Fair Trade Beginners and More

No New Postings for now

2011-01-03T13:52:00.007-05:00

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

2010-12-06T19:02:00.006-05:00

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?

2010-11-26T09:27:00.007-05:00

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

2010-11-04T19:05:00.006-04:00

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

2010-10-16T06:32:00.011-04:00

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?

2010-10-08T06:58:00.004-04:00

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

2010-09-27T06:26:00.006-04:00

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!

I'm a Solutionista

2010-09-11T17:43:00.004-04:00

The keynote address at today's Fair Trade Futures conference was given by Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange. One big take away for me was the invitation not to be a revolutionary--which I frankly have never been well suited for--but to be a solutionary, someone committed to finding answers to the knotty questions of our world.

I like that moniker a lot and I'm claiming it for my own. I'll try to use this space to share some possible solutions offered at the conference...after I take a vacation. The event is in Massachusetts, which means time on the beaches of Cape Cod for me. But you can participate in the events remotely, via social media, through the event webspace.

Be Change, Don't Just Buy Change

2010-09-01T22:33:00.004-04:00

Regular readers know I’ve been struggling a bit with Fair Trade. The rhetoric hasn’t been matching the reality I’ve come across. Recent discouragements include an importer explaining that—even with evidence that minimum prices set a decade ago are not enough for producers—the company can still be proudly “Fair Trade” because it meets the basic requirements of the system. I’ve heard a Fair Trade leader dismiss concerns that a cooperative isn’t managing its books well enough to trace the money back to the farmers. This company wasn’t concerned about lack of financial accountability because, when it comes down to it, most small organizations don’t master that level of detail. Perhaps most unsettling and upsetting is when I hear from people whom I have personally encouraged to run Fair Trade businesses. Year after year they report not drawing salaries, tapping personal savings.

Am I promoting something that isn’t working for producers or businesses? Is Fair Trade really business as usual, just dressed in do-good clothing? Am I sticking with the movement not because it addresses poverty and builds communities, but because it is what I know?

I am digging into these questions by talking to friends and colleagues and refreshing my memory on key thinkers who have inspired me. I dusted off books like Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and Peter Berger’s Invitation to Sociology. I renewed my interest in the work of Margaret Wheatley, Pema Chodron, and Gandhi.

What I began to realize--or remember--is that while there are true disappointments in my work, it is foolish to look for the perfect system to promote. A colleague from Ghana once pointed out to me that all institutions are filled with human beings, so all will be flawed. I am setting myself and others up for failure if I imagine Fair Trade, or those who make it possible, perfect. Sometimes commitments to high standards can be emotional tricks that lead to self-defeating arrogance.

What is called for is not a pure point of view. What is called for is “total involvement with total detachment.” Part of the reason Fair Trade was failing in my eyes was that I was focused on the outcomes of Fair Trade instead of its mechanisms. In striving for a system without blemish, even for a elevated place of influence within, I was leaving behind my truth: that the process is more important than the product. I am not called to encourage millions of people to buy a certain type of product. I’m called to help create a movement that welcomes millions of people of good will into it.

Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” He didn't say "Buy the right products from the right companies doing all the right things right now." He and others who I look to for wisdom, including many who have reached out to me on this blog or via Facebook, didn't really call for pure perfection so much as right intention.

I don't have to have all the answers, and I still have many concerns that the Fair Trade system isn't always credible and falls short of delivering meaningful impacts. But I and my colleagues don't have to be spotless. For myself, I have to make sure my point of view is grounded in my core values, is tested by those touched by my work, and is offered in a ways that creates solutions.

Thank you for being part of my personal reality-checks and part of the movement's way forward. I hope to meet you along the way or read your reactions and experiences on the web.

Taking a "Fresh Look" at Fair Trade with Tough Questions

2010-08-12T08:09:00.005-04:00

Next week, Jeff Goldman of Fair Trade Resource Network, and I will be appearing on the RCN cable show Fresh Outlook. The interview will be broadcast on Channel 53 in many Northeast markets and then posted to the web.

We expect and hope for some tough questions about the Fair Trade model. Some of the typical inquires, "Doesn't Fair Trade skew the market by encouraging farmers to overproduce?" "Isn't Fair Trade too expensive for most American consumers?" "Does mainstreaming dilute the power and potential of Fair Trade principles?"

If you were the host, what would your questions be? Please post some comments with your tough inquiries. This will help me and Jeff prep, for sure, but I also welcome the chance to consider what conscious consumers want to know.

Last Chance to Register: Fair Trade Futures

2010-07-30T07:24:00.005-04:00

Registration closes August 1, this Sunday, for the Fair Trade Futures conference. Five years ago a group of scrappy and spunky Fair Trade leaders brought together 750 consumers, producers, and businesses together to help define what Fair Trade is and why it matters. Ever since, people have reported to me what an important moment it was--some started new businesses, others mobilized for Fair Trade Towns, still others formed stronger bonds and justice commitments. An expanded 2010 Leadership Group has decided to gather again, and Sunday is the official deadline to join us!

