What’s Fair Trade got to do with it?

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– Jul 19, 2011

Posted by
Alyson Rowe

Ryan Taylor, Chief Designer and Co-Founder of Fair Trade Jewellery Co., and long-time friend of War Child, shares his insight on the benefits of fair trade and ethical mining in this insightful interview.

Now, I’m sure we’re all aware of the benefits of fair trade but can you explain the process involved in procuring fair-trade metals like gold and platinum? How is this process more ethical and environmentally friendly than traditional mining? 

There are 3 questions there so I’ll try to answer in order:  Because we are registered with Fairtrade Canada and have what is called a FLO (FairTrade Labeling Organization) ID number. This ID authorizes us to trade directly with Fairtrade Fairmined certified producer groups. For us it is miners, but for other initiatives like coffee and cocoa it is farmers.

Minerals are shipped raw to us to be refined, and alloyed with 100% recycled metals. This is then used to make the 18 Karat gold or 950 Platinum we offer our designs in.  The Producer groups (miners) are certified by FLO-Cert GMbH, the auditing arm of Fairtrade. This ensures that each mining community adheres to the Fairmined program. When we purchase gold and platinum from the miners our order is tracked by Fairtrade Canada and our sales are audited against the minerals we have purchased. This independently audited supply chain gives customers the peace of mind that their gold/platinum came where we said it did, and the miners receive their Fairtrade premium. 

In the case of Fairtrade Fairmined Ecological gold our friends in Colombia receive an extra financial incentive to continue their ban on mercury & cyanide use, while also committing to land stewardship programs for areas no longer suitable for mining. If you would like to meet the community we encourage you to watch our documentary here: http://www.ftjco.com/fairtrade.

Professionally speaking, was founding the first fair trade ecological gold and platinum retailer a goal of yours from the onset or did the idea come to you while learning the craft and mastering your skills as a goldsmith? 

It was a natural evolution. In 2005-06 the jewellery industry was one of the few that remained untouched by consumers increasing awareness of the social and environmental impact of their purchases.  As we started to question the source, sustainability and social impact of our materials, we found that suppliers of gold, diamonds and other materials were more interested in maintaining the status quo, than effecting any real change.  We wanted to see if we, as a company, could do better by finding and purchasing from like-minded people in the supply chain. 

We started with our metals, researching artisan mining as a starting point for responsibly sourced gold and platinum.  That journey crossed continents as we began talking to communities from the Amazon to Alaska, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Colombia. Each region represented new stakeholders and unique challenges.  What we found was that artisan mining isn't all good.  Some projects were exploitive, others were ecologically damaging and some were both.  Even more surprising was that, despite a common consumer association with diamonds as the source of financing for armed conflict, we found that gold and platinum also represented an important source of revenue for armed groups. Which is why supporting the work of War Child means a great deal to us. 

Can you share with our supporters the benefits of purchasing fair trade, ethically mined minerals? 

By purchasing Fairtrade Fairmined Ecological gold or platinum you are encouraging sustainable community, and business development in Colombia and are helping miners protect their eco system, and build stronger, sustainable businesses and communities.  Or Fairtrade Fairmined metals support producer groups in Bolivia & Peru and help advance health and safety standards, community development and education.  We feel Fairtrade Fairmined metals are the ultimate symbol of commitment and values, what jewellery was meant for. It’s loved from the ground up.  

What advice or pointers do you have for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking to partner with a charity or leverage their business to raise funds for causes they care about? 

I’m a designer not an activist, but I am hyper aware of the impact of my work. The organizations we choose to partner with have become an extension of our values in the field, advising, educating and shaping our business to reduce impact and influence positive change. Entrepreneurs looking to partner with a charity should see it as an opportunity to grow, not a marketing gimmick. 

War Child’s partners, like Fair Trade Jewellery Co. are all passionate and dedicated folks who strive to give back and raise awareness about causes they care about. Most large companies and corporations have huge budgets and corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments; however, your company is more unusual in that it is a small business. Why is partnering with War Child and using your business to support charity important to you?

As a small family company we don’t have the capital to outright fund the programs which we know are impacted by conflict minerals. However, our desire to support often leads to some creative fundraising like ‘Trashman’ an initiative during a (Summer) Toronto Garbage strike in which we hauled away bags of dirty diapers for donations to War Child. Most brand managers would not want their jewellery company to be associated with trash, but we felt there was an opportunity to raise awareness and support families in our community. Our upcoming holiday fundraising initiative is much more significant as we are hoping to raise $40k for War Child's education programs and set the benchmark for CSR. 

Now, everyone at War Child knows you as Ryan Taylor, donor and Founder of FTJCO, but some people in Toronto know you as Trash Man or as the elf DJ from #HoHoTO. It seems you always have an new project up your sleeve, so what’s next for the devilishly handsome philanthropic dynamo?

I am answering this question only because someone other than my Mum called me “devilishly handsome”, and you will have to publish it.  Stay tuned for this holiday season, I’m extremely excited to be working on something special for War Child. 

To learn more about Fair Trade please visit: http://www.fairtrade.net

Categories: Get Informed, Issues and Opinions, Features, Profiles,
Tags: conflict minerals, csr, fair mined, fair trade,

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