New Fair Trade Products: Minga Imports!
You may have noticed some of the new items from our latest fair trade vendor, Minga Imports.
Their alpaca fur stuffed animals have been a huge hit and are flying off the shelves! Alpacas are an essential part of local economies all over Peru, used both for their sheared wool and as a vital source of sustenance. These alpaca animals come from Cieneguilla, a small rural district nestled in the Andes mountains of Peru.
Minga Imports primarily works with artisans in Ecuador, Peru, and Bangladesh. Rather than working with artisan cooperatives, as many fair trade importers do, Minga Imports focuses on small family businesses and building direct relationships with those families.
Some notable items we carry are the little llama magnets and keychains from Peru, tagua seed keychains from Ecuador, animal play masks (just in time for Halloween) from Bangladesh, sustainably sourced Palo Santo incense sticks from Peru, and of course, those alpaca animals from Peru.
Tagua fun facts: Tagua is a seed from a fruit that grows in various parts of the South American rainforests, including in Ecuador. The fruit is not used for sustenance as it doesn't have much flavor. However, harvesting tagua for its pit-like seeds doesn't harm the rainforest and was part of a flourishing industry that has all but vanished since the invention of plastic in the 1940s. Prior to plastics, it was very common for our clothing to be made with tagua buttons! Commonly known as "vegetable ivory", tagua is an alternative that discourages poaching elephants and rhinos for ivory. Tagua products encourage the growth and maintenance of the Tagua Palm and the protection of the rainforests where they grow. Tagua also provides much-needed jobs for artisans and farmers who work with it. Today, it is used primarily for making jewelry and miniature sculptures. You can expect to see more tagua products in our store in the future.
To learn more about Minga Imports, their work, and artisan groups they partner with, visit:
https://www.mingaimports.com/why-fair-trade/
https://www.mingaimports.com/artisans/