With my CRS Fair Trade hat on (an actual, union-made hat!) I will be on an intro to Fair Trade panel with Carmen Iezzi of the Fair Trade Federation and David Funkhouser of TransFair USA. But I am, to be transparent, most excited about just being a regular Fair Trader and attending debates such as "Does Fair Trade Deliver on its Promise?." I will be reconnecting with colleagues and friends to celebrate our successes. But I will also start some tough conversations about the future: what's the role of certification in our movement? which certification? how are we really different from conventional trade? how are we different from other "socially responsible" enterprise? How can Fair Trade be a gateway to Financial Integrity?

If you are reading this blog, you probably have some good questions (and hopefully answers) too. Please join us, and don't forget to register before the weekend ends!

Slippery Slopes and Setting Standards

2010-07-11T06:47:00.014-04:00

Today I head to the Jersey shore, where I spent childhood vacations. My extended family would load up in the station wagons and head to Ocean City, sometimes for a week, sometimes a day trip. I jumped waves and walked the boards. Hunted for sea shells and dug for crabs. I attribute my love for water to those times. It seems when I am sad or confused or stressed, if I can just manage a few hours looking out across the water, I am restored. (disclosure: this photo is of Cape Cod, not NJ)

Restoration would help these days because I feel like I might be on a slippery slope of selling out. It all started several years ago now when I left a spunky but small grassroots Fair Trade NGO to join a big, established organization. Part of my rationale was I was able to be a more effective consumer educator from the platform of a wide-reaching institution. I went from engaging thousands of people to hundreds of thousands, which is very gratifying. Getting health care and a 403b didn't hurt either.

More recently I have moved to the suburbs, a shift which included the selling of my scooter and an almost total reliance on a car. Granted, my two-door vehicle has helped me locate and evaluate an array of local farmers markets in this agricultural state of Maryland. But I also seem to slink into the mall more often for a bunch of items I never seemed to need before. (Don't get me started about weed killer.)

These are examples from my personal life, but there's are some slopes in the professional realm too. Foremost in my mind is that I'm trying to shape a Fair Trade clothing experiment and have agreed that minimum wages for workers is acceptable as a starting point for the certification of factories. The caveat is that a living wage must be the ultimate, verifiable goal. But this position has been rejected by colleagues who say that we have to set the bar high from the beginning, or we risk supporting an effort that does more harm than good.

I heard a similar argument in the context of child labor on cocoa farms. "Don't constrain your concern to the 'worst forms' of child labor, eliminate it all together so kids focus on education not income." Who can disagree with that logic? But then I remember conversations I had with farmworker families here in the United States. Parents welcomed their children into the fields when they didn't trust the federal institutions that were offering day care, or because they were trying to teach the next generation a trade.

It is the nature of compromise that a variety of perspectives have to be considered. In that sense, I am not worried about slippery slopes or selling out. In fact, I am energized by the challenge of achieving common ground. What makes the call for the beach so urgent is that I am not always sure there is a effort to come together.

Right now there are at least a half a dozen efforts at establishing or refreshing standards for consumer products. GoodWeave is in its second round of consultation regarding the handmade rug industry. The World Fair Trade Organization has just completed its second phase of building a sustainable fair trade management system. The Fairtrade Labelling Organizations have announced a new approach to three pillars of standards. And then, of course, there are emerging certifications systems such as IMO. I applaud all these efforts in as much as they are trying to create the conditions for fair and dignified lives for producers and consumers. Several of them are profiled in my book.

But what is wearing me out a bit is that I don't see a vision for bringing efforts together in a MEANINGFUL way. Meaningful to me translates into something that consumers can use to make daily decisions in the marketplace (even at the big box stores!). My colleagues might be quick to say, "But Jackie don't forget ISEAL!"

Everybody who knows about ISEAL, raise your hand.

ISEAL--an association of social and environmental setting organizations-- is another important group in the alphabet soup of industries, interests, and ideologies. I met one of their reps when the organization was just starting, and I am glad to see the young association solidifying its umbrella of groups like FLO and the Rainforest Alliance. Still, the average consumer has to navigate this range of approaches to spend her dollars in ways that reflect her values. If someone like me--who is privileged to earn a living by interpreting the fair marketplace--is uncertain about who is doing what and how, I worry the movement lacks coherence and leadership.

What I need is some perspective. With my titanium oxide sunscreen in hand, I will mull these core questions:

* How do you know when your standards are high enough?
* Who is the correct arbiter of standard setting?
* What are the alternative approaches to setting standards?
* How can diverse and divergent viewpoints best serve my vision for this world?
* Where is the best boardwalk arcade for skee ball?

If you have any answers or queries of your own, please feel free to comment.

