I am not a member of BAFTS or the British Fair Trade Organisation, simply because BAFTS wants me to sell only products from IFAT certified and FLO certified "suppliers" (i.e. producers AND middlemen) and I don't sell coffees and teas or bananas and chocolate.

Whilst I agree that certification is a super idea I object to the notion that I MUST sell only from such suppliers or at least 75% of my products must come from such producers and suppliers. Firstly it is expensive for small producers to get the IFAT and FLO certification (they have to pay a yearly fee based on their turnover, just as I would as a member) and secondly most IFAT and FLO certified producers and suppliers in my experience either don't supply small retailers such as myself or they don't supply what I want to sell!

Now, I could go and form a company in Kenya, Nepal, India, Brazil and then apply for the certification. But - I don't have the money to do this and I don't want to limit myself to just one product. I want to give a retail outlet to as many small producers, artisans and co-operatives as possible. Which is why I decided not to apply to any of the aforementioned bodies for a certificate. Until they change their policies that is - and I believe BAFTS is in the process of reviewing their application process. Hopefully so that people and small businesses such as myself have the chance to become members and support the fair trade movement with their enthusiasm and expertise as well as their knowledge and strong belief that what we do is the right thing. We should not be restricted and bogged down by administration and rules that sometimes don't make any sense and sometimes are simply downright silly (plus that cost money that goes into the administration of said regulatory bodies i.e. the salaries of chairmen and women rather than the actual cause i.e. helping small producers).

In the meantime I am an enthusiastic supporter of Transfair and the American Fair Trade Federation (which laughably is boycotted by BAFTS for reasons that nobody explained to me). Both are far more transparent and open minded than their European counterparts, alas as to whether the hostility between the European and US bodies is reciprocal remains to be seen...... I just hope they find a way to work together rather than against each other as this would make them the strongest network for fair trade that there can be.

In the meantime I am posting a video, financed by TransFair and produced by Mobius. It is the best video clip on fair trade and what it means, but also shows how each of us consumers can help change trade for the better if we all stick together and vote with our money. Enjoy. (c) of the video is eq.tv