Recognising the importance of Fair Trade

Etiko recently received  a prestigious 2008 Banksia Environmental Award for Business Sustainability. Earlier in the year they were won the Victorian Premier's Sustainability Award  for Business Sustainability & are finalists in the Telstra Business Award (Social Responsibility category).

Etiko is a small business pushing the bondaries of ethical consumerism. All Etiko products (sporting balls and fashion items) are Certified Fairtrade, Certified Sweatshop Free, or sourced from Worker or Farmer Owned Cooperatives. They also support some fantastic community development programs in their producer countries,  such as health care, micro-credit and childcare programs and provide sporting balls to disadvantaged children in an orphanage in Pakistan. Etiko have the world's first certified Fair Trade sporting balls that are produced using environmentally sustainable rubber, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Etiko has developed an education kit about the importance of fair trade for use by teachers and other educators. The education kit includes a DVD produced by Teacher TV in the UK. It is divided into two parts -  the first looks at how a sports ball can be Fairtrade and the second looks at the Fairtrade concept as a whole and gives a positive approach to how individuals can take action. To obtain a copy of the education material and find out more about fair trade visit the Etiko website.

For some more interesting resources on fair trade, and particularly the situation of homeworkers or outworkers in Australia, visit the FairWear website The FairWear campaign actively encourages Australians to think critically about where our clothing is produced and under what conditions. Resources include lesson plans, speakers kit, film and media resources.

The Fair Trade Association of New Zealand and Australia have produced an education resource for use with young people aged 10-13.  This resource includes 6 seperate modules, designed in accordance with Victorian Essential Learning Standards though there will be relevance to other states. All modules consist of a teaching resource, a student resource sheet and a teacher resource sheet. To download this free resource, visit the Fair Trade Association website