You Are What You Wear

2010-06-15T19:22:00.007-04:00

With thanks to Virginia and Brian of Amnesty International in Charlottesville, VA, I share the text of my speech prepared for their “You Are What You Wear” Ethical Fashion Show. It was held June 4, 2010:

As was mentioned in the introduction, I first encountered Fair Trade through coffee, but I actually have a nostalgic connection to the apparel industry because relatives in my grandparents’ generation were factory workers in the Northeast. I have at least one great aunt who was a member of the union now known as UNITE, for Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. Unions in the United States were becoming an important social force in the early 20^th century. You might remember from your high school history lessons the story of the Triangle Waist Company fire of 1911. That was the site of a tragedy where garment worker were trapped in a burning building by blocked exits. The incident confirmed unsafe working conditions that organizers had been protesting, and the tragedy was a galvanizing moment for the US union movement. The movement went on to organize workers and press for laws that are now core to our understanding of what a workplace should be like: payment of at least a minimum wage, protection against exploitative child labor, and guarantee of decent working conditions. When these types of rights are abused in a factory, we call the situation a “sweatshop” and over the years as our economy has globalized, sweatshops have also spread.

I would like to point out, though, sweatshops haven’t disappeared from the United States by any means. In the agricultural sector in particular we talk about “sweatshops in the fields,” and I commend to you the work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida to learn more about the plight of vegetable pickers. In the garment sector, immigrant populations are often victimized as demonstrated by the documentary “Made in LA.” But the reality of our economy today is that most clothing is manufactured in other countries. In my book I quote the International Labor Rights Forum:

In the new global economy, corporations from developed countries are increasingly moving their production to developing countries, where they can take advantage of cheap labor under sweatshop conditions. Workers must toil extremely long hours in labor intensive jobs with low pay and often unsanitary and unsafe conditions. In many countries, there is little or no labor law enforcement, and many workers are prevented from joining organizations to advance their interests. Even more alarming, an estimated 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen are working around the world.

Thanks to a speaking tour by ILRF I recently had the opportunity to meet with Kalpona Akter, a former child factory worker, who as an adult is confronting modern day labor challenges in her country of Bangladesh, where the average person has an annual income of $1,300 or less than $4 day. On that a person is supposed to be able to live a basic, decent life. Three meals a day, roof over your head, water to drink, clothes to wear. These days about 4 billion people live on less than $4 a day. Approximately one billion live on less than $1 a day. I know sometimes the statistics can be abstract so I think of it in terms of the fact that many of those same people lack access to drinkable water. Hard to fathom, isn’t it? For about a buck you can get a bottle of water here in the States. One billion human beings can’t access a clean tap or afford a bottle of water, and given the problems with the bottled water industry probably shouldn’t …but I digress.

This poverty I’m talking about is usually in rural areas, where people have few options to earn a living. Sometimes they turn to factories in urban areas for jobs. But what do those jobs offer? Kalpona shared that garment factories of Bangladesh typically offer only poverty wages and workers are threatened with firing when they try to organize to fight for better conditions. Sometimes you hear the notion that poor people like Kalpona shouldn’t be deprived the opportunity to work in a factory, no matter what the conditions, because at least it is some form of employment. When we consider how vast the problems of poverty are—at least a job’s a job, right? But I don’t think we as consumers should settle for the fact that our clothes are made by people laboring without just compensation and in sometimes unsafe working conditions. I know we can do better than that. And we are wasting time. Just last February a factory fire in Bangladesh took the lives of 21 employees and injured another 50. Workers’ efforts to escape were useless as factory doors had been locked. Depressingly reminiscent of the situation in 1911.

But we are making progress. In the mid 1990s, thanks to media coverage revealing sweatshop conditions in factories used by popular brands, consumers, especially students, began to organize against sweatshops. United Students Against Sweatshops formed and soon created a companion organization called the Workers Rights Consortium. In the Clinton era an organization bringing together companies who were voluntarily willing to adopt specific codes of conduct was organized, called the Fair Labor Association. However, FLA has gotten some criticism because it is an industry led effort, reflecting the priorities of the corporations, not the workers. W.R.C. devised a stronger response to worrisome labor conditions by monitoring facilities in reaction to specific worker complaints. The University of Virginia is an affiliate of WRC and through that affiliation receives assessments of conditions in factories that produce collegiate apparel, with specific reference to whether factories are in compliance with university’s codes of conduct.

Alongside those institutional efforts, consumer education groups such as Green America—once known as Coop America-- rank company practices. It also screens companies for membership in its network. This verification of business practices is similar to the work of the Fair Trade Federation, which screens organizations to verify that all of the company’s practices reflect the principles of Fair Trade:

1) Creating Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers

2) Developing Transparent and Accountable Relationships

3) Building Capacity

4) Promoting Fair Trade

5) Paying Promptly and Fairly

6) Supporting Safe and Empowering Working Conditions

7) Ensuring the Rights of Children

8) Cultivating Environmental Stewardship

9) Respecting Cultural Identity

Now, I’m referencing a lot of U.S. based resources—and as I tell the story in my book the Fair Trade movement started in the United States--,but it is important to note that in this globalized world there are many efforts at economic justice. In the UK the Ethical Trading Initiative brings together companies, unions and nongovernmental organizations to uphold credible codes of conduct, such as those based on the International Labor Organization standards. Amnesty International itself “ is campaigning for global standards on business and human rights and stronger legal frameworks at both national and international level to hold companies to account for their human rights impact. Amnesty International asks “companies to produce explicit human rights policies and ensure that they are integrated, monitored and audited across their operations and beyond borders. “

This auditing of practices is what Fair Trade is increasingly recognized for by consumers, particularly when it comes to products such as coffee. While Fair Trade actually started in the handcraft sector, helping disadvantaged women gain markets for their sewing, the popularity of coffee in our culture has helped gain recognition of Fair Trade and its principles. According to TransFair USA demand for Fair Trade certified coffee grew 25% between 2008 and 2009. Demand grew because more and more consumers want their products to be traded fairly.

