ETHOS Handicrafts is a family run business started by Kris Holland and her daughters, Kim and Sally, in 2007. Kris lived in various parts of South East Asia for ten years teaching and working with community health aid projects. This experience brought her face to face with Third World poverty and how these communities were being marginalised and kept in poverty by unfair trade practices. After returning to Australia Kris maintained close connections with Asia. A desire to help the people she met combined with a passion for Asian culture became the inspiration behind ETHOS Handicrafts, providing a market for the unique hand crafted products produced by fair trade organisations and many of the craftspeople she personally knows.

Since opening almost three years ago Ethos has been able to extend and diversify its product range to include a large selection of multicultural toys and items for early childhood, eco-friendly cards, handmade paper products, handmade jewellery, ceramics and homewares, Putumayo world music and a selection of fairtrade certified coffee, tea and chocolate. We look forward to welcoming you to our shop located in Cairns, Far North Queensland at  2 / 132 Collins Avenue Edge Hill, (next to the petrol station) or to our new on-line store. If you have enquiries about any of our products or if there is something that you would like that is not listed in our on-line product range please contact us by phone or email and we will try to assist you. 

What is Fair Trade all about?

Every day we buy and use products from all around the world but as the Association of Fair Trade states "Unfortunately unfair trade rules have been widely recognised as one of the major contributors to global poverty. . . ". Purchasing fair trade products gives us all the opportunity to buy ethically produced goods without the exploitation of the producers. In other words, it's about giving producers in developing countries a fair deal, including fairer trading terms, better working conditions, a safe working environment and ensuring that no child labour is involved. 

Most customers want to know where the products that they buy come from and under what conditions they are made. Fair Trade gives customers the confidence and assurance that the producers are paid a fair wage for the goods they produce which enables them to meet such basic needs as food, clothing, education, housing and healthcare for themselves and their families.

ETHOS is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia & New Zealand. For more information about fair trade please contact the FTAANZ website www.fairtrade.com.au