After going through Yongkang Park, we find a small brand written “Earth Tree”. The store has a coffee tree in its small yard. Opening the delicate iron gate, a lot of exotic and attractive stuffs showed in the yard. The board on the gate is written, “Purchase those handiwork or agriculture products which are environment friendly and made by traditional craft; Create a fair and transparent trade plate form for customers to buy safe and nature products, and also for producers to be economic independent.” This is a store of fair trade.

Divers products

In the bright and high-ceiling store, they gather and collect different kinds of fair-trade products in the world. Some of them are delicate and cute, some are practical, and some are exotic. Every product is handicraft and original creation. There is a label posted beside the product, indicating the type, function, producer’s background, and the place of origin, to help customers understand the stories behind the products.

Product qualities

Most of the products are made in undeveloped countries. Some people may wonder that the quality may not be good. However, in addition to cooperation with producers from all over the world, most of the products are purchased from People Tree and Nepali Bazaro which are fair-trade organizations in Japan. Every product is selected and thus delicate. In addition, all of the products here follow the principles of protecting ecology environment, promoting nature and environment-protection materials, and protecting ecology system.

Fair trade

Handicrafts in this store are mostly from the countries in Asia, Africa, and Central America. Producers use the local nature materials and sell the products via fair trade plate form. Thus, consumers can be the products in reasonable price as well. The producer’s interest won’t be taken away by the agent, and thus they will have ability to change their own environment and pursue social justice. Earth Tree is the first fair-trade store in Taiwan. Hopefully there will be more people understand and join the fair-trade movement.

Lovely Japanese organization

In Taiwan, the stores focusing on fair trade are just a few. Earth Tree is the first store in Asia (out of Japan) where people can buy stuffs designed and developed by Japan fair-trade organization. The staff shared with us that some other fair-trade stores in Taiwan had contacted the Japanese fair-trade organizations. However, the organizations rejected other stores just because the operation with Earth Tree. Thus, Earth Tree’s products are unique.

Ecology environment

The materials used for the products sold in Earth Tree are very environment- protection, such as plant-coloring, organic cotton, waste wood and small pieces of cloth. They believe in “organic agriculture, handiwork replacing machine, fashion and safe/ healthy”. They hope to make the impact to be as small as possible to the environment in the production process. Every product is unique. The logo of Earth Tree is a tree with love and encourage. They hope the love tree will be in everyone’s heart.