Response from Trade Aid

Thank you very much for your email, it sounds like a great project to work on. Please find information below on the requirements that Trade Aid would need to be satisfied in order to set up a trading relationship.

In general there are two main parts to our criteria for taking on new partners.

1.       Trade Aid is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (www.wfto.com) and is committed to working within this system. We have a criteria that needs to be fulfilled for us to take on new partners and this can be found as a link from the Trade Aid webpage: http://www.tradeaid.org.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/95 which also has other useful information on our partnerships. The direct link to the criteria is here: http://www.tradeaid.org.nz/Who%20we%20are/Trade%20Aid%20trading%20partner%20criteria.pdf

2.       In addition, in order for us to take on any new groups, the product would have to be unique to any we already have in-store, and for us to feel that there is a sustainable market here in New Zealand for the product. In this way, an exfoliating product would probably be considered sufficiently different from the body products we already have in-store however, our main concern around the product itself would be its pricing. In our experience with products from the Pacific it is very difficult to get them here at a price point that New Zealanders are willing to pay for them. For us to take on a new product we have to believe that we will be able to sell it on an ongoing basis rather than a one-off fundraising type product which can hold a higher price point. We are aware that both the transporting of product from the Pacific and manufacturing in NZ carry high costs. Within NZ there are options to sell to Trade Aid Importers who can distribute products around New Zealand to our chain of shops which carries a wholesale margin, or the option to sell directly to shops which reduces the margin required but increases distribution costs and capacity required from you.

Finally, the structure that you propose appears to sit outside of the structure we choose to work under as a fair trade organisation. It is difficult to see how we would be able to apply the ten fair trading principles to your collection system if you are not working directly with any one producer group. We like to set up direct trading relationships with producer groups themselves, and we prefer initiatives that have been generated by the community that benefits from it, in order to enhance its chance of becoming a sustainable solution for change within communities. However, there is a little bit of flexibility in regards to the structures we work within in recognition of the lack of a one size fits all solution for alleviating poverty.

Please feel free to contact us again if you have further questions, or if I have misunderstood any of the information contained in your email.

Nga mihi nui

Michelia Miles