Fair trade is a system where a third-party organization takes a look at how ethical, transparent and sustainable a business, artisan and/or farmer is. Fair trade requires that workers are paid a living wage, that no forced or child labour is happening, and that the environment is respected, among other things. Learn more in-depth about fair trade in our blog post: Fair trade vs free trade: what’s the difference?

Rosette recognizes third-party fair trade organizations that review products and companies for compliance. These organizations are Fairtrade International (FLO-Cert), Small Producers Symbol (SPP), Fair Trade Federation, Fair For Life & World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). We chose these based on their standards and relevance to the Canadian market. There are also other labels out there that are focused primarily on only one arm of the fair trade movement (such as the environment), but because they’re less comprehensive than fair trade, we don’t include them on Rosette Fair Trade.

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is sometimes it’s actually more cost effective.

Fair trade products are premium products. You can’t compare a hand-crafted, organic cotton t-shirt with one made as quickly and cheaply as possible in a sweatshop—they are simply not the same quality. So you would need to compare apples and apples. Assuming we’re doing that, fair trade doesn’t actually tend to cost more. This is because fair trade clothing is made higher-quality than the overwhelming majority of fast fashion brands. It’s common to need to replace a cheap shirt several times in the lifetime of a fair trade shirt. A fair trade garment typically doesn’t cost several times the price of a fast fashion garment, so you actually save money in that way. Fair trade encourages folks to purchase fewer things overall, and purchase those things for their quality and longevity. This is better for our wallets and also better for the people and planet who provide our goods to us! And imagine the time and energy you save when you invest in high-quality garments that you won’t need to replace for a decade or more!

Usually, yes! Making a product with care and attention requires more money to make it, and so impoverished producers often produce lower-quality products. A great example of this is coffee, which is shade-grown under fair trade conditions, and this produces a better-tasting coffee. The shaded bushes don’t ripen the coffee cherries quite so quickly, so the beans have longer to take on a more complex flavour. Non-fair trade workers often work on a huge plantation that’s clear-cut and produces a lower-quality finished product.

There’s also the question of: what value-add does sustainability have? Is an organic, naturally-made, socially-conscious product better in and of itself? We think so. It’s worthwhile to pay a premium to producers so that they can make ethical business decisions that protect people and planet.

When farmers are paid less than the cost of production, terrible things start to happen. In the cotton industry, because of falling prices, some non-fair trade producers spray extremely toxic chemicals that poison local water supplies and wildlife. This is because they can’t cover the cost of production otherwise, and spraying herbicides and pesticides cuts down on labour. We point this out not because we’re judging, but because even the folks who do these things probably don’t feel great about them. Desperate people don’t make good decisions for people and planet.

So yeah! Fair trade means this stuff isn’t happening behind the scenes, which we think does inherently make the product better quality.

The Rosette Network is owned by Lia Walsh, an individual fair trade enthusiast based out of Ottawa, Canada.

Rosette Fair Trade is an online marketplace that specializes in fair trade goods. We only accept fair trade products that are verified or certified by a recognized fair trade body (or products whose ingredients are fair trade). In that sense, you could see Rosette as almost an Etsy or Amazon of fair trade products, where everything is made ethically by fair trade artisans, farmers and small businesses.

While you can shop online 24/7, we are only available by phone and email during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, Eastern Time. This is also when orders are packed and shipped, so if you order on a weekend, please expect to wait until at least Monday before your order is sent. Your patience is appreciated, as we’re a tiny (one person!) operation.

Yes! All products on Rosette at least contain ingredients that are fair trade. When we talk about fair trade, what we mean is that the product or ingredient is certified or verified by one of our approved fair trade bodies. Those bodies are: Fairtrade International (FLO-Cert), Small Producers’ Symbol (SPP), Fair For Life, Fair Trade Federation, and World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

Well, that’d be just one. Rosette is truly a small business! Though Rosette may have the opportunity to grow in the coming years, Lia is currently a one-woman army. She does all the behind-the-scenes product sourcing, social media/marketing, as well as communicating with customers and packing/shipping your orders. Seems like a lot, right? Well, it kind of is! But that’s why your patience, understanding and support is always so appreciated! 🙂

We currently accept VISA, MasterCard & AMEX. If none of these work for you, please contact us directly and we’d be happy to work out an alternative with you. We sometimes process orders manually for customers who require email transfer as a method of payment, for example.

Currently, we do not wholesale to business clients. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you realize right away that there was an error, please get in touch with us! We may be able to add, subtract or replace items, depending on whether the order has been fulfilled and shipped already. Simply email us and we’ll do what we can!

Yes! We usually only need a few days to a week in order to pack up all of your items and ship them.

Right now, as we’re working from home, pickup is at Lia’s (the owner’s) home in Gloucester (in the east end of Ottawa). The nearest major intersection is Montreal Road & Ogilvie Road, but you’ll receive a message with details from Lia when you place your order. From there, we’ll find a pickup time that works for everyone involved.

Once you submit your order, we will contact you right away to organize a convenient time for you to pick up. Typically, customers can pick up their order within 2 business days of placing their order.

We work hard to get your parcel in the mail within 5 business days of your order.

Usual shipping is about 5-7 business days during most of the year and about 12-14 business days during the holiday months. (We give these numbers so that you’re not disappointed in case Canada Post is slow for some reason. But some of our customers report receiving their items sooner.)

Unfortunately, since we rely on shipping partners to get your parcels to you, we don’t have a lot of control over how quickly they will deliver your package. We typically work with Canada Post because many couriers will not deliver to PO boxes and we have lots of rural customers.

Please note that shipping will vary based on your location. Rosette is based in Ottawa and the closer to either coast you get, the longer shipping takes. It may take 2-3 days if you’re in Toronto but 7 days if you’re in Victoria. We do our best, but there’s only so much control we have, so we always really appreciate your understanding!

Yes! All orders over $100 (before taxes) are eligible for free Canada-wide shipping. Orders below this amount are subject to a $17 flat-rate shipping fee, regardless of where in Canada you’re located. If you’re in Ottawa, please consider the free local pickup option if that’s a possibility for you! It helps all of us save on shipping fees.

Unfortunately, to most areas of Canada, we have had unreliable experiences with express shipping through our providers. For this reason, we no longer offer this option. We don’t want our customers to pay a hefty shipping fee and then be disappointed when their parcel is late! We thank you for your understanding on this matter.

Because Rosette is closing at the end of 2024, all sales are final. However, if you receive damaged goods, please let us know so that we can find a way to make it right.

For the details of our return policy, please see the return policy page.

Because Rosette is closing at the end of 2024, all sales are final, meaning that we don’t accept returns anymore. However, if we send you defective or damaged product, please reach out. We’ll be happy to find a solution with you (normally replacing or refunding the value of that product).