Fair trade is an alternative business model that c...

2008-04-15T18:23:00.000-04:00

Fair trade is an alternative business model that can be successful. The thing is that we all need to work together to make it more mainstream.

We need to teach the artisan about how to make FUNCTIONAL products, how to make them efficiently, and how to keep up with market dynamics. This might mean that not everything can be ethnic or handmade, but made in a sustainable way.

Some fair trade suppliers also need to muster up the courage to grow. We can all share the burdens of making the industry growth, but how?

I completely agree with you that until we start tr...

2008-02-14T23:26:00.000-05:00

I completely agree with you that until we start trying to make Fair Trade a larger-scale business model, the movement will remain in the 'grass-roots' stage and never get into the mainstream. The truth is that more producers must me certified to sell their products under a fair trade label because the number of producers currently growing or making products now simply cannot and could not keep up with the mainstream demand. What we need to do is make it more affordable and accessible to become certified. More people and organizations need to work with the producers to assist them in the process and help them fundraise for it. It can be very frustrating for someone like me, who wants to buy fair trade everything and am lucky to find one type of fair trade coffee and no fair trade anything else at my local shops. Fair trade and its advocates need to get out of this 'grass-roots' mindset and start thinking about building a future for this movement that will make it grow at the same rate as the world's population and needs.

Comments on Fair Trade Beginners and More: In the Back of my Fair Trade Brain

Fair trade is an alternative business model that c...

I completely agree with you that until we start tr...