What the opinion leaders say...
Simon Ferrigno, Organic Exchange
"Organic cotton frees farmers and their families from debt and poverty and the endless struggle to survive another year on the edge of survival, and allows them to plan and invest for their futures. There are endless examples in India, Africa and Latin America of farmers able to grow their farm businesses, develop other activities, as well as send children to school, invest in health care and community development and improve their livelihoods. Well done People tree!"
Jeremy Rifkin, Foundation on Economic Trends
"People Tree is our best example to date that re-globalisation of trade, from the bottom - people to people - is the key to creating a sustainable world in the 21st Century."
Jenny Silverthorne-Wright, Oxfam, Buying Manager
"Well done for all you have achieved over the last 5 years. You have played a key role in raising the profile of Fair Trade fashion which is a remarkable achievement. Wishing you continued success for the next 5 years!"
Michael York, New Internationalist Magazine
"People Tree are not just concerned about fair trade labels, they are concerned about trading fairly - and they do this brilliantly. Congratulations on the first five years and best wishes for the future."
George Monbiot, journalist and activist
"In the fashion world there are very few who challenge the system. People Tree is one of them."
Claire Hamer, Accessories Buyer, Topshop
"We are really exciting about the launch of our own collaboration with People Tree, producing an exclusive range that will be in store at the end of February to coincide with the celebration of Fairtrade fortnight. With People Tree's current range in store bringing fair trade awareness to a wider range of customer , we look forward to helping the continuing growth in the ethical market with such a pioneering brand."
Wayne Hemingway, Designer
"I think what the People Tree team are doing is bloody amazing, helping people escape the poverty trap and I really hope you will support them - I do!"
Stewart Wallis, Executive Director New Economics Foundation
"Happy Birthday People Tree! It is so wonderful and so rare to be able to wish happy birthday to an organisation that is simultaneously promoting all three elements of new economics. People Tree promotes well-being by marketing wonderful clothes. People Tree promotes sustainability through the use of organic cotton and environmental production methods. People Tree promotes social justice through a fair deal for producers. People Tree is truly one of the pioneering organisations of the 21st Century and shows others the way to go."
James Bidwell, CEO London Unlimited
"Happy 5th Birthday to People Tree. London is proud to celebrate the combination creativity and sustainability which makes People Tree so special and helps us all towards living more sustainable lives."
What our Fair Trade partners say...
Raihan Ali, Director of Swallows Thanapara, Bangladesh
"Happy 5th Anniversary to People Tree in UK. You are THE BEST PARTNER selling our product and supporting our developing activity. Today People Tree support has meant that we have doubled the number of people who are benefiting from Fair Trade to 150 people as well as increased their earnings by 50% in the last 18 months alone. We really hope that you will continue to buy from People Tree, who are making huge efforts to support the people in this rural area in Bangladesh. Long live People Tree. You are our best friend."
Minka Fair Trade
"Working with People Tree means for us much more than only fair prices for our products because our relation is based mainly in the confidence which makes it possible to turns our dreams in reality.
We only need people who trust on us in order to create a real partnership. People Tree shares our dreams and look after others to be involved in getting them truth.
More than 2,500 indigenous producers from the Andes region feel confident now that our main resource - the alpacas - will not be extinguished for ever thanks to People Tree market support during the last five years. By distributing our alpaca garments in UK and Japan 300 alpaca breeders could get four times higher the payment for our alpaca fibre and 2,000 knitters could get three times higher the payment for our work, comparing with the payments we used to receive from the traditional market.
Having the opportunity to work together we discovered better ways to solve our daily problems in our communities and we can improve our way of live. Communal building, Health centers, pier, paths, roads, bridges and schools were built by our organizations in our communities thanks to the benefits provided by the orders of our fair trade partners like People Tree.
We learned more about the consumers of our production and we are now inviting them to visit us in our communities. Our organizations are ready to offer tourism services all over the year and the visitors can get direct contact with us sharing our places, our food, our works, our culture and also our dreams."
Folk
"People Tree has been working with Folk Bangladesh for 6 years, and at a time when funding from development agencies had stopped and other fair trade companies were not giving us the feedback and training and long term support we needed to make a sellable product, today People Tree support has meant that we have doubled the number of people who are benefiting from Fair Trade to 543 people including 50 indigenous women as well as increased their earnings by 50% in the last 2 years alone. This enabled widows and low-income men and women to educate their kids, put healthy food on the table for their family and old parents and save for the future. People Tree have also continued their support through regular order to our Indigenous producers, which covers the running costs for 50 poor women who are staying with their old parents who are the only earning member of their family.
In the year 2004 Flood massed so many producers’ house, loom and paddy field. Flood affected victims producer could not make any product in flood time and they could not earn money. To help flood affected victims People Tree give their hands to the victims and they help the flood affected victims given food i,e rice, dal , salt and cooking oil etc. and given more order . Our new challenge to start Organic cotton project to help our Indigenous producers in rural and hill tract area in Bangladesh with 2 years of time. Primarily it will be small project but it can be change our poor indigenous producers life.
We really hope that you will continue to support People Tree, who are making huge efforts to support the people in this rural area in Bangladesh"