A new online marketplace connecting ethical shoppers with small artisan producers of natural, organic and handmade and fair trade products has launched. 

Named Ethikl, the site is online at www.ethikl.com.au

In the tradition of a local farmers’ market, Ethikl caters to small artisan producers who use organic, natural, or recycled ingredients or make their products by hand and have limited exposure. Sellers have the opportunity to set up virtual storefronts to post their wares and share information.

“At Ethikl, shoppers have a similar experience to visiting a farmers’ market where there is the opportunity to discover amazing local goods from passionate producers. With social networking features to help shoppers get to know sellers, Ethikl is all about connecting consumers directly with the producers,” says Peita Gardiman, founder of Ethikl.

“What’s more, there’s no limit to what’s available. From private farms to home kitchens, all the products for sale on Ethikl are high-quality and free from artificial ingredients. For example, at Ethikl, people in Sydney can order handcrafted children’s clothes from designers at Eumundi Markets in Queensland or buy organic herbal chai tea direct from an organic farmer in Mullumbimby. “Most people simply don’t have access to these kinds of handmade products and artisan food makers.”

According to Gardiman, one of the main aims of Ethikl is to promote and support the ethical consumer movement and encourage shoppers to make positive buying decisions, such as favouring ethical products, be they fair trade, cruelty free, organic, recycled, re-used, or produced locally.

"One of our goals is to change the way the economy works and begin to change people’s consumption habits. Many people are tired of mass produced, chemically- packed products and want to get back to basics,” said Gardiman.

“We live in a culture of excess, we want more and more and then throw it away faster and faster. When you buy something from Ethikl, there’s a story behind it. There’s a person behind it. If people start to rediscover handmade, natural products, they will learn to treasure them and become more ethical consumers.”