The official global definition of Fair Trade is that it is a “long-term partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seeks to restore greater equity in international trade." The values of “dialogue, transparency and respect” jump out at you, but what is also key is the partnership between producer and consumer. "Buying Fair Trade is like giving a glass of clean water to a thirsty person," a cocoa farmer in Ghana, told me once. At that time her cooperative -- Kuapa Kokoo -- had sold enough cocoa on Fair Trade terms to dig 96 water wells, open three schools, and provide her village's first "places of convenience," what you and I call "bathrooms." Her community’s success was the result of hard work, good crops, NGO and government support, but also because consumers were willing to buy the chocolate bars that came from Kuapa Kokoo’s fields. Fair Trade producers are looking for buyers, and you can be their partner. That’s in fact what I invite you to do, even though the price of a small bar is about 50 cents more than a brand name bar.

I just want to pause and acknowledge what I just said during a recession: I want you to spend more money. This is ironic for me because I consider “ethical” or “responsible” or “conscious” consumption to be about reducing materialism not accelerating it, especially since the world is still recovering from our financial system being on the verge of ruin. Especially since our culture in particular promotes irresponsible debt and other unsustainable practices that have negatively impacted my fellow Americans. So before we go any further on sweatshops or Fair Trade fashion I want to explain where I am coming from, because I bet some of you have the same conflicts or contradictions in your life.

In my book I suggest that to be Fair Trader we have to ask ourselves some tough questions, such as:

Am I promoting materialism?
Is it responsible to encourage affluent societies that consume at an unsustainable pace to keep consuming, just in a more politically correct way?
Is it possible to translate Fair Trade shopping into values-based consumption?

Here’s how I came to answer those queries for myself. About a decade ago I was traveling around Central America and Mexico. I had gone through some tough times and was getting some space from the US trying to figure out what I believed in, what mattered. I was “taking a year off.” But in a complication I hadn’t expect, in these very poor countries I kept coming into contact with people who wanted to be part of popular American culture. Everywhere I looked: American magazines, fast food, Tommy Hilfiger, and television.

I have been in some remote places in the world, but wherever there is electricity, there is a television. Consider the implication of this. All over the world, way up high on mountain tops and down in flat rice fields, people are seeing not only our so called “reality shows”, but they are also watching our commercials. They are learning our materialism, our over-consumption. And, remember 4 billion people live on less than $4 a day, so no wonder many of them want our lifestyle. But the culture they view on television is helping create their desire too. Generally speaking, the advertising industry is trying to shape behaviors so that people don’t think carefully or intentionally.

Here’s one story that says a lot to me. At just about the time that televisions were showing up in American households, that is the early 1950s, B. Earl Puckett, chairman of the department store chain that now runs Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s said that in order to keep sales high, "it is our job to make women unhappy with what they have." (Allied Makes a Buy, Time Magazine, Posted Monday, Apr. 23, 1951) He was aiming to do that through television commercials that would create dissatisfaction with the lives women were living. And Puckett only had 3 or 4 TV channels. Which might still be what the majority of the world sees. Here in the US, now that television is almost passé, what with the advent of You Tube and smart phones, state of the art technology is being used to sell stuff.

When I was in Latin America this push to swing from extreme poverty to extreme consumption worried me and it still worries me now. I am worried, not only that the planet can’t sustain our kind of consumption spreading, but because millions of people are buying into a system that disconnects them from their individuality, separates them from their mother earth and seeks to direct their energy and their skills into purchasing power. Certainly we need to meet basic needs. But a generation after Mr. Puckett, marketers across the globe are finding the fastest, edgiest technology to tell us that once we survive we aren’t good enough, sexy enough, popular enough, and we need to buy things to fix what’s wrong. This is disconcerting to me because I believe we should have dissatisfaction, but not over the same indicators as the profiteers like Puckett.

For me, what I have come to believe is that clearly we have needs, and even wants, to be met. Trade is a fact of life, and can be a positive one at that. As interdependent creatures we can’t meet all our needs and we are forced to rely on others, to build partnerships. We have to trade. What is important is what the terms of the trade are, what the motivations for the trade are. So as a a counterpoint to Mr. Pucket, our dissatisfactions can focus on why so many workers like Kalpona face indecent conditions and grim prospects for real opportunity. We don’t have to over-consume, but in this country—even during a recession—we have a special opportunity and obligation to change the way we consume. My hope is that by supporting ethical businesses and by adopting Fair Trade principles we can change the way the world works. Maybe we can find that, when it comes down to it, what we buy does fix what’s wrong.

