• Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
  • Topic
    • Business
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
  • Events
  • Have your say
  • Co-operative News Co-operative News

--

  • Follow us
    • Follow us on Facebook
    • Follow us on Twitter
    • Follow us on Linkedin
  • Login
  • Become a member
  •   0
    • No products in the cart.
  •   0
  • Editions: Global
  • United Kingdom
  • North America
  • Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
  • Topic
    • Business
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
  • Events
  • Have your say
Menu
  • Latest News
  • Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
    • Close
  • Topic
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
    • Close
  • Regions
      • Africa
          • Botswana (3)
          • Burkina Faso (3)
          • Cameroon (4)
          • Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2)
          • Cote d'Ivoire (8)
          • Egypt (4)
          • Ethiopia (10)
          • Ghana (41)
          • Kenya (41)
          • Lesotho (2)
          • Liberia (2)
          • Madagascar (2)
          • Malawi (29)
          • Mali (2)
          • Mauritius (7)
          • Morocco (4)
          • Mozambique (4)
          • Namibia (3)
          • Niger (2)
          • Nigeria (5)
          • Rwanda (35)
          • Sao Tome and Principe (2)
          • Senegal (5)
          • Somalia (1)
          • South Africa (47)
          • South Sudan (2)
          • Sudan (3)
          • Swaziland (4)
          • Tanzania, United Republic of (7)
          • Tunisia (1)
          • Uganda (20)
          • Zambia (7)
          • Zimbabwe (4)
        • Close
      • Asia
          • Afghanistan (7)
          • Armenia (1)
          • Asia/Pacific Region (1)
          • Bahrain (2)
          • Bangladesh (11)
          • Bhutan (1)
          • Cambodia (2)
          • China (21)
          • Hong Kong (1)
          • India (114)
          • Indonesia (7)
          • Iran, Islamic Republic of (9)
          • Iraq (5)
          • Israel (9)
          • Japan (54)
          • Jordan (2)
          • Korea, South (20)
          • Kuwait (1)
          • Kyrgyzstan (1)
          • Lebanon (1)
          • Malaysia (24)
          • Mongolia (3)
          • Nepal (21)
          • Pakistan (7)
          • Palestinian Territory (4)
          • Philippines (23)
          • Russian Federation (4)
          • Saudi Arabia (1)
          • Singapore (33)
          • Sri Lanka (16)
          • Syrian Arab Republic (11)
          • Tajikistan (4)
          • Thailand (6)
          • Timor-Leste (1)
          • Turkey (12)
          • United Arab Emirates (8)
          • Vietnam (16)
          • Yemen (1)
        • Close
      • Europe
          • Albania (1)
          • Austria (9)
          • Belarus (2)
          • Belgium (30)
          • Bulgaria (3)
          • Croatia (3)
          • Cyprus (13)
          • Czech Republic (6)
          • Denmark (22)
          • Estonia (2)
          • Finland (12)
          • France (103)
          • Georgia (3)
          • Germany (51)
          • Greece (16)
          • Guernsey (1)
          • Hungary (2)
          • Iceland (5)
          • Ireland (104)
          • Italy (91)
          • Luxembourg (1)
          • Macedonia (2)
          • Malta (5)
          • Moldova, Republic of (1)
          • Netherlands (28)
          • Norway (14)
          • Poland (15)
          • Portugal (11)
          • Romania (14)
          • Slovakia (4)
          • Slovenia (1)
          • Spain (120)
          • Sweden (35)
          • Switzerland (35)
          • Ukraine (21)
          • United Kingdom (5641)
        • Close
      • North America
          • Antigua and Barbuda (1)
          • Bahamas (3)
          • Barbados (1)
          • Belize (3)
          • Canada (436)
          • Costa Rica (19)
          • Cuba (14)
          • Dominica (2)
          • Dominican Republic (14)
          • El Salvador (2)
          • Grenada (1)
          • Guatemala (11)
          • Haiti (4)
          • Honduras (11)
          • Jamaica (2)
          • Mexico (49)
          • Nicaragua (2)
          • Panama (8)
          • Puerto Rico (11)
          • Saint Kitts and Nevis (1)
          • Trinidad and Tobago (2)
          • Turks and Caicos Islands (1)
          • United States (758)
          • Virgin Islands, British (1)
          • Virgin Islands, U.S. (1)
        • Close
      • Oceania
          • Australia (136)
          • Fiji (2)
          • Kiribati (2)
          • Nauru (1)
          • New Zealand (105)
          • Palau (2)
          • Tonga (1)
        • Close
      • South America
          • Argentina (62)
          • Bolivia (12)
          • Brazil (44)
          • Chile (11)
          • Colombia (26)
          • Ecuador (14)
          • Paraguay (8)
          • Peru (40)
          • Uruguay (10)
          • Venezuela (10)
        • Close
    • Close
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Have your say

Innovative Sustainability Report Issued By Fair Trade Handcrafts Company Handmade Expressions

Social enterprise Handmade Expressions is the first fair trade handcrafts wholesaler to publish a comprehensive sustainability report that analyzes the company’s values, operations and initiatives to affect social...

