Established in 2005, Belvas, the chocolate factory whose name stands for Belgium and “Valeur Ajoutée pour le Sud” (vas) meaning added value for the South, has made fair trade its trademark. Thierry Noesen, the founder, puts it simply, “If a customer asks for non-fair trade chocolate, we have to say we don’t do that here.”
The Cacao-Trace programme, set up in 2015 by Belgian bakery and chocolate specialist Puratos, aims to improve the living conditions of planters by focusing on improved cocoa quality, which also means increased value.
With its ‘Bite to Fight’ range of chocolates, Oxfam Fair Trade aims to reduce the gap that all too often still exists between cocoa farmers’ real income and a fair and decent income.
Fair trade, ‘the good cause’, does not give you a licence to deliver mediocre quality. Frank Vermeersch Tweet The fact that today more than 1 in 4 bananas in Belgium is fair trade is largely thanks to AgroFair. With its Oké bananas, it was the first to bring bananas to Europe under fair trade conditions […]
Studies show that the CO2 impact drops by as much as 28% if you use a laptop for six years instead of four. Kim Claes – Fair ICT Flanders Tweet “The extremely complex ICT production chain does serious damage to both people and planet. Electronics companies must take their share of the responsibility. That starts […]
When shopping, don’t focus on what’s in fashion, but look for your own style that suits you. Tonny van Bavel Tweet In 2012, Mechelen couple Tonny van Bavel and Anne Hilden took the plunge. “The perfect building in a more than ideal location came on the market. So we brought the start-up journey we were […]
Ray & Jules combines a desire to improve the world with a background in engineering. “The coffee sector produces 60 million tons of CO2 every year. We want to bring that down to zero. It’s ambitious, but doable. Technology like ours can open up new horizons in a sector that has been doing the same thing for over a hundred years. And with all of the associated consequences”, says co-owner Gert Linthout. Introducing a world-first: using solar energy to roast fairtrade coffee.
In Yanfolila, southern Mali, USCPY, a union of nine mango cooperatives, was accompanied by two coaches from the Trade for Development Centre. The work carried out over the three years of the intervention is impressive. Professionalization of the cooperatives, increased production and sales, and the retention of both members and customers… Their coaches detail the progress made.
Welcome to the Harvest Club, in the heart of Leuven. Stefanie Vereecken selects a wide range of clothing, home décor, accessories and beauty and care products for her sociable concept store. All from suppliers with their heart in the right place, just like Stefanie. Want to take a look inside?
Kalani’s household linen is both organic and fair trade. It is one of the few textile brands in the world that knows exactly where the cotton for its household linen comes from. Founder Bruno Van Steenberghe talks about his commitment to farmers in India, about his concern for the environment, and the health of his customers.
