Each week, Shared Interest will highlight a business who is activiely promoting Fairtrade in their community.  This blog post does not imply endorsement by Shared Interest.  Please contact us if you would like the ‘spotlight’ on your company.

is based on a simple premise: Beautiful products should not come at the cost of exploitation.

Founded in 2009 by two internationally minded individuals determined to make a difference – one from Indonesia and one from Yorkshire – By Hand is seeking to prove that business can be ethical.

The jewellery and handicrafts in the By Hand catalogue are all fair trade and they all originate from the Indonesian island of Bali. Bali is most widely known as a luxury holiday destination, as a paradise island of white sand beaches and stunning landscapes. But Bali is also a place with a great cultural heritage and families who have been producing stunning jewellery and handicrafts for generations. The island was hit hard by the fall in tourism after the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005 and as a result small producer groups and individuals have lost a lot of their income. By Hand offers a new market for these Balinese producers and at the same time guarantees them a fair price and a business relationship that they can rely on.

Arum Dalu Mekar – a member of the World Fairtrade Organisation – is By Hand’s partner in Bali. Arum Dalu Mekar has been working with Balinese producers for over a decade and during this time has helped the producers to develop better environmental practices and to learn new techniques to complement traditional methods.

Raising the environmental awareness of the producers and encouraging product lines that incorporate recycled materials is another key issue and one that fits in with By Hand’s company ethos of acting in a way that respects the value of natural resources. By Hand works with partners within the UK to offer packaging such as eco jute bags and presentation boxes made from recycled materials. Other materials like envelopes and bubble wrap are recycled too and By Hand even hand-delivers all parcels to the local Post Office, thus cutting out carbon emissions from the use of cars and other vehicles.

In demonstrating ethical and fair trade practices, By Hand hopes to raise awareness of these issues with the general public and to prove that there is an alternative to high street stores and multinational companies with supply chains so long it is almost impossible to know where the goods originated.

Consumers looking to buy jewellery, bags and other accessories no longer need to sacrifice their own values and support stores with questionable company policies. Instead they can make their purchases from small ethical companies, like By Hand, and know where their goods were made and rest assured that the producers are directly benefiting from their purchases. By Hand believes that the exploitation of workers has no place in this world and is living proof that business can be done in a way that benefits everyone involved.

For more information about By Hand and their products and ethical policy, please visit www.by-hand.co.uk.

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