By Co-operative News and Jeff Goldman
27 June 2013
Social enterprise Handmade Expressions is the first fair trade handcrafts wholesaler to publish a comprehensive sustainability report that analyzes the company’s values, operations and initiatives to affect social and environmental change. Living Our Values, Making an Impact (http://is.gd/HMEimpact)
By Co-operative News and Jeff Goldman
27 June 2013

Social enterprise Handmade Expressions is the first fair trade handcrafts wholesaler to publish a comprehensive sustainability report that analyzes the company’s values, operations and initiatives to affect social and environmental change. Living Our Values, Making an Impact (http://is.gd/HMEimpact) includes several case studies that highlight projects and actions Handmade Expressions, based in Austin, Texas,  took in the last year to fulfill its mission as a socially responsible company committed to people, planet and artisan-crafted fair trade products.

See full Handmade Expressions Sustainability Report

“This level of transparency is incredibly important for fair trade,” said Fair Trade Federation Board Director Michael Skillicorn. “Living Our Values, Making an Impact is unique in its depth and breadth – it’s the type of company report that we need as shoppers to really learn where our products are coming from and to understand the impacts of our choices,” said Skillicorn, who also manages Farmer Relations for Deans Beans Organic Coffee.

Key highlights from Handmade Expressions’ report include:

  • First company to develop a fair trade Artisan Assessment Index, a sustainability measurement tool that quantifies social impacts among artisan groups.
  • Because of Handmade Expressions’ fair trade partnerships, artisans in India receive 17% above market wages.
  • From 2009-2012, artisan family income grew an average of 130%.
  • 80% of Handmade Expressions artisan partners live in rural India, where poverty is extremely high.
  • Women comprise 75% of Handmade Expressions’ artisan partners.
  • Reducing air shipping in 2012 lowered carbon emissions by 41% and saved the company $23,000.
  • Case studies report on safe working conditions, water conservation, business development assistance, education and community projects.

“We searched for reports from other small- and mid-size fair trade companies,” said Handmade Expressions Sustainability Manager Alison Hanson. But the wholesaler couldn’t find examples that went deeper than a page or two on a website or infographics.

“We saw there was a need for leadership in this area, and I am proud of what our small team of passionate individuals in Austin and India have been able to accomplish,” said Founder Manish Gupta, who started the company in 2005. “Our hope is this report inspires other SMEs to become more sustainable and transparent about their product sourcing, labor, and environmental and social impacts,” he said.

See full Handmade Expressions Sustainability Report

In this article
  • Austin
  • Contact Details
  • Environmental social science
  • Fair trade
  • Fair Trade Federation
  • farmer
  • Handmade
  • Michael Skillicorn
  • Person Career
  • Quotation
  • Sustainability
  • Texas
  • wholesaler
  • Asia
  • India
  • admin
  • Jeff Goldman

PrevNext

Related News

  • Soldiers co-operate for post-war support
    10 November 2011
  • Banking and Insurance,  Business,  Development
    ‘Microcredit is No Magic Wand Against Poverty’
    14 November 2011
  • Agriculture,  Community,  Democracy
    Co-operation and the British Empire
    15 November 2012
  • Development,  Environment,  Fairtrade
    Canadian Fair Trade Network Publishes 2nd Print Magazine
    12 August 2013
  • Credit Unions,  Democracy,  Economy
    Co-ops are Big: Charles Gould on the Int’l Year of…
    13 February 2012

Join the Conversation

Most viewed this week

  • Business,  Development
    UAE Ministry of Economy partners with ICA-AP to grow the…
    20 May 2022
  • Retail
    Co-op Group announces major expansion of its online shopping service
    20 May 2022
  • Banking and Insurance,  Environment
    Mutual insurer launches climate adaptability home coverages in Canada
    20 May 2022
  • Credit Unions
    Woccu secures proportional treatment for credit unions in EU’s digital…
    20 May 2022
  • Retail
    Drivers for logistics giant supplying Co-op Group stores take strike…
    24 May 2022
Calling the crème de la crème of co-operatives
Previous
FLO’s Fairtrade Access Fund Reports $3.7M in Long-term Financing Distributed to 7 Coops So Far
Next

Follow us

 

About us
2020 AGM
Contact us
Privacy Policy
Useful Links

Live from Twitter

  • Half year results at @lincscoop: Sales and surplus up as the society draws plans for 'tough times ahead' #coops… https://t.co/RnUD8LHeUP2 hours ago
  • Independent retailer @RadstockCoop reports surplus for 2021 despite pandemic challenges #coops #retail #Radstock… https://t.co/oc9QjPZP933 hours ago
  • RT @briznrg: Community energy has never been more critically important. Working together, we can: ⛽️Reduce reliance on unethical regimes…4 hours ago
Back to top

© 2020 Co-operative Press Ltd.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Would you like co-operative updates straight to your inbox twice a month?

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Co-operative News
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.