Our Story
The Global Conduct Story
Global Conduct began as an idea in early 2006. Founder Lisa Redmond, wanted to seek out the highest quality handcrafted goods directly from the producers with an emphasis on high quality and fair trade principles. In 2006 there was a thriving network of fair trade organisations, retailers and suppliers throughout the world, BUT still very little in Australia. So began a journey to promote and provide a fair trade option to Australians with products being sourced from across the Globe.
Ten years later, the well-established business moved to Sydney brought by Gai and Zoe - two women passionate about fair trade. They have continued with compassion to bring fair trade shopping alternatives into homes, cultivate relationships with overseas producers, and advocate for fair trade – enabling our customers to live a ‘just and fair lifestyle’ - living with others in mind.
Our range includes textiles, bags, fashion, jewellery and giftware, made in and supporting artisan groups from India, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia.
The basic philosophies that we stand by are based on the Ten Principles of Fair Trade. For example, the producer groups we partner with, receive realistic and fair prices. We pay 50% in advance for our orders, so that our suppliers have sufficient funds to cover the raw materials and other needs during production.
You can read more about fair trade here and our policies in detail here.
As a business, we mostly operate online, but do have a bricks and mortar presence throughout the year via a Pop Up shop. You can find more about our market stalls on our Find Us page and on Facebook.
Our commitment to you
We base our relationships on respect, transparency and trust. We seek to contribute to long term, sustainable enterprises - those accredited by the world fair trade organisation - for the benefit of the local producers, so that you can be assured the product you have in your hand is guaranteed fair trade.
We encourage you to use your buying power to make a positive impact on the lives of many and in doing so, contribute to alleviating poverty.
Gai
I can’t remember a time when I was not interested in the wider world. I began travelling in my early 20’s and have never stopped wanting to see and discover what is out there; the lands, culture and people. Seeing some very poor parts of the world in the 1990’s brought info focus a sense of injustice, inequality and that poverty was very real.
In 1993 I attended a community development and anti-poverty discussion led by Tim Costello and hosted by TEAR Australia. I began involving my local church in fundraising, supporting TEAR Australia, World Vision, Amnesty International and Community Aid Abroad – anything that could help reduce world poverty.
Just before 2000, there began a global focus on the Millennium Development Goals (now the SDG's) and how they could be achieved. I was starting to see the gradual picture of a world-wide response to poverty and how this would fit in with the fair trade story.
In 1998 I travelled to India and Nepal with my husband. One of the places we visited was a Tibetan refugee self-help centre on a tea plantation. We watched two women work together, chatting away with children in tow, while weaving colourful and beautiful yarn to make into bags to have for sale. I was looking at social enterprise in action ... this was perhaps the first seed planted in my mind regarding my journey into fair trade.
From that time, I have explored opportunities, help run market stalls with Zoe, and establish a fair trade faith community. Then in 2016 I found myself the owner of a fair trade business!
I love what we do - the people we meet, relationships formed, and the great fair trade network that we are part of. We are always learning and seeking out new products for our customers - to make an impact for good.
Zoe
Zoe left Global Conduct in January 2022. She has continued to work as a midwife and supports fair trade through her purchases and advocacy and you will more than likely find her helping out Gai at a market or two!
