Wooden Enigma strives to bring the best quality products to its customers, but is also concerned about how the products are made, We do not believe we should enjoy these products by ripping someone else off or by forcing people to work for a pittance in appalling working conditions. We therefore seek to source our products from fair trade sources, individual craftsmen in Thailand, Co-operatives in Southern India, rehabilitation centres. These organisations are often helping some of the most vulnerable in their society. We are not giving them charity though, we are just paying them a reasonable fair price.

We don’t just believe our fair trade and environmental stance is an issue for our producers. It is also important that we run our business in an ethical manner and we try to adhere to our ethical policy see About Us page.

Links

Please find below a list of helpful links to find out more about fair trade or other fair trade products.

For Fairtrade produce and crafts in the Andover area visit Fairs Fayre at the Fairground Craft & Design Centre Weyhill. www.fairgroundcraft.co.uk/studios.asp 

For more information on making Tesy Valley a fairtrade borough and other news from Andover's Fairtrade group visit www.fairtradeandover.co.uk/ . See us tossing pancakes outside Newbury Building Society on Tuesday 5th February. We will be having a charity stall outside the guildhall on Saturday 8th March.

Fairtrade Fortnight 25th February to 9th March 2008

Fairtrade Market at the Corn Market Devizes Saturday March 8th 11:00-3:00

Witney Fairtrade Market at Langdale Hall Saturday 15th March

Fairtrade Fortnight is a campaign run by the fairtrade foundation to increase awareness and encourage people to buy fairtrade products. Visit www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight.htm for more information.

British Association of Fair Trade Shops has more information on fairtrade and where you can buy fairtrade items.      www.bafts.org.uk/

For more information about the Fairtrade mark, Fairtrade towns and the latest Fairtrade products visit the Fairtrade Foundation website. www.fairtrade.org.uk/

Make Trade Fair. Visit Oxfam's campaign site. Join the big Noise and find out what you can do. www.maketradefair.com

Find out the latest news about the campaign against sweat shops at No Sweat. www.nosweat.org.uk/node/1 Does where you shop use sweat shops?

Fair trade policy.

We seek to ensure our suppliers adhere to the following fair trade criteria stipulated by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Trading standards stipulate that traders must:

• pay a price to producers that covers the costs of sustainable production and living;
• pay a 'premium' that producers can invest in development;
• make partial advance payments when requested by producers;
• sign contracts that allow for long-term planning and sustainable production practices.

Our products have not been accredited by the Fairtrade foundation which applies the Fairtrade mark mostly to food products and cotton, but some of our suppliers are accredited by the British Association of Fair Trade Shops which have a similar set of criteria. See links above. Where we have this independent accreditation we have described the goods as 'fairtrade'. Where we do not have this independent accreditation we have described the goods as simply 'fair trade'.