Women stripping palm leaves to make into baskets at
the Rural Development Movement, South India.
Welcome to Banyan Tree Crafts, a fairtrade wholesaler listed in the British Association for Fair Trade Shops Importers' Directory.
The Banyan tree plays a central role in many Indian villages. Its branches, on reaching the ground, take root, meaning one tree can cover a huge area providing vital shade & an ideal outdoor community hall! One such tree stands outside the Rural Development Movement building in a small rural village in Tamil Nadu, South India, which is where Rachel Jones, founder of Banyan Tree Crafts, had the idea of setting up this business on her visit in 2001.
Inside this building women were making beautiful crafts out of waste palm leaves & banana fibre, and the idea of selling these products in England was an opportunity beyond their wildest dreams.
On the same trip, Rachel also visited the Tibetan paper-making project in Nepal, resulting in the ranges of hand-made paper products.
The formation of Banyan Tree Crafts in September 2001 fulfilled one of Rachel's dreams. We hope you enjoy looking at the high-quality, fairtrade crafts we offer.