Producer Info - Just Earth

The Inter-Regional Centre of Artisans of Peru (CIAP) is a non-profit association, comprised of artisans' groups from around the country. CIAP is strongly committed to defending and preserving the cultural identity of the Andine and Amazonian indigenous populations, and to improving the living conditions of its members, their families and communities.
CIAP has developed a number of social initiatives including the opening of dispensaries for the distribution of medicines to members the creation of revolving funds for credit to members in particularly difficult situations, and for productive investments and the establishment of a common kitchen where members can cook collectively and save an average of 50% on nutrition expenses. CIAP is a member of the International Fair Trade Association.

Corr the Jute Works is a charitable organisation established in 1973 with the aim of supporting rural Bangladeshi women through job training and job creation projects. Corr gives women the opportunity to supplement their income with craftwork while continuing to raise their children at home.
Over 4000 artisans (now including 200 men) work in small co-operative village groups producing craft from jute (a natural fibre widely grown in

Bangladesh

) and other raw materials including bamboo, cane, clay and wood.

HEED (Health, Education and Economic Development) Handicrafts is a large fair trade organisation established in 1978 to support village craftspeople in rural

Bangladesh

.
HEED trains and works directly with minority groups - including refugees, people with disabilities and indigenous tribes &ndash to enhance skills and income creation. HEED also provides free medical services, health education and agricultural assistance to its artisans - now numbering over 11,000 craftspeople in about 300 producer groups. HEED artisans receive fair wages and share profits annually.

Minka is a non-profit organisation promoting social and economic development in

Peru

through its support for local craft projects. Since 1987, Minka has worked in partnership with approximately 10,000 craftwork producers from all over

Peru

, over three quarters being women living in marginalised areas.
Minka offers artisans business advice, technical assistance (including the provision of raw materials) and fair local wages - over twice as much per hour as middle-merchants, whose prices typically fail to even cover costs. Once a year, Minka distributes net profits among its member organisations. These distributed profits are used in local community development projects such as school construction. Minka is a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association.

Nimbin Candles is located in the historic Nimbin Butter Factory, just north of Nimbin township. The candles are made using the age-old method of dipping each individual wick to create a perfect taper. Only the highest grade paraffin wax is used. Nimbin candles are non-toxic and contain no animal products.

Perception is a small Fair Trade organisation founded in 2006 to assist artisans in Dhaka,

Bangladesh

. There are presently four full-time and four part-time artisans working with Perception. With the money earned from their handicrafts, these producers are being empowered and are able to provide better living conditions for their families.
Perception is a Member of ECOTA - a networking and coordinating body of small and medium Fair Trade enterprises in

Bangladesh

Sasha is a founding member of the Fair Trade Forum in India. It is a not-for-profit association working with more than 100 craft groups in West Bengal, Orissa, the North-East and Karnataka. Sasha supports artisan groups in the preservation and revival of traditional crafts, while encouraging the development and marketing of new designs. The association also offers training in business and management skills, with the aim of assisting producer groups to become economically independent and viable.

Surjomukhi was founded in

Bangladesh

in 1994 to improve the working and living standards of rural producers. Surjomukhi aims to address three main areas of difficulty for low income and marginalised rural people seeking gainful employment - lack of working capital, marketing support or opportunity for skills development.
Surjomukhi presently has 25 artisans, the majority being women. Some of the producers work from home and bring their finished products to the organisation. There is also a small production unit in Dhaka. All the artisans receive ongoing training to improve their skills and meet the challenges of innovation, design and efficiency.
Some of the benefits provided by Surjomukhi to producers are:

Surjomukhi hopes that with increased international market access, they will be able to set up a new production unit, and be able to employ and empower more producers. Surjomukhi is a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

TARA (Trade Alternative Reform Action) Projects provide support for the production and marketing of handicrafts in Northern India, while addressing community development needs. TARA funds and maintains a number of non-formal schools, vocational training centres and adult literacy centres.
TARA has been a leading advocate for the elimination of child and bonded labour in

India

, and campaigns to raise awareness of illiteracy, unfair trade practices and environmental issues. Amongst many craft groups producing a variety of work, TARA supports three groups of stone-craftsmen, providing for about 250 families. TARA guarantees fair wages and a ventilated working environment for the traditional stone hand-carving of these artisans. TARA Projects is a member of the International Fair Trade Association.

