops grown, and in parts of the world like West Africa, where the cotton is rain-fed (not irrigated), chemical pesticides and insecticides account for much as 60 per cent of the farmer's costs. But the loss in fertility of his intensively farmed soil, the subsidies paid in other countries that price him out of the market and the high risk of pesticide poisoning, mean that even if the farmer can sell his cotton he is unlikely to make a profit. He then ends up spiralling into debt as money is borrowed at usury rates to start the process all over again in the next growing season.

None of that information is new. Ethical consumers have for some time now been aware of the environmental and social costs of cotton production, and increasingly recognise that organic cotton is a sustainable alternative.

Organic cotton eliminates the need for expensive agrochemical inputs, which immediately cuts costs and demands a higher market price, meaning the farmer stands a better chance of working his way out of poverty. It is this knowledge that has driven the demand for organic cotton, now available in some product lines on most of the high street”. (www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments 7th December 2010)



A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – N is for Nativity Set

One of our Fair Trade Nativity Set would certainly be a talking point in your home this Christmas.  Our set from Madagascar depicts very tall elegant figurines beautifully hand carved.  While the set from Peru contains a llama instead of a sheep.  Or choose a set from Indonesia where the hand painted characters are wearing native Indonesian dress.

They come in different sizes so you can choose which would be most suitable for you Christmas Crib scene.  You can purchase them online and prices start at less than €20.