Traidcraft going into administration

JonahMan

I just received an email to say that Traidcraft, which can be credited with starting off the fair trade movement in the UK, will be going into administration as a result of Covid and the economic downturn.

For me personally this is very disappointing, having been involved with the organisation pretty much since it started. But I am wondering what effect this will have on fair trade in the UK. Is this a disaster, or does it mean that in fact, FT is now sufficiently widespread that a dedicated trading organisation is no longer needed?

KarlLB

Fortunately the latter, I think. It's amazing how FT has become mainstream.

The big ones - coffee, chocolate, bananas - are now thoroughly available everywhere and probably the bigger sellers of these items took some business from them. The more niche stuff Traidcraft did probably couldn't survive without the profits from the coffee and tea.

Arethosemyfeet

A real shame. I hope there isn't a pattern forming, with Cadbury pulling back from Fairtrade and other indications that it's slipped down the agenda. I suspect that when people are trying to cut their spending they tend to worry less about how the producers are doing.

Merry Vole

I will miss the Traidcraft stall that was sometimes at church. But some of the stuff was bordering on 'knick-knacks' that you didn't really need.

Baptist Trainfan

Yes, and I think a lot of folk bought stuff at churches and conferences "because they felt they ought to".

One wonders though, with church attendance falling in mainstream denominations, and probably a diminishing number of volunteers, whether they were still able to shift enough stuff.

Whatever happened to sikas?

Bishops Finger

Er...what are sikas, please?

Our Place buys Meaningful Chocolate stuff (Eggs for Easter, and Advent Calendars in Advent), and the company emailed me to say that Traidcraft had cancelled their order for *Real Easter* eggs this year - doubtless because of this sad news.

However, as @KarlLB says, there is a good deal of fair-trade Stuff freely available now, although it may be that people with not much money don't worry too much these days about such things, as @Arethosemyfeet suggests.

Baptist Trainfan

Bishops Finger wrote: »

Er...what are sikas, please?

These (sometimes had two or three 'layers')- very 1970s/80s. https://www.sharedearth.co.uk/Files/126645/Img/07/CJW006-zoom.jpg

Bishops Finger

Thanks - but what are they for ?

KarlLB

Bishops Finger wrote: »

Thanks - but what are they for ?

Putting things in.

Bishops Finger

Firenze

Hanging baskets. Frequently with some kind of traily pot plant.

Though I had a three-tiered one behind the front door in my first flat which held gloves and wooly hats and spare carrier bags .

Heavenlyannie

I have a large 3 tier stainless steel version in my kitchen where I keep the veg.

Bishops Finger

Thanks, all. Clearly my (relative) youth was misspent, as I never had a sika...

More seriously, though, the Meaningful Chocolate people are continuing to provide fair-trade chocolate products, but they can no longer be ordered via Traidcraft proper - for the time being, anyway.

Baptist Trainfan

What ..... ?

Bishops Finger

The BF household in the 70s/80s was devoted to Work, Study, and Prayer. There was no time or money for such fripperies...but we did buy Fairtrade grocery items when we could...

Schroedingers Cat

I think it is a sad loss, but maybe the reality is that the message has been given and received and much of what they were promoting is now much more widely accepted. There are now many other companies providing some of the same sort of products, with the same ethical basis.

I would say well done for what they have done - which is incredible. But maybe they needed to move on to other areas.