Lalupate Ltd has opened a showroom "Studio Himalaya" at a new location in Helsinki nine years after starting operations in the Finnish capital. Lalupate deals in Nepali products throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. The new showroom is operating near the famous Nepali restaurant, Everest, and in close co-operation with Nepal Tourism Board representative in Finland and the Himalayan Culture Association.

Lalupate director, Riitta Reinila-Strommer, says ecological and ethical considerations are of the utmost importance in her company's operations. Nepali producers have to be able to meet these production standards. A "Fair Trade" chain, Studio Himalaya guarantees producers from poor countries a fair minimum price plus an additional fair trade premium to be used for social programmes. Typical Fair Trade products include tea and coffee. Child labour is forbidden and environmental issues are taken into account. "It is important to us that the Nepali environment is conserved for the following generations, too," Riitta said.