Feel-good Christmas gifts - ethical giving

There's no getting around that fact that we'll all be spending this Christmas, but you can choose to shop the ethical way. Feel-good gifts are the smart way to spend - you can bring a smile to someone's face and give yourself a pat on the back at the same time!

If you're keen to give a meaningful gift this Christmas and are reluctant to add to the volume of clutter and unwanted presents that end up in landfill by the New Year, then an ethical gift could be the perfect solution. As part of an initiative set up by Oxfam, you can shop online from a selection of gifts with a difference. The gift of a donkey can make a huge difference to a community as it can carry large loads over long distances, easing the burden of fetching an carrying supplies - and it also produces free fertilizer! Oxfam Donkey, £50.

Dressing gowns are a popular Christmas gift, and this velour kimono is not only soft, stylish and comfortable, it's eco-friendly too. It's made from organic cotton, which is grown by farmers without the use of chemical pesticides by re-introducing traditional methods like crop rotations, hand weeding and biological pest control - Organic Cotton Velour Kimono, £35.

The perfect gift for gourmets, this cardboard tray is filled with a selection of the very best in Fairtrade and Traidcraft produce. It contains: Clipper organic hot chocolate (28g), Clipper organic natural orange flavour hot chocolate (28g), Dried mango slices richly covered in divine dark chocolate (100g), Duerr's Fairtrade fine cut Seville orange marmalade (340g), Fair Trade milk, plain and white mini chocolates (90g), Traidcraft salted cashew nuts (130g), Traidcraft Fair Trade stem ginger cookies (44g), Los Robles Fair Trade Carmenere (Chile 2005), 13% ABV, 75cl. Delicious! Fairtrade selection tray, £40.

This must-have guide is the perfect gift for anyone who is planning a more environmentally friendly new year. It addresses all the questions the general consumer is asking, giving authoritative advice on a range of issues and explaining which products, brands and companies are getting it right - and which are getting it wrong. With sections on home and garden, food and drink, electrical goods and the office, plus travel, transport, fashion and cosmetics, it offers plenty of real and affordable solutions - The New Green Consumer Guide, £8.99.

Treat someone to a cute t-shirt top made from Fairtrade certified cotton, which helps local farmers to invest in developing their local communities. These cute t-shirt tops come in an array of jewel colours and styles - V, scoop and crew-neck. They make fantastic basics that no gilr can do without - Fairtrade Scoop Neck Top - £5.

This Christmas Boots is supporting a number of specially selected causes, with a range of great products designed to help us all to give a little back. This gift set contains two mugs, a whisk and four Fairtrade hot chocolates - just perfect for a cold winter's day - Fairtrade Hot Chocolate Gift Set, £12.

This splash-proof self-powered radio is the perfect eco-friendly gift. Winding the power generator crank for a minute gives up to 60 minutes of radio, but you can also fit batteries for those times when you don't want to wind it. Features include and FM/AM tuner, built-in flashlight and soft light, earphone jack and carry strap - Sony Wind-up Radio, £42.

Pregnancy and childbirth is one of the leading causes of death in women of reproductive age in Africa - in some countries the lifetime risk of pregnancy-related deaths is as high as one in seven. So get back to the true meaning of Christmas by donating £15 to help Maternity Worldwide save lives in childbirth through the employment and training of midwifery staff, setting up women's community education and providing a Safe Birth Fund for those unable to pay for care. Maternity Worldwide will send a personalized certificate of sponsorship direct to your recipient - Sponsor a Safe Birth, £15.