Thai Tribal Craft is a non-profit organisation working with seven hill tribes living in about fifty isolated villages in the mountains of Northern Thailand. Thai Tribal provides a marketing outlet for the traditional arts and crafts of the hill tribe people, offers advice and training to producers and assists in the creation of new designs.
Thai Tribal&rsquos support has not only given the villagers much needed income, but helped them to gain dignity and a renewed sense of self worth. About sixty percent of the price of each craft item goes to the producer. The net profit after this is divided amongst the tribal people. Thousands of mountain-dwelling people can now provide better nutrition for their families, obtain medical help and educate their children. Thai Tribal Craft is a member of the International Fair Trade Association.

The Craft Centre was established in 1973 by the YWCA as a non-profit organisation with the aim of providing training and job opportunities for Bangladeshi women. Today, about 450 women are working as craft producers with the YWCA in

Bangladesh

.
The goals and objectives of The Craft Centre include: to provide skills, training and an income to women, especially the uneducated and destitute to develop markets for the products made by women at the centre and to establish craft centres in other parts of Bangladesh.
In addition to providing a fair wage to its producers, The Craft Centre provides services such as literacy training, health and nutritional advice, subsidised food and medicines, a savings scheme, interest free loans, legal advice and an annual recreational programme. Any profits from The Craft Centre are distributed among other projects of the YWCA. In November 2005, a new Craft Centre was opened in Savar, a village about 30km outside Dhaka.

The ThaiCraft Association is a non-profit organisation whose objectives are to provide sustainable income for village artisans whilst preserving the diverse craft traditions of

Thailand

.
Since ThaiCraft was established as an independent development organisation in 1992, more than 80 producer groups have been assisted in the production and marketing of their craft - from hill-tribes in the north, to fishing communities in the south. ThaiCraft is a member of International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT) and abides by the principles of Fair Trade.

Hari Har Chai is a small company based in Victoria. Hari Har Chai uses Daintree Tea, naturally low in caffeine and tannin free.

Kin Kin Tea

Kin Kin herbal teas are organically grown on a small farm near Noosa. They are dried in a unique solar and wind dryer on the property where they are also packed. Oxygen bleached paper is used for the tea bags.

Sri Lankan Tea Gardens

Sri Lanka

has a number of distinct tea growing regions which provide a range suitable for producing blended tea of consistent high quality throughout the year. Trade Winds&rsquo source their Sri Lankan tea from Stassen &ndash a totally Sri Lankan owned company.
Stassen is committed to the betterment of employment and education opportunities, social development and the health of their workforce and local communities. Stassen&rsquos tea gardens produced the world's first certified organic tea. Based in the Uva province, organic tea cultivation is coupled with a social development project directed at improving the quality of life of the workers of this area.

Smallholders in East Timor

Trade Winds&rsquo East Timor coffee is grown by the Timor Mogl co-operative, established at the time of independence in East Timor. The co-op employs coffee experts to help restore a system of quality which was very low under Indonesian control. These experts have also helped farmers gain organic certification. The co-op focuses on giving growers more autonomy and security.
Farmers are paid a premium price for their coffee (about 25% above market price) and are provided with comprehensive health care for themselves and their families. At the end of the year growers are paid a dividend from the co-operative&rsquos profits. Supporting this co-op is a great way to be part of the prosperity of the people in the new East Timor.

Smallholders in PNG

The Blue Mountain and Paradiso coffee varieties are grown, processed and packed in the highlands of

Papua New Guinea

. Traditional cultivation methods and the high altitude of the growing area produce a coffee which is naturally low in caffeine and acidity.
The coffee is organically grown and harvested by PNG villagers without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Certified independently by BIO Farm

Australia

and the (NASAA) National Association of Sustainable Agriculture of Australia.

Ecocern is an Australian company based in New South Wales. Ecocern&rsquos unbleached paper products are made from 100% post-consumer waste.

M-real

Evolve recycled paper products are produced in the

by M-real, a paper company established in

Finland

. All M-real production units have certified environmental management systems.
Evolve paper is produced in accordance with ERA, the

&rsquos Environmentally Responsible Approach to paper making. It has been awarded &ldquoBlue Angel&rdquo and &ldquoNordic Swan&rdquo certification in Europe for meeting rigorous environmental standards.

Planetwise Paper is a small family company based in Tasmania, with a strong commitment to providing environmentally friendly materials made from sustainable resources.
Planetwise Paper sources its paper from a Fair Trade community-owned co-operative in Nepal. The paper is made using traditional methods and organic dyes. Raw materials include wheat straw, corn husks, banana stems and leaves, bamboo leaves, grasses, water hyacinth, recycled cotton rags and jute. 75% of the water used in the paper-making process is recycled and reused.

