FAIR TRADE SLOVENIA - Think responsibly, choose fair trade!
"Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South.
Fair Trade Organisations have a clear commitment to Fair Trade as the principal core of their mission. They, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade."
Globally recognised definition, as agreed by the main international Fair Trade networks (WFTO, Fairtrade International and European Fair Trade Association)
HOW IT STARTED WITH A FAIR TRADE IN SLOVENIA…
The first initiatives for Fair Trade in Slovenia goes back to 2002, when the Humanitas Society in Burkina Faso organized for the first time a group of women producing goods from textiles, dyed with traditional local techniques. Later Humanitas began to work with the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum and prepared two sales exhibitions to test the possibility of the concept of such products on the Slovenian market. In 2004, they joined forces with the leading Slovene foundation for sustainable development Umanotera, and in December 2004 opened the first Fair Trade shop in Slovenia called Fair Trade 3MUHE.
During this time, they spread a lot of informations about fair trade in our country with various supportive campaigns and projects. They began to expand the trade, sale of fair products and to connect with various like-minded trading partners from Slovenia and from foreign countries. In these few years, in Slovenia, have developed quite a lot of companies that are doing business in fair way, so thay started to work together with Fair Trade Slovenia as well. These are, for example, Afrotera, Buna, Lanabe, Movinun, Smetumet and many other non-governmental organizations. From abroad they cooperate with the Austrian Fair Trade organization EZA Fairer Handel, the Italian AltroMercato, Kafuli, Mud jeans, People Tree and many other organizations that strive for the idea of a more fair and environmentally friendly society.
YOUR EVERY PURCHASE IS INVESTMENT IN A BETTER WORLD!
Fair trade in Slovenia offers customers a wide choice of goods and contributes to greater equity in international trade. In a common inspiring spirit, they are changing world for the better, bringing together both buyers, volunteers, and other individuals. By selling products, they have a positive impact on man and his social and natural environment. At the same time, they also provide customers with other cultures, stories of individual craftsmen and cooperatives and informs them about their development projects. In their work, they encourage consumers to start thinking about the origin and ingredients of the products they buy and raise awareness of the responsible consumption of goods.
In Fair Trade 3MUHE you can find many different types of coffee, chocolate, spices, as well as fair sugar, cocoa, tea, shea butter, rice, various snacks and other products such as jewelry, instruments and other home products. In the past few years, they have added to the offer clothes, made in Slovenia under fair conditions and with textile materials that have GOTS certificate.
New E - Shop 3MUHE!
In recent years, a lot of shops have opened in Slovenia, which also include products from the Fair Trade system in their sales programs. However, the vast majority of Slovenians still find it hard to access fair products, so they decided to set up an online store where you can shop their products. On this occasion, I would invite you to their new E-SHOP 3MUHE where you can see the selected Fair Trade products!
You can support them by buying online or by visiting them at the 3MUHE Fair Trade shop on Stari trg 30 in Ljubljana. Their products are also present in major cities in Slovenia, and you can see a list of these stores on this link: Other providers of fair products in Slovenia.
PRINCIPLES OF FAIR TRADE
WFTO prescribes 10 Principles that Fair Trade Organizations must follow in their day-to-day work and carries out monitoring to ensure these principles are upheld:
Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers
Transparency and Accountability
Fair Trading Practices
Fair Payment
Ensuring no Child Labor and Forced Labor
Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Women’s Economic Empowerment and Freedom of Association
Ensuring Good Working Conditions
Providing Capacity Building
Promoting Fair Trade
Respect for the Environment
WHY IS GOOD IF WE BUY FAIR TRADE PROTUCTS?
Every purchase has its consequences! The purchase of fair-trade products is a decision for products that have been manufactured or produced in ways that have a positive effect on humans and their social and natural environment. By purchasing fair-trade products, we contribute to reducing poverty in less developed countries, and we support trading in ethical principles with respect for the environment and people, thus helping change the world for the better. In my purchases, I have become increasingly alert to selecting at least some of the main raw material from the Fair Trade system; for example: coffee, chocolate, cocoa and sugar are now regularly purchased in Smetka, Alternative shop, which also have products of Fair Trade 3MUHE in their sales program.
WHAT INCLUDES A FAIR PRICE?
The fair price includes the price of production and covers social and environmental costs. At this price is included the price of work, which provides decent survival for producers. A fair price also includes a premium that allows investment in local community development projects. Investments can, however, be invested in improving working conditions, expanding production capacity or improving community health care, environmental standards, educational opportunities, building infrastructure, etc. We must be aware that the price of fair products is higher than the price of similar products in conventional shops, because in this price is included a fair payment to producers. And even in comparison with similar products, which are in the higher price range, they can also mow with an even higher quality than it is.
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT HAS FAIR TRADE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
Fair trade focuses on marginalized producers and small farmers and allows them to avoid poverty while promoting sustainable development. By establishing long-term partnerships, manufacturers can invest in environmentally-friendly production. It encourages handmade production, organic farming and the use of recycled materials, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources and production methods that are not capital or energy-intensive. The movement of Fair Trade advocates a trading system that puts people at the forefront and promotes social, economic and environmental justice.
FAIR TRADE PROJECTS IN SLOVENIA
Last December, Fair Trade Slovenia celebrated 14 years. With various actions and projects, they have made great progress on this area in our country. Let me list some of their most famous projects such as Fair Trade Picnic, “Correctly Roasted”, Dress Makes a Man, Buy Nothing Day, Fairtrade Fortnight and Fashion Revolution Week. A little before the week of the Fashion Revolution on Sunday, April 14, 2019, they prepared the First Exchange of Ethical Clothing in Slovenia, which was held at the Fair Trade 3MUHE and I joined it. This year, visitors also had a chance for ethical make over, where ZAO Make-Up Slovenija made make-up and the they could choose ethical clothes made my Slovenian brand Movinun.
DO YOU WANT TO BE A SUPPORTER OF A FAIR TRADE SLOVENIA?
If you want to be up-to-date and know what they do or what kind of news or campaigns are they planing, contact them on 3muhe@pravicna-trgovina.si. They will be happy to have a new supporter and will inform you about what is happening and what they are doing. Fair Trade, of course, is also largely based on volunteering and support from people who help to sell products, explore the backgrounds and stories of individual products, raise awareness about the idea of fair trade, and help organize and perform various public events. If you want to become part of their story, visit them in the store or write to the email above.