So, yes, I am all about creating conscious demand for products. The growing popularity of Fair Trade products—be it tea, or sugar, or even products that can’t be certified, like clothing and jewelry—is a good thing because it translates into improved living conditions for farmers and artisans. It also gives conscious consumers more and more ways to shop our values. But the growth and diversity of the movement has led to some challenges that we need to be aware of as truly conscious consumers. For example, Sweatshop-free items are sometimes called Fair Trade because of the wage and working condition concerns. However, use of the term is not entirely accurate, and there has actually been some disconnect at best, and friction at worst, between the sweat-free and Fair Trade movements.

On the one hand, unions initially were concerned that Fair Trade advocates were promoting or aiding the shift of manufacturing to overseas or offshore locations because the Fair Trade movement is primarily concerned with international trade. More recently there have been concerns about the ability of workers to organize in the context of Fair Trade. The Fair Trade model relies, for the most part, on small-scale producers working through a cooperative model. Pro-labor advocates question what such a model has to offer landless farmworkers seeking unionized employment on a banana plantation, for example. In recent years the Fair Trade certification system has expanded its reach to include manufactured products such as soccer balls and to include plantation contexts for products such as bananas. However the value chain—what it takes for a piece of clothing to be produced from a cotton field all the way to your closet--is far more complicated than that for a farm product, such as coffee. Fair Trade criteria may not be sufficient or appropriate in terms of guaranteeing worker rights and demanding corporate responsibility.

These points of divergence do not necessarily mean there is a conflict between fair traders and labor organizers but it does sometimes blur points of convergence. Together fair traders and sweat-free activists work against oversimplifying both the complex Fair Trade model and the myriad of situations that are faced by workers around the world fighting for economic justice. That’s one of the reasons why I am glad to be here tonight. It gives us a chance to consider the complexities. Let’s take a look at the myriad of situations through the example of my outfit. This will be a mini preview of tonight’s show but I’m sure not nearly as stylish.

· My earrings were handmade in Kenya. My scarf is from India. I know they are Fair Trade because I purchased them through Ten Thousand Villages, a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

· My blouse was purchased at my local thrift store. I know I am reducing consumption by reusing an item instead of expecting it to be created brand new for me in unknown conditions.

· My slacks were a Christmas gift manufactured by Eddie Bauer, which frankly hasn’t fared so well with Green America’s “Responsible Shopper” guide.

· I don’t know about my shoes and socks, to be honest, but I am wearing American Apparel underwear…you’ll have to trust me on that one.

Now the mention of American Apparel brings up another challenge. I notice they are on tonight’s list of recommended on-line sources--along with local vintage clothing stores--for responsible clothing. Fair Indigo is another company listed that I am familiar with. I’m a customer of both. I need underwear, and I also need business casual clothes like those offered by Fair Indigo. But how do I really know that they are responsibly manufactured? Neither companies are members of the Fair Trade Federation. Neither has product lines which display a certification label.

When it comes to our behaving as shoppers, I think sometimes we have to channel our inner 13 year old, put a hand on the hip and ask, “Says Who?” I’ve heard some pretty troubling things about the way the CEO of American Apparel treats his professional workers, although no one seems to dispute how he treats assembly line workers. I have had the good fortune to work a bit with the founders of Fair Indigo, and they seem like nice people. But, really, how do we know what their business practices are? We can’t personally meet every CEO can we? Do we just accept advertising and websites that profess great work? I think all of us who have ever filled up our gas tank at a BP station because of all if its green marketing and earth friendly logo might pause on that account. Yes there are groups that verify overall business practices. ILRF has a “shop with conscience” guide and there are the Green Pages of Green America. But rarely do the brands recommended--such as another personal favorite of mine, Maggie’s Organics--appear in retail stores and let’s face it, when it comes to clothing it sometimes really is important to try an item on. You and the people of Charlottesville are fortunate, because you have so many local businesses that feature previously owned attire. Tonight’s message is to support workers in the global economy by supporting business owners in the local economy. In another paradox, by decreasing the demand for “new products” you are increasing demand for ethical practices. And when you are in need of something new or a gift, you do have Fair and sweat-free options. The postcard lists being distributed by Amnesty offer some options.

My only request today is that you don’t just stop at the shopping. Get to know the companies and dig a bit into their practices if you have any doubts or concerns. It is the age of social media, so use technology (but also old-fashioned letters to ask questions and demand accountability). Put your hand on your hip, with a polite, “Says Who?” Don’t stop with your own closet though. The Sweatfree Communities movement could really use communities like Charlottesville. Initiated in Bangor, Maine, SFC.’s are efforts by citizens to insure that their tax dollars are not used to procure clothing manufactured in sweatshops for use by public servants, such as police officers and firefighters. Nine states, 40 cities, 15 counties, and 118 school districts, and one nationwide religious denomination—I believe it is the Presbyterians--have adopted “sweatfree” policies. So start in your home by supporting local businesses, then bring to bear the global resources that you have through Amnesty International and others to make sure your local and state governments fulfill their obligations to protect human rights.

