No New Postings for now

This may sound a bit out of place in a time of resolutions, but instead of promising to work harder at making this blog useful in the new year, I have decided to take a sabbatical from "Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide" blogging.

The reasons are pretty straight-forward. I am very fortunate to have a full-time job promoting economic justice. A recent promotion means I will have even more responsibilities for the domestic programs of Catholic Relief Services. I want to do my job well and will need extra time and space for the activities ahead.

Even more important is my family. The elders in my life are a treasure, but also an evolving responsibility. In a few weeks my cousin Dollie will be moving to an Alzheimer's care facility near me, which means a lifestyle change for all of us who care for and about her.

In the midst of these transitions I realize that I won't be true to my values of simplicity and integrity if I am trying to juggle too many activities and interests.

Actually, even if these big life changes weren't happening, I have been wondering recently if it makes sense to crank out a monthly blog post. I struggle to find the time to read resources to inform what I write! I've just refreshed my list of "Blogs I'm Reading instead of Writing" to give you a sense of what is informing and inspiring me.

Of course, it is the people I meet on the way that most inspire me. I hope through social media, speaking events, and just daily life I will have the privilege of coming into contact with people like the hundreds of folks who have been visiting this blog. If you are interested in Fair Trade, you are of interest to me too! This blog will still accept comments and you an find me on Linked In and Facebook.

Looking forward to a healthy, sustainable future!

A "Somewhat" Fresh Outlook on Fair Trade

Last summer Jeff Goldman of Fair Trade Resource Network, and I, had a chance to tape an episode of the cable show Fresh Outlook. It aired this weekend, and while I was disappointed we weren't able to steer our host clear of the somewhat worn-out "free" vs. "fair" trade debate, I do think the episode offers some useful dialogue about why Fair Trade is important.

You can view the episode here.

The episode also provides a nice glimpse of the Think Coffee coffee shop in New York City. They have a special place in my heart as the location where the NYC Fair Trade Coalition hosted the official launch of my book a couple years back. Check out the contrast between Think's "Fair Trade" commitments to the perspective of Cafe Grumpy, which is more enamored of "direct trade."

Was Small Beautiful Saturday?

Well, this is disappointing. I had drafted this post on Friday morning, but got distracted by some family responsibilities and never posted. Still, I imagine the point remains. Let me know.
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If you are reading this blog you are likely not the type to set the alarm for early shopping on Black Friday. Don't get me wrong, I have several family members who queued up before the sun had a chance to rise. Who knows, one of their bargains under the tree might even have my name on it!

But my assumption is that readers like you are not compelled to shop for shopping sake. You are probably using some of this holiday season to consider how best to use your economic power. Maybe like me you were intrigued by the advertisements for the “Small Business Saturday” encouraging consumers to back off from Black Friday and use the Saturday after Thanksgiving as a day to support “the shops and restaurants that employ our neighbors and reinvest our money close to home. The businesses that are the heartbeat of our communities and local economies.”

Support local economies? Wow that sounds like a call from E.F. Schumacher of Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered, a primer for many Fair Traders. Or maybe a new campaign of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, BALLE? Slowing down from the post-turkey frenzy to choose businesses carefully—ones that would not only offer good deals but also good business models—sounds right up my alley. Imagine my surprise when my Google-based research led me to American Express. A credit card company was promoting small businesses. Not just any credit card company, “the world’s largest card issuer, the premium network for high-spending cardmembers, a processor of millions of transactions daily, and a partner that provides business-building services to a worldwide merchant base.” Full disclosure: I am an American Express cardholder so I’m not here to attack a multinational corporation. But the big guys promoting the little ones—which I hope includes the dozens of members of the Fair Trade Federation—seems like a little bit of a disconnect.

It puts me in mind of a CSR newswire blog noting that Monsanto—a huge business in the agriculture industry--is part of the Obama administration’s Feed the Future initiative that works, in part, to help small-scale farmers. Many could argue that Monsanto’s entire business model is predicated on shifting from "small is beautiful" agriculture to "big is better" approaches.

In this space I can’t do these kinds of debates justice, mind you. I just offer up these contradictions as a bit of a “speed bump” to slow things down a bit. As we jump into the seasonal mania that revolves around what we eat and what we buy, rather far field from the traditions of gratitude giving and the holy rituals of Hanukkah and Christmas, let’s pause a bit to consider who is shaping our impulses, who is offering us alternatives, and what kind of economy—local or otherwise—we want to contribute to.

A birthday gift to readers

Today is my birthday, and I took the day off to have some fun, poke around the Web, get caught up with correspondence, and so forth. I see that Oneworld, my book publisher, is offering a free chapter of my book on its website. I think that is a great idea!

Unfortunately I can't seem to figure out how to upload the PDF to this site. So just click here if you'd like a free copy of "Fair Trade: Why it is not just for coffee farmers anymore." It is chapter one of the book and includes things like the official Fair Trade definition, a list of the Millennium Development Goals, and other hopefully helpful context for the movement.

Enjoy and thanks for your interest in Fair Trade!

