Every year when the Danes dance around their Christmas trees it is probable that few, if any, consider the fact that their Christmas tree most likely originates in Georgia. The vast majority of seeds used for growing Danish Christmas trees are sourced from Georgia, where both quality and production quantity are considerably higher than in Denmark.

Harvesting of seeds in Georgia is carried out by hand and under remarkably primitive conditions. The Georgian cone pickers climb up into 30 m tall fir trees in order to reach the seeds. The cone pickers work entirely without safety equipment, a situation which in 2004 cost the lives of two workers when they fell to the ground during the harvest. Several accidents happen each year, but there are no official figures available. Besides working under dangerous conditions, the cone pickers are paid such low wages that it is difficult for them to support their families.

As a result, Bols Xmas Tree Fund was founded in 2007, and shortly afterwards the Fair Trees brand was approved by Fair Trade Danmark. This certification has two crucial consequences: first, we must comply with the extensive regulations and strict criteria of Fair Trade; second, in partnership with you, we can offer consumers a beautiful Christmas tree which will satisfy the increasingly sensitive social conscience of consumers.