Tonight, here in the USA, we have the right to assemble, the freedom to express our interests and our good fashion sense. But we also have a responsibility, to those people like Kalpona from Bangladesh. We need to stop living lives that are possible because of the exploitation of others. If we are what we wear, than let’s be sweat free and sustainable. Thank you.

Ethical Clothing in Charlottesville, VA

2010-06-01T06:08:00.006-04:00

When you think of Charlottesville, VA your mind may turn to Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, and other historic tourist attractions. I'm headed to that community though, to talk about a very contemporary concern for Fair Traders: the question of clothing. I've been invited by the local Amnesty International Chapter to participate in the "You are What You Wear" fashion show, Friday, June 4, 2010, 7 pm at the Live Arts Building downtown.

I'll be sharing my understanding of the garment industry through the work of my allies at Green America, Sweatfree Communities, the International Labor Rights Forum, Nueva Vida, and others. I've recently been serving, in my capacity with CRS Fair Trade, on a working group helping to shape the upcoming TransFair USA apparel pilot, and will try to bring some of the perspectives of brands, licensees, and NGOs into the mix.

The evening will end with a fashion show featuring local retailers and a discussion with local designer Rosalba Valentino. Sounds like a great way to spend a Friday night and will certainly help me learn from others on the front lines of confronting sweatshops.

Get Wind of this: Fair Trade in Fairfax

2010-05-11T06:35:00.008-04:00

Being a Fair Trader in the Washington, DC area just got even better. There is a new store, Fair Trade Winds, that is hosting a World Fair Trade Day event this Saturday, May 15 at 1:00 in Fairfax, Virginia. If you are around as resident or tourist, come join us and support a new local business!

I can't wait to see the more than 2,000 square feet of Fair Trade products from around the world, but the best part will be the chance to meet the owners and their customers. Fair Trade Winds is the second fully fair trade store run by Paul and Lois Culler. They opened their first store in Bar Harbor, Maine in 2007 (lucky for those of you up North!) and now are expanding in their hometown of Fairfax, Virginia. This kind of socially responsible entrepreneurial spirit is just what the Fair Trade movement needs. It gives consumers more chances to shop their values and more chances for artisans and farmers to grow their marketplace.

On Saturday our time together will be focused on how to
"Fair Trade Your Home," which is the theme of 2010's World Fair Trade Day celebrations. I will be telling some stories behind the products available for sale and discussing how Fair Trade enhances your life and helps the lives of others. I'll be looking forward to hearing from those who turn out what Fair Trade means to them, and how they practice Fair Trade. The DC area, for example, is starting a movement to consider some neighborhoods Fair Trade Towns, and we will consider how Fair Trade is more than buying great items from wonderful businesses. Saturday afternoon will be a great chance to immerse yourself in Fair Trade and deepen your commitments. Plus we'll just have fun!

The location is:

Old Town Plaza of Fairfax
10420 North Street
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-877-0577 and
you can find them on Facebook.

Fair Trade Your Home Today and Everyday

2010-05-08T13:54:00.004-04:00

Happy World Fair Trade Day! Here in the U.S. our theme is "Fair Trade Your Home" and the Fair Trade Resource Network is providing loads of resources to help you get it done. Plus you can check out a calendar of events for the official happenings throughout May.

This weekend I am visiting with a college buddy who lives in Minneapolis. We started the day in her Fair Trade home sipping a blend from local Twin Cities roaster, Peace Coffee . This fueled us for a little 5K run (not Fair Trade related exactly, but I did wear a pair of Peace socks). My own official WFTD event will be NEXT Saturday, May 15 at Fair Winds store in Fairfax, VA. More details coming!

Wherever you are and however you celebrate, thanks for celebrating the values of trade that promote equity for the people who make our products and grow our food.

May 8: World Fair Trade Day in Washington, DC

2010-05-01T12:22:00.005-04:00

Our nation's capital (seen here during Cherry Blossom Festival) is known for its great tourist attractions, and this World Fair Trade Day, Saturday, May 8 makes that even more so. The good folks at Green America (located in Washington, DC no less) are promoting a tour of Fair Trade retail outlets that are some of my favorite places. While I will be out of town next weekend, I hope you can vicariously enjoy the tour for me. It is a great way to celebrate the values of Fair Trade and let businesses know you appreciate their embrace of Fair Trade. Contact Green America, (800)- 58 GREEN, if you need specific info like a copy of the walking tour map.

If you aren't in the Beltway area, you can find out about hundreds of other World Fair Trade Day events around the country at the Fair Trade Resource Network calendar. Enjoy yourself!

Keep Austin Weird, and Fair

2010-04-17T13:29:00.003-04:00

One of my regrets as a Fair Trader is that I haven't actually worked in a Fair Trade business (yet). While I feel pretty good about my role as Fair Trade consumer, I haven't actually had to practice what I preach as business-owner. I know how I think a business "should" be run, but I have never been confronted with the realities of cash flows, customer service, and the like.

