Western demand drives Burkina Faso organic goods
February 19, 2008
TANGHIN-DASSOURI, Burkina Faso (AFP) - Burkina Faso may be one of the poorest countries on the planet but some of its people are now getting ahead thanks to rising demand in the developed world for organically grown cotton and skin-saving shea butter.
And the principal beneficiaries of this flourishing new trade are village women.
The famed US women’s wear chain Victoria’s Secret last July signed a deal for the delivery this year of 600 tonnes of organic cotton, with the first shipment sent out on December 24.
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Fair Trade certification spreads to cosmetics
February 16, 2008
Shea butter has become the first cosmetic ingredient to be certified as Fair Trade in Canada but others are likely to follow as ethical consumerism catches on. Fair Trade certification has long been available to food manufacturers and importers keen to redress the power imbalances in international trade and protect the rights of disadvantaged workers.
Now the certification system has spread to personal care with shea butter being the first Fair Trade certified cosmetic ingredient to hit the Canadian market.
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