Ethikl Launches Ethical Goods Market

Seems like it’s the year for MarketPlaces. Already I’ve been hit with a handful of press releases from market-based startups, the latest of which is Ethikl.

Ethikl is a new marketplace connecting ethical shoppers with small artisan producers of natural, organic and handmade and fair trade products. Think of it as Etsy with a green/fair focus.

Ethikl is seeking to replicate the farmer’s market model, while modernising and scaling it up using the power of the Internet. The site 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 about themselves and their products.

“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,” she says.
 
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 favoring 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,” says Gardiman

The site  is quite small at the moment, and there’s no doubt still a lot of work to do to scale it up, but it’s a noble cause so I’m looking forward to seeing Gardiman and her team succeed.