If I were going to leave the not-for-profit world, Handmade Expressions (HExp) in Austin, TX would be a great business to be a part of. Staffed by a young and dedicated team (shout out to Manish, Juan, and Kelly!), HExp has distinguished itself in just a few short years as a company deeply committed to having its business model serve disadvantaged producers while also succeeding as a for-profit venture. HExp is the real deal in a market filling up with products others might embrace as a marketing hook or the latest consumer trend. Along with their commitment to the values of Fair Trade, HExp is staffed with some of the smartest, energetic, and politest people you want to meet.

If this sounds like the kind of place you might like to work, HExp is looking for a Marketing Manager. This is a full time role, based out of Austin TX. The unofficial slogan of that great city is "Keep Austin Weird," and the culture of the company is typical of Austin. The environment is described as relaxed and friendly, but "we expect everyone to be responsible and do their job"

Below is the full announcement and contact information. And when they open a branch in the Washington, DC area I may even apply!

---

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Handmade Expressions is a Fair Trade wholesale organization. We are a for profit company with the mission of promoting economic and social well-being of marginalized communities through responsible trade. Established in 2006, we distribute our line of Fair Trade products to over 700 retail stores across the US. We are headquartered in Austin TX. We currently partner with over 5000 artisans across rural India. To learn more about us, please visit www.handmadeexpressions.net.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Handmade Expressions partners with retail organizations across the US, spanning multiple market channels. Marketing Manager’s responsibilities will include:

- Establish & execute company brand strategy

- Manage communication about company’s programs and products through various marketing channels

(website, newsletters, social media, catalog, trade shows, PR, etc.)

- Generate strategy for spreading Fair Trade education and awareness

- Network & collaborate with Fair Trade organizations

- Support sales team through merchandizing programs and relationship management.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

- More than 3 years experience in product marketing (preferably wholesale)

- Passion and active participation in programs for social development, giving back to community or Fair Trade

- Experience organizing community events

- Appreciation of other cultures/ travel experience

- Team player

Contact: Manish Gupta

Email: manish@handmadeexpressions.net

Phone: 512 535 5228 × 102

Tax Fairness Pledge

2010-04-15T06:25:00.004-04:00

The media covers a lot of the discontent of Tea Party folks but on this tax day I think it is important to remember that "by the end of 2010, the top 5% of households will have received $980 billion in tax breaks from the Bush Tax Cuts. A household with $500,000 of income got a $25,000 tax break in 2009 alone. "

I learned this and more from the folks at United for a Fair Economy . While I don't approach $500k a year, today I took their Tax Fairness Pledge. Using an on-line calendar I figured out how much of a Bush-era tax break I got in 2009 and donated a portion to work for economic justice. Check it and if you can, consider recycling some of your tax break for fairness.

And for a little tangent, UFE is based in Boston, where the Fair Trade Futures conference will be held in September. Early bird registration ends on April 18, Paul Revere Day. Please consider coming to the event to help create the future of fairness, in trade!

"Bittersweet" Fair Trade Easter Chocolate Sale

2010-04-01T09:35:00.003-04:00

I was sad to learn yesterday that Ithaca Chocolates, whose unique "Art Bars" combined support of artists and Fair Trade producers, is closing after seven years. I first learned of the company when co-founder Erika helped support World Fair Trade Day during my time at FTRN. I found her to be a generous collaborator, and I was impressed by her desire to combine her art expertise with concern for people and the planet.

As they say, the Fair Trade world's loss is your gain. The company has only 3.5 oz Dark with Cocoa Nibs bars left, and as a final goodbye, they've put them on sale for 25% off . Treat yourself--or
get your Easter, Spring, Mother's Day or Graduation presents for only $4.65/bar (normally $6.20/bar). The sell-by date is July 31, so you can keep the stash for awhile.

Best of luck to Erika and her family as they chart next steps.

Fair Trade Your Home and Win

2010-03-14T14:48:00.008-04:00

The clocks have sprung forward, the bulbs are sprouting through the muddy earth, and the March equinox is just days away. It must mean spring-time, and for me that means getting ready for World Fair Trade Day. Globally the day is celebrated in dozens of countries, and here in the United States we look to the Fair Trade Resource Network for organizing help. Check out their website for a whole tool kit full of ideas for planning celebratory events and details about entering WFTD contests.

I have my eye on the "Most Fair Trade product types" at home contest. Since I've been participating in Fair Trade for 10 years now, I've had many chances to bring Fair Trade into my home. Thank goodness for the talent and creativity of artisans and designers. I often joke that if it weren't for Fair Trade, I'd have no sense of style at all.

