Our Commitment to Caring for the Earth

The end of October is the height of the harvesting season. It’s also prime time for gourds. You’re baking with them, carving them, and placing them around your house just about anywhere they will fit (pro tip: remember where you put them to avoid a rotten surprise next March…). The end of October is also the end of Fair Trade Month, which means (you guessed it) we need to talk about sustainably harvested materials and gourd art!

The Santa Gourd Ornament is handcrafted by artisans working with Manos Amigas in Peru. Gourds are ingeniously eco-friendly. Because they grow so quickly and can be replanted each year, unlike most trees, they provide a sturdy and sustainable material that’s easy to work with. They are also preferable to plastic, which requires lots of energy to manufacture.

In addition to being eco-friendly, these ornaments are gourd-geous (sorry, we couldn’t resist). The rich burnt orange tones will contrast beautifully with the pines of your evergreen.

Respect for the environment is one of the World Fair Trade Organization’s 10 Principles of Fair Trade, and we’re all about it (along with opportunities for fair payment, good working conditions, no discrimination, and opportunities for disadvantaged producers which we’ve also written about this month).

The Earth sustains us, and we believe it’s courteous to return the favor.

In addition to focusing on the use of eco-friendly materials, such as gourds, recycled sari fabric, and circuit boards, in our products, we also promote creative re-use and energy efficiency in artisan workshops and our supply chain to minimize our environmental footprint. Providing artisans with a fair, living wage is essential to improve the standard of living around the world, but it’s equally vital to create a chance for future generations to do the same. By caring for the Earth, you’re helping create a better world today and tomorrow.