In 2021, we opened a production facility in Accra with a team of full time master weavers. At the production facility, we not only provide tools and materials but cover transportation costs, provide meals, and health care services. This allows the weavers to save on expenses and maximise their earnings per basket; achieving a far higher price than if they sold through the traditional market place.

All of our products are ethically made, and our focus is on empowering communities, working together to provide a sustainable future.

Buying your basket from Adinkra Designs means you are assured the baskets are made well above the standard Fair Trade conditions. The most common purchasing method that importers use is through the basket market that occurs daily in Bolgatanga, Northern Ghana. The trade conditions of these markets means the original craftsman receives very little for their basket, often they receive below the costs they incurred in making it - resulting in many still living in conditions we perceive below standard. This is due to the fact that each basket is traded from the original weaver and passes through the hands of many agents reselling the basket many times over until the final buyer exports it. By the time export costs are added, out of what you pay to the final importer, very little percentage goes back to the original craftsman.

Our employees receive full price for their basket and incur zero expense in creating as we cover all transportation, materials and meals to ensure each get 100% profit for their work.

Adinkra Designs are proud members of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand and we are fully committed to the Fair Trade Principles and Code of Practice. We strive to go beyond Fair Trade as we look to create and evolve our weaving centre into a sustainable industry that sees all having equal opportunity to make a living they can thrive on and not just survive on.

We incorporate the 10 principles of Fair Trade as guided by the WFTO into all of our business practices. Please refer to WFTO for further information.

We work directly with a select team of artisans employed at our weaving centre in Accra, Ghana so that we can not only ensure the consistent quality of our baskets but to also ensure that our team is paid fairly and work within an ethical standard. Our team receives a steady weekly wage that provides income security, more than what they would receive by selling their baskets through the typical market process. 

Adinkra Designs products are made from natural materials sourced from the earth that are completely sustainable. This also makes our products eco-friendly alternatives to mass produced substitutes on the market.

While Ghana is one of the most stable and safe African countries with healthy economic progress, it is still a developing nation with lots of potential for further growth. We believe progress begins with children and empowering children through education is vital in breaking the cycle of poverty. Adinkra Designs are committed to helping communities in Ghana; it is part of what we stand for. One of the many projects we are involved in is partnering with AYI Centres to build youth centres throughout Ghana. 

Adinkra Designs raises awareness of the aim of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in world trade through Fair Trade. Adinkra Designs seeks to provide our customers with information about ourselves, our products, and our overseas partners. Honest advertising and marketing techniques are always used.

Are you a store interested in stocking Fair Trade products wholesale? The download the Fair Trade Association wholesale catalogue to discover more ethical brands in Australia. Adinkra Designs are proud members of the Fair Trade Association and to be part of their annual wholesale catalogue.

Don't forget to head to our wholesale application form to register your interest to become one of our stockist.