Shared Earth - The next chapter
Gift and Housewares Magazine Spring 2008
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As we reported in our last issue of Gifts and Housewares, Jeremy Piercy and his team of Fair Trade crusaders were making their way to India to work alongside artisans there, to monitor the progress that had been made and see the difference that a fair trading company can make to these people’s lives. The trip was a tremendous success and in the two weeks that the team was there, a lot was seen and a great experience was gained. Both rewarding for the team and the people of India, places visited included Delhi, Agra, Saharanpur and Kolkata, where suppliers were working with hundreds of Indian producers to deliver Fair Trade products on a worldwide scale. The Shared Earth team was taken to a slum, orphanage, villages, cities and funded schools travelling right across India to discover the real positive impact that Fair Trade is making on the lives of the workers and their families.
Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth, organised the trip. He showed his enthusiasm for all that had been achieved, “During our visit we reviewed a selection of Fair Trade projects set up by Indian suppliers which are designed to give back to the community. We visited a slum, orphanage, workshops and schools, all of which have been set up or funded through Fair Trade. It was a pleasure to view the progress and positive impact for workers, families and communities. With an increase in sales of 8% within our shops, we are hopeful of a positive take up for our Shared Earth franchise package, which is the first of its kind in the UK. This project will undoubtedly give more work to worldwide handicraft suppliers, giving this industry a real boost.”