Softex is an Australian owned and operated company producing 100% recycled tissue paper products entirely from post-consumer waste material. At every stage of the recycling process, Softex employs environmentally responsible techniques. Oxygen bleaching is used instead of chlorine all wastewater is recycled and the small amount of waste produced from the paper recycling process is recycled as garden compost.

Absolute Care moisturiser is manufactured for Satori Health and Well Being in Queensland - against animal testing.

Melrose Health Products

Melrose Health Supplies is an Australian family-owned company that believes it has a moral and social responsibility to provide products that will enhance health and well-being.
Melrose is dedicated to manufacturing personal care products and foods based on organically grown, GMO free ingredients.

Monte-Bianco

The Monte-Bianco range of replaceable head toothbrushes has been produced in

Germany

since 1991. Their environmentally sound products are packaged in fully recyclable cardboard and PET.
Note: The natural bristle toothbrushes and replacement heads are made from cruelty-free certified boar hair.

Natracare

Natracare is a

company, committed to offering organic and natural solutions for personal health care. Natracare uses only natural materials that meet their environmental and biodegradable standards, sourced from producers that manage and monitor resources.
Natracare tampons were developed as a direct response to health and environmental concerns about dioxin pollution caused by chlorine bleaching, the extensive use of pesticide spraying on conventionally grown cotton, and the use of rayon and other synthetics in tampons.
Natracare describe their vision as: &ldquoTo develop Natracare into a worldwide symbol for quality, innovation and ethics, available to all women as the natural choice for a healthy lifestyle and environment&rdquo.

Organic Formulations is an environmentally concerned company that has been involved in the manufacturing of organic botanical blends since 1989. Their blends are processed on site at their organic farmlet in Victoria. Organic Formulations describe their mission as: to understand the needs of our planet protect our soils, water and air promote organic farming methods be environmentally responsible grow and service our customers understand that we do borrow our planet from our children protect animals' rights have fun doing it.

Rad-Pads are made by a small Victorian business. These reusable pads are an economical, healthy and eco-friendly alternative to commercial disposable products. Made to last for years from hemp fleece or 100% cotton, Rad-Pads are very absorbent and are available in a range of sizes and thicknesses. For more about Rad-Pads: www.radpads.com.au

Rainforest Botanicals is an Australian business providing organic essential oils. Rainforest Botanicals&rsquo products are NOT tested on animals, and are certified cruelty free.

Self Managed Soap is a South-East Queensland co-operative, attempting to meet needs for basic products in a just manner.
In 1982 Self Managed Soap began co-operative production, to support themselves in a life of community and social change work. The soap is hand-made from pure vegetable oils, rather than animal tallow, with no added chemicals. Glycerine, a moisturising agent, is retained in the soap - not extracted as in most commercial soaps.
The cold-pressed virgin coconut oil used by Self Managed Soap is extracted by the coconut farmers themselves, utilising a new process available to small producers. The world coconut oil trade has been controlled by trans-national corporations, buying copra cheaply from tropical producers and sending it to Europe or Asia for processing. On-site extraction means the oil is fresher and of higher quality, and more profits stay in the local community.

The Australian Bush Oil Co hand-harvests and distils organic tea tree in Northern New South Wales.

Vegesorb is an Australian-owned company based in Queensland. Vegesorb is a specifically designed product that was the culmination of two years development and client feedback. The focus during development was to utilise vegetable derived ingredients to create an emulsion that would not only boost skin moisture levels but also provide vital skin compatible oils. Vegesorb is manufactured in a Therapeutic Goods Administration registered Brisbane factory. All packaging is also Australian made.

Etiko Sports is an Australian-based brand, committed not only to the production of high quality sporting goods but also to the promotion of the principles of Fair Trade and the elimination of child labour. For more information and a full range of products: www.etikosports.com.au

No Sweat

No Sweat aims to provide footwear and clothing which not only looks good, but also does good. No Sweat products are made by independent trade union members, providing an alternative to sweatshop-manufactured goods. For more information and a full range of products: www.nosweatstuff.com.au

Republic Print

Republic Print is a small business based in Sydney producing political T-Shirts - or 'walking billboards'. For a full range of T-Shirts with a message: www.corporate-greed.com

Select Organic

Select Organic in Queensland distribute certified organic, traditional open pollinated seeds. Old varieties produced over an extended period are nutritious, tasty and easy to grow. No hybrids or GMOs, no chemical treatment. For more information and varieties: www.selectorganic.com.au