Tea and Chocolate Fair Trade News in the Washington DC area

I was pleased, and a bit surprised, to learn that my "neighbor," Honest Tea of Bethesda, Maryland announced it is committed to expanding its Fair Trade Certified™ offerings to include its entire tea portfolio. Recently I had the chance to hear from Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO, about concerns that to increase its commitment to certified tea Honest Tea would also have to certify all eligible beverage ingredients, such as sugar. As a company founded on the idea of being 100% organic, and given the unique structure of the sugar industry, Honest Tea was not sure it could create beverages that include all certified ingredients and offer consumers an affordable beverage. Looks like a compromise was reached.

I, for one, am pleased that Honest Tea has remained engaged with Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair) so that its company values and perspectives can influence the system. Who knows, it may also influence, Honest Tea's shareholder, Coca-Cola. I also consider Coke a former neighbor, as I grew up near its headquarters in Atlanta, GA, and it is a long-time donor to my alma mater, Agnes Scott College.

Also in my current neighborhood, down Georgia Avenue in Washington, DC, Bus Boys & Poets on 5th & K, NW, announced an addition to its great line-up of community events. Along with Global Exchange, Busboys is hosting a screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate, October 26, 2010, from 6 - 8 pm. I will join a panel featuring Divine Chocolate, Fair Trade Federation, Green America and the International Labor Rights Forum. If you are in the area, I hope you'll join us to share your reactions to the documented realities of the conventional chocolate industry.


Photo of me with some kids not forced to work in cocoa fields, taken by Lutheran World Relief, Ghana 2006.

How Does Every Purchase Matter?

The newly renamed "Fair Trade USA," formerly known as TransFair USA, celebrates Fair Trade month each October. This year's theme is "Every Purchase Matters," and as a believer in thoughtful consumption, I embrace that idea on many different levels. I wonder what fellow conscious consumers like you think the theme means? How and why are you celebrating Fair Trade this month? Let us know with comments.

For me, I just ordered my free Reverse Trick or Treating kit (and I gave a donation to organizer Global Exchange because every purchase does matter) Order yours soon! I'm expecting that the kits will provide an easy, fun outreach activity for the kids and parents in my new neighborhood.

For my day job, I am joining advocates participating in the Ohio Fair Trade Expo to give a keynote, "Celebrate Fair Trade, with Eyes Wide Open" and begin my holiday shopping.

On October 26, at the Busboys & Poets in downtown Washington, DC, I'll on a panel discussing the new documentary "The Dark Side of Chocolate." It was co-produced by Robin Romano, who I met during my farmworker pesticide safety days, and I expect to be sobered but motivated to continue to help change the chocolate industry.

These examples of fun, learning, and activism combine into a month where my answer to "How Does Every Purchase Matter?" turns out to be, as usual, that Fair Trade is an opportunity to ask what is important in life (at this time of year that includes rituals/holiday traditions ), to explore how my role as a consumer impacts others positively and negatively, and to recommit to being a thoughtful, engaged consumer all year long.

Please share your answers!

Moving Forward for Fair Trade

Straight from the Fair Trade Futures conference I headed to vacation, by the waters of Provincetown, MA. Once I got off the post-conference high--savoring 762 participants from five continents, recalling all the great friends and colleagues I reconnected with, and pleased that my minimal Spanish and native English seem to get me through welcoming speeches and meals with coffee farmers--I began to chart out what my next steps are post-conference. No resolution yet of course. Here are some areas that were front and center at the conference:

* How to make sure producer voices are listened to throughout standard setting processes, story-telling on impact, and overall strategies. This in the midst of sometimes limited governance structures (i.e. FLO board and committee structure), capacity issues within key Fair Trade organizations (ex. the struggles of WFTO and the scope of FTF's mission) and new welcome of IMO (whose entry in the Fair Trade movement I so far greet with general optimism)

* Can a "tiered" system indicating the gold standards of Fair Trade commitment (think Peace Coffee or Handmade Expressions) in comparison to a silver (Green Mountain? World of Good on e-bay?) or bronze (enter your ideas here!) really work? It has been kicked around for more than 5 years now. Each time I dig into what a rating system would look like, I run into barriers, even with good resources such as the Better World Shopping Guide.

* How to build consumer accountability into the Fair Trade movement. Yes, everyone talks about increasing business transparency. But how do we get consumers actually involved in being part of the system? A big part of the conference buzz was that many didn't realize the challenges Fair Trade was facing. I want those newly informed people to help us Fair Trade "leaders" be solutionaries.

* Does the launch of a new name for TransFair USA indicate an opening to culture changes in its approach to collaboration, leadership, and mission? Or it is an ill-advised move that suggests domination of the movement instead of finding its appropriaterole in the Fair Trade ecosystem?

I definitely don't have the answers, but I do have some newly discovered sources of information. Check out the new Fair Trade journal: Fair Trade: Unique & Sustainable and the new organization linking Fair Trade and organics: Fair World Project. And stayed tuned on this blog, as I keep musing. Of course, I welcome your reflections and ideas!