Summary
Fair trade goods may seem a quintessentially 21st century concern, tailor-made for today's conscientious shopper. The trend has seen a phenomenal boom in recent years. But S4C programme- makers believe a Welshman may have been behind one of the world's first 'fair trade' establishments - in the 18th Century. Over 200 years ago Iolo Morganwg, one of Welsh history's most colourful historical characters, owned a shop where he sold 'East India Sweets, uncontaminated with human gore'. Iolo, a stone mason and poet who was also responsible for dreaming up the Eisteddfod's druidic Gorsedd of Bards, banned sugar from the Caribbean from his shop because of the use of slaves in its production.
He was inspired by the ideas of the American Revolution and the subsequent French Revolution, but despaired at the fact that despite the political awakenings during this era, around 70,000 slaves were still being seized from Africa each year.See the full content of this document
Extract
Welsh Fair Trader Who Really Beat the Trend
Fittingly, his shop was in Cowbridge, the Val...
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