Soul Economy

It was a great pleasure for Soul Economy to have the opportunity to ask Tracey from ibuTrade some questions recently. ibuTrade is an online gift shop for fairtrade and eco-friendly products with the added bonus of free extra gift services such as postage, gift wrapping and even writing on the gift tags.

1/ What inspired you to start ibuTrade? What were you doing before ibuTrade?

Initially my interest in Fair Trade arose from a trip to Cambodia in the early nineties. At that time there were so many people begging on the streets, it was devastating. We were advised by CARE Australia staff not to give to those begging as it perpetuated the cycle of dependence. Instead it was suggested that if we wanted to help it was best to buy things such as 1970’s textbooks being sold on the streets. So we did. The message stuck, as did the impact of witnessing extreme poverty, and for that reason I have always been a supporter of Fair Trade.

Many moons later ibuTrade was born when I was at a crossroads in my life. Having spent ten years in my beloved Darwin, teaching English as a Second Language to refugees and migrants, I moved with my family to the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland. I had been struggling with the whole work/life juggling act, feeling like I was on a bit of a treadmill, so I decided to do something that would be conducive to my primary role as a mother to three young children. I had always bought Fair Trade and green products when I could, but had been frustrated by the limited range and accessibility of them. Having travelled extensively in my BC period (before children) and from my time in Darwin, I knew there were high quality ethical products out there that would have a broader appeal, so I set about sourcing them: ibuTrade evolved from there. My children don’t have to go to childcare, I feel like I am doing something meaningful and I get to shop; everybody’s happy.

2/ What is the philosophy behind the company? What is your vision?

The name ibuTrade is derived from the Bahasa Indonesia word for mother, “ibu”. In using this term we aim to highlight the importance of Mother Nature; the Mother Spirit that smiles at adversity; the role of mothers in developing countries as well as in Australia; and the nurturing of unique skills to benefit those groups most marginalised by the modern global economy. In doing so, we aim to provide a venue for ethically aware people to access beautiful gifts without compromising their principles or their taste.

My vision is for ibuTrade to continue to grow and thus enable us to continue to support our producers as well as extend our producer base and the causes that we are able to support. IbuTrade donates 5% of annual profits to selected charities and there are so many deserving causes that it is hard to choose where the donations should go. I would also like to assist new projects and be more involved in product development. One of my many bugbears is to set up a project in East Timor where fashion handbags would be made from traditional Tais….one day… I don’t see us a lone sailors out there, but as a part of a growing movement, the whole of which we’d like to see have a major impact on the Australian consumer market.

3/ Tell us about the ibuTrade product range?

Our products are selected for their originality, quality and ethical credentials. We are really looking for the fusion of ethics and aesthetics so that every product is a beautiful appealing piece on its own and the fact that it is Fair Trade and green is a bonus side issue. We want people to be able to shop with a clear conscience but not because of conscience.

We promote ourselves as a gift shop, because our range comprises of home decor pieces, fashion accessories and books that make gorgeous gifts for others or as a treat for one self. Also as an online retailer, we provide free extra gift services such as postage, gift wrapping and even writing on the gift tags.

Along the green lines we have bags made from recycled PVC museum advertising banners, wallets made from recycled bike inner tubes, lamps made from recycled polymer, hemp bags and organic baby products among other things.

Our Fair Trade lines include alpaca scarves from Peru, silk scarves from Laos, Australian indigenous jewellery and cushion covers that are chain-stitched in Kashmir.

4/ What have been your greatest challenges in setting up ibuTrade?

The whole small business scenario was like going back to Uni as I do it all, tax, accounting, marketing. It has been a huge learning curve. Working on my own can be difficult in terms of motivation and direction. I love going to events like the Fair Trade Fiestas and meeting my customers and others in the field and I aim to do more events for that reason. Sticking to my product criteria can also be difficult as people send you images or samples of their products but if they don’t fit the ibu ethos, I just can’t carry them even if I’d like to.

5/ What have been your greatest successes?

Getting the web site up was a major achievement. Every time I make a sale I consider it a great success, a validation of what I am doing.

6/ It is wonderful that ibuTrade products are both fair trade and eco-logical, how is this achieved?

