Who is BAFTS?

BAFTS Week 2013 runs from 21 to 28 September and members across the UK will be celebrating with special promotions. So who is BAFTS? Below you'll find a few key points about the British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers

• BAFTS is a member organisation. It is run by its members for the benefit of its members and their customers.
• It was founded in 1995 to be the voice of fair trade retailing in the UK
• BAFTS has 138 members in all four countries of the UK, as well as the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight. 
• 47 Shop members who buy from fair trade wholesale suppliers in the UK and sell directly to the public in a range of ways - bricks and mortar shops, market stalls, craft stalls, websites etc.
• 12 Direct Sourcing Retail members who work with producers in the developing world, import goods and sell directly to the public via shops, websites and market stalls.
• 79 Supplier members who work with producers in the developing world, import their goods and sell to retailers including BAFTS shop members.
• 25% of BAFTS members have a turnover below £25,000 a year.
• 60% of BAFTS members have a turnover below £100,000 a year.
• 3% of BAFTS members have a turnover in excess of £1,000,000 a year.
• BAFTS suppliers work with producers in 28 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America:
• In a BAFTS shop you may find goods from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Palestine, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda, Mali, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Malawi, Madagascar, Senegal, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Haiti and Mexico
• Products include: Toys, Furniture, Ornaments, Clothing, Bags, Scarves, Jewellery, Homewares, Cards and Wrapping Paper, Kitchenware, Gifts, Christmas decorations, 
• Skilled artisans work with a huge range of materials including: soapstone, wood, ceramic, glass, mosaic, sawdust, papier mache, recycled metal, wire, tin, iron, steel, aluminium, fabric, crochet, knitting, weaving, appliqué, silversmithing, beaded jewellery from glass, paper, wood, metal, shell
• BAFTS is a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation  
• If you are a retailer or wholesaler selling at least 70% fairly traded goods, you could consider joining BAFTS. Check out the "Join BAFTS" section on the BAFTS website: http://www.bafts.org.uk 

BAFTS' member Myakka earns Top Ethical Ranking from The Ethical Company Organisation

Halfway through our first BAFTS' week, we are delighted to share the news that our member Myakka has been awarded a Top Ethical Ranking from The Ethical Company Organisation. Read about it direct from Myakka's own words, and share with us in wishing them sincere congratulations!

Myakka is celebrating success with an impressive top ranking in the latest furniture research completed by The Ethical Company Organisation. The research rates companies according to their commitment to the environment, animals and people and within the furniture sector, research also looks specifically at Rainforest Timber and wood sourcing policies of each of the companies. Specialist fair-trade furniture retailer, Myakka received a top Ethical Company Index (ECI) score of 100 in the latest research, ahead of large high-street retailers such as Homebase, John Lewis and B&Q. For more information please go to www.myakka.co.uk William Sankey, Research Director from The Ethical Company Organisation said “We hope this latest batch of research will enable more ethical consumers to source their goods from the most responsible players in the furniture business.  We particularly commend Myakka for their strong ethical performance.” www.ethical-company-organisation.org The 11th Annual Ethical Shopping Guide is now available to buy. Myakka has been awarded the Ethical Accreditation for their corporate social responsibility since 2009 and earned their place in the Good Shopping Guide also.  This leading directory provides detailed information on everything from banks to butter, washing machines to jeans to help consumers make informed decisions on shopping with a clear conscience. Simon Whitehead, Founding Director of Myakka said “We are delighted to have received such a high ranking in the latest research. Consumers are becoming more aware of the sourcing of products and The Ethical Company Organisation provides clear guidance and external verification which is invaluable to consumers.” Established in 1999, Myakka offers fair trade furniture and home accessories to customers across the UK through their mail order catalogue and e-commerce website.  The company has been members of BAFTS (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) since 2006 and source the majority of their exclusive lines directly from manufacturers in India, Thailand and Indonesia. In response to consumer awareness, this week also sees the launch of the inaugural BAFTS' Campaign Week.  Running from 21-28 September, the event is designed to raise awareness of over 150 BAFTS' members selling fair trade products across the UK.

Official Press release Wording for BAFTS' week 21st-28th September 2013

BAFTS (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) is delighted to announce its first ever campaign week from 21-28 September. Set up in 1998, BAFTS is a membership organisation for suppliers who import, and shops who sell, a minimum of 70% fair trade goods from recognised sources. Its members are vetted by peer review on an annual basis, and customers can shop or order with confidence from a BAFTS member, knowing that this organisation has had its fair trade principles monitored and assessed annually.   

BAFTS is a member organisation of the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) and also of WFTO-Europe. BAFTS is also recognised by the WFTO as the national fair trade networking organisation in the UK, and adheres to their Ten Principles of Fair Trade. For full details, please go to http://www.bafts.org.uk/resources BAFTS prides itself on the fact that its members work to bring about changes in the status of developing world producers through Fair Trade retailing and campaigning. Most members have links with Fairtrade Towns’ campaigns across the country and are passionate about Trade Justice.

