Although the value of orders has dropped overall, the number has gone up, giving the Gateshead-based fair trade organisation the busiest November in its 32-year history.
With almost 18,000 new customers recruited over the autumn, Traidcraft’s mail order sales grew by around 10 per cent. At the busiest period parcels were leaving its Tyneside base at the rate of 1400 a day.
"More people have bought from us this autumn than ever before – but they’ve spent less," said Traidcraft Business Director Mags Vaughan.
"That’s an inevitable consequence of the current economic situation. But people still care, and they’re well aware that however bad the situation may be here, it is always the poor who are hit hardest by recession."
That goes for Traidcraft’s producers too. Whilst many developing countries are seeing some growth in export orders to countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China, exports to key fair trade markets in Europe, the US and Japan are significantly down.
This hits poorer, less resilient producers hard. Wages, raw materials and energy costs are higher, and local currencies have continued to increase against the dollar, which drives up the price of exports and makes their product less attractive.
"Traidcraft works with some of the most vulnerable and marginalised producers to help them export and to develop local markets," says Mags Vaughan.
"We need to be mindful that our work is more important than ever when even one element of the economic downturn can have a catastrophic effect for the producers with whom we work. The unprecedented downturn we’re all facing hits them hardest of all.
"But the increase in our order numbers suggests that whatever else people have sacrificed this Christmas, they have done their best to ensure that what they spend delivers maximum benefit to other families around the world."
-ENDS-
For more information or to request an interview and/or a hi-res version of the photograph, contact Victoria Lamb on 0191 4976418 or at victorial@traidcraft.co.uk.