Well with the Fair Trade side of things only chocolate, coffee, tea and Quinoa can be certified at the moment. So that makes it very important that we only buy from genuine Fair Trade organisations. To do this, we look to if they’re members of IFAT or other reputable Fair Trade organisations and cooperatives; where possible we actually witness the producer’s business practices; we also bypass middlemen and deal directly with the producer where possible and we provide information on all our producers on the ibuTrade website so our customers can be aware of the ethical credentials of every producer. The onus is really on the producer to provide the information we require to assess whether they fit the IFAT Fair Trade criteria that we follow.

With our overseas producers, it is often the case that traditional methods of production are used, meaning no excessive use of energy resources and no chemicals are used. Some innovative organizations make it a matter of principle to be eco-friendly and Fair Trade, such as Lanka Kade in Sri Lanka who use exhausted rubber wood plantations to make children’s toys and puzzles; and Under the Nile in Egypt who specialize in Egyptian organic cotton baby products. Both these organiations are transparently Fair Trade and members of IFAT. Many of the ‘green’ products we stock are also produced in Australia or the US, where labour laws guarantee fair trading.

There are many products we cannot take on as they are not strictly fair trade or eco-friendly and this can be difficult as they may still be produced by people or communities who really need support, but we always explain why a certain product cannot be included and maybe, hopefully this may influence production processes in the right direction.

7/ Can you tell us about some of the communities that are being supported by your work?

One of my favourite organizations is Better World Arts, an Australian not for profit organisation based in the Ananagu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in SA. They have set up an amazing skill sharing project that assists indigenous Australians as well as people in Kashmir and Peru. Indigenous designs are sent to Kashmir to be chainstitched by hand into gorgeous woollen cushions and to Peru to be made into stunning silver jewellery. They have been called “the Body Shop of Aboriginal Art”.

Organisations such as Ethica in Peru and OckPopTok and Eastern WEFT in Laos aim specifically to enhance the living standards of mothers by enabling them to earn a fair wage from home. For example, in the Pitumarca region of Peru, the Sisters of St Joseph provide the women with alpaca wool and knitting needles. The women then head off to their mountain homes, returning a couple of months later with an array of beautiful scarves and knitwear. The women are paid in advance, have job security and all the benefits, including dignity, that follow from that.

8/ What would be the consequences for these communities if the products were not ethically traded?

Well it is universally true that if a community is not sustainable it disintegrates. Men leave to work in the cities, breaking up the family unit or taking them with them to make the transition from rural poverty to urban poverty. Traditional skills are lost. Desperation paves the way for exploitation. This is true for the women of Peru who create Ethica’s scarves, OckPopTok’s weaver’s in Laos and also the artists of the Ananagu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in Australia.

9/ What advice would you give to others keen on starting their own responsible businesses?

I don’t really think I am in any position to give advice as I am still rather new at this and learning from my own mistakes. With that in mind I guess my advice would be to be prepared to make mistakes and for things to go wrong, but you can minimize teething issues with lots of research and preparation. Also any small business requires intensive effort and sacrifice to a degree, so it helps to be passionate about what you’re doing.

Now we here at Soul Economy like to get to know our soulful entrepreneurs a little better, so on a more personal note we have 5 quick questions:

1/ What is your favourite food?
Cocolo almond dark chocolate + Lamb Satay with gado gado made by Pak Wibisono at Darwin’s Nightcliff markets.

2/ Name your top 3 favourite movies of all time?
Lantana, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? + anything by Mike Leigh (I’m into depressing social realism)

3/ What do you do to relax?
Yoga, drink good red wine + dance with my children (not all at the same time)

4/ Do you have someone you look up to or admire?
Nelson Mandela and the many unknown like him who have walked away from injustice and trauma without bitterness but with hearts full of hope and forgiveness.

5/ Do you have a favourite book and why?
My Brilliant Career. I read this in my teens and unlike many books that had an impact on me during my adolescence, the message and beauty of this one prevails. As an Australian woman I am inspired by the verve, nerve and brilliance of a sixteen year old Miles Franklin. Jane Eyre is a close second as I’m a hopeless romantic.

ibuTrade:
12 Wandoo Court
Mapleton Qld 4560
T: 1300 798 600
M: 0435 016 724
F: +61 (0)7 5445 7437
E: tracey@ibutrade.com.au
W: www.ibutrade.com.au

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