The primary aim of the week is to raise awareness of BAFTS and its almost 150 members, independent businesses who sell fairly traded goods in locations all around the UK. It is also an attempt to answer the questions: what about products for which there is no FAIRTRADE Mark ? How can we be sure that they are fairly-traded? Whilst many consumers recognise the FAIRTRADE Mark thanks to successful publicity by the Fairtrade Foundation, and campaigning by Fairtrade towns, this is not the only organisation dedicated to fair trade. Items that can be certified Fairtrade are usually products that are grown, like cotton, rubber and food. The Fairtrade Foundation describes the situation thus:

  ‘Fairtrade certification and its system of minimum pricing were designed for commodity products. It is technically difficult to adapt this model of standardized minimum pricing to crafts and other products made by small-scale artisans, which are each unique and have highly varied production processes and costs.’

In our opinion, a good starting point for the answers to these questions lies in membership of BAFTS, building on the solid foundation of the WFTO 10 Principles of Fair Trade, and adding to the mix a community with a wealth of experience, commitment, passion and shared goals.

BAFTS represented at the Scottish Fair Trade Nation Celebration in Perth 7th September 2103

It was a long day full of expectation and excitement. As Marketing and Membership Coordinator for BAFTS, I was travelling up to Perth to represent our organisation, take part in the Celebration, meet some existing members and possible new ones, and sit on a panel discussion about "Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation: What Next?" My role there was to say how BAFTS (amongst other organisations) could help Scotland now that it had already achieved Fair Trade Status.

I presented soon after noon, following on from representatives from Pekerti, a WFTO producer group from Indonesia. A few technical problems meant that the system on which all the presentations were stored was not linked to the Internet, so it was not possible to show the "For a Few Pesos More" video, but everyone got the lyrics and a link to the Youtube Video. I spoke about BAFTS' history, what we do, and who we are, how we have changed, member benefits, WFTO, and events coming up soon, adding the quip that if there was time left I might sing the lyrics to the audience - thankfully there wasn't! It was hard to know who exactly the audience was (maybe about 30-40 people) as people kept mingling, coming and going, chatting quietly in the background, but I suspect that many were Scottish citizens, a few were maybe committed Fairtrade and fair trade activists, and a few were suppliers or shops (Suzanne Whittingham from Traidcraft told me later that she popped in from manning her stall, but you try and phase out movements when presenting, to focus on what you have to say). I was careful to point out that there may well be some shops and suppliers in the audience who were not members of BAFTS, and whilst that did not mean that these shops and suppliers were not indeed genuine and ethical, we felt that our organisation offered regular monitoring, accountability, community and a shared purpose in promoting fair trade.

The audience seemed to enjoy the presentation, which was speedily followed by Elen Jones speaking about Fair Trade Wales and five years as a Fair Trade Nation. Then we were both whisked away to sit on the aforementioned panel discussion, alongside Barbara Crowther (Fairtrade Foundation), the two Indonesian ladies representing Pekerti, and Martin Meteyard, Chair of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. Interestingly, Barbara mentioned that the Fairtrade Foundation had been approached to certify Scotland a Fair Trade Nation when they first decided to move towards this, but it had been decided that they should set their own goals and get plenty of evidence of working towards these, before proclaiming that they have achieved them. It took seven years all told!

I stated that I felt BAFTS was in a good position to help them move forward - we already had several Scotland-based shops and suppliers selling their goods that day in their "Market Place" and more around Scotland, so interconnections already existed; many of our members have connections with Fairtrade Towns, so we support the successful growth and campaign around the FAIRTRADE (FLO) Mark; because our organisation is a member (indeed the national network representative) of the WFTO, we adhere to the 10 Principles of Fair Trade, which can be applied in a wider context than the commodity-based FLO Mark, and we were able to share information on our website and social media, plus attend meetings whenever this was geographically possible.

The remainder of the day was spent talking to existing members and taking photographs, chatting to a few ex-members about re-joining, welcoming Traidcraft and chatting with them, buying a few small fair trade gifts (obligatory, of course!), speaking to Oromo Coffee Company (who will be represented at out member meeting at The FIG Tree Centre, Garstang on 23rd September), and listening to Humza Yousaf, MSP for External Affairs and International Development, talk about his support for the Scotland Fair Trade Nation Campaign. I had approached Martin Rhodes, Director at the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, for a photograph, so decided to be bold and ask if a few more representatives of key organisations could be involved too. It rounded up a very stimulating, thought-provoking and exciting day, of which I was proud to be a part.
Below are (L to R)Martin Rhodes, Director of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, Humza Yousaf MSP for External Affairs and International Development, Kathryn Sygrove for BAFTS, Elen Jones from Fair Trade Wales, and Betsy Reed, former Director of The Scottish Fair Trade Forum.