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Feather earrings are fun fashion showstoppers with flowing movement, soft textures, and feminine style.

Where do our feathers come from & why does it matter?

Ethically sourced feathers – also known as ethically collected feathers – are usually by-products of nature or farming industries. In areas of extreme poverty where food insecurity and starvation are very real threats to families with limited resources, wild and domestic livestock animals are vital resources for preventing food insecurity and starvation, especially for families living in isolated rural villages.

Chickens provide vital sustainable protein through egg-laying for families living in poverty who often suffer from malnutrition. These families can also collect feathers that laying chickens and other local birds naturally molt – or shed – to sell in the marketplace or use as materials to create feather products they can sell to earn income to feed their families.

Grateful for every opportunity to help their families rise from surviving to thriving, Artisans in areas of extreme poverty are careful not to waste any available resources, including the feathers of chickens that are sold for meat by local farmers.

Although the consumption of meat is considered controversial in some cultures, it is necessary for survival for many families in areas of extreme poverty. Rather than waste the feathers of chickens that are already being sold for meat, Artisans collect the feathers to create products they can sell to earn income to provide for their families.

In countries where many families live in extreme poverty, Artisans depend on every affordable, available, and renewable resource to create products that allow them to earn enough income to provide for their families’ needs.

Trades of Hope is partnering with Artisans in India to support ethical fashion and empower families out of poverty.

Every Trades of Hope purchase from India helps families rise from surviving to thriving.