I must be on to something because a couple of months ago when I moved in with my partner she seemed pretty pleased with my offerings (although we do still battle over coffee brands). As I get to meet the new neighbors, there is nothing like pointing to a product and telling its story to help me explain what I do for a living. Here are some of the items on display:

* Haitian wall decor sold through Global Exchange
* Floor rug certified child labor free by Goodweave
* Dark chocolate from Equal Exchange
* Larry's Beans "Frankie's Blend" from Sumatra
* Business blazer from Nepal and shirts from Fair Indigo
* Curtains from Marketplace India
* Soap dish and bathroom mirror from Ten Thousand Villages, not to mention garden bird bath, and dining room place mats, jewelry and stationery. I can get most of my home products from Villages because I am fortunate to have not one but three stores in a 10 mile radius of my house.

With that kind of advantage, I probably shouldn't be in the running for this contest, but I hope the list gives you just a glimpse of how easy it is to have a Fair Trade home. As FTRN says, "Fair Trade is about so much more than coffee and tea. By integrating Fair Trade throughout our homes, we maximize the benefits for producers around the world." For a list of Fair Trade companies selling household goods and gifts, visit the Fair Trade Federation. If you are hankering for some coffee or tea, or any other food product, check out TransFair USA for a list of places to buy in your neighborhood.

As a homeowner, I'm facing some daunting repairs and the complexities of a new suburban lifestyle. Yet through Fair Trade I can stop and celebrate some of the people who grow my food and produce my goods, on May 8th and everyday.

I Broke Up With My Bank

2010-02-13T16:06:00.004-05:00

Ever since the global financial system almost collapsed, the good folks at Green America have been reminding us of the merits of investing in community banks and credit unions. I have been a credit union member for awhile, but had found some of their services inconvenient so just kept a small account as an act of solidarity. But I did my daily transactions with Bank of America. Green America's "Break Up With Your Bank" campaign convinced me not to put my resources in the hands of businesses who are making the most of Wall Street bailouts and legitimizing mind-boggling corporate bonuses. For the record the Dupont Circle tellers in DC are very nice and professional. But I want my money to help non-profits that share my values and vision of economic justice. It seems worth it to walk a little farther to find an ATM now.

I got help identifying a credit union in my new neighborhood through the Move Your Money website. I learned of their resources from their great You Tube Video at the holiday season where they used the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" to depict how banking can help or harm communities. Just in time for St. Valentine's day they have a new video and if you are the creative type, a contest to go with it. Check it out.

The tune is catchy, for sure, and the over-riding message even more compelling: "Community banks [and credit unions] are typically more conservative about how they manage their money, they’re more closely connected to the people and businesses who live near them, and they’re more inclined to make loans they know will get paid back. In other words, they have the values that more people would want banks to have."

Maybe Valentine's Day is time to shift your financial resources, just as you do with fair trade purchases, to institutions you love. I did it this weekend, and it took about an hour in all. And I still have time for a romantic dinner!

Come to Boston and Share Your Views...about Fair Trade

2010-01-24T09:12:00.006-05:00

The news these days is full of analysis about the discontent of the people of Massachusetts. Domestic politics aside, that great state will also be the scene of international debate and dialogue regarding challenges and celebrations in the Fair Trade movement. The Fair Trade Futures conference will be held September 10-12, 2010, and NOW is the time for you to submit ideas for conference workshops, town halls, seminars and so forth.

To make sure the conference--which I am helping lead as a representative of Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade--is a success, consumers and advocates will need to lend your voices. Do you have a unique experience with Fair Trade that you want to share? Are you concerned about some of the weaknesses, or even myths, in the movement and you want to pull back the curtain? Are you excited by the possibilities of the movement and want to deepen your commitment? To create a professional, lively, fun, inclusive, and practical atmosphere, the conference needs to address just these types of queries and we need a broad and new set of voices.

The deadline for proposals is February 10. For a set of guidelines, please contact Rachel Bradburd whose email is conference "at" fairtradefederation.org. Or give her a call at (202) 636-3547.

All sessions are expected to range between 60-90 minutes in length and be engaging and interactive. While only very limited funding is available to offset travel expenses, some scholarships will be offered to support the attendance of registered students and producers. If chosen to present, presenters will receive a complimentary registration for the event.

Speaking of registration, even if you don't want to present, please plan to attend! Early bird registration discounts end March 31. I look forward to seeing you there.

Haiti Relief Recommendations

2010-01-15T05:46:00.005-05:00

As we emerge from the shock of Haiti's latest tragedy and try to find ways to be helpful in the midst of heart breaking devastatip, people are asking me for recommendations of relief organizations to support. I know some of the people working on the ground in Haiti for Catholic Relief Services. I can assure you that not only has our immediate reaction been full force but that we will also remain committed to Haiti as it goes through a long period of recovery. Call 1-877-HELP-CRS
To send a check:
Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
Memo portion of check: Haiti Earthquake

I am also a long-time fan of Oxfam.

Thank you for wanting to help. It is pretty obvious that in times of tremendous emergency, "conscious consumerism" is not want artisans and farmers immediately need. Once the people of Haiti start to recover, supporting through social enterprise will be an important next step. For now, let's try to give what we can.

Trading in my dryer sheets in 2010

2009-12-22T05:29:00.006-05:00

Yesterday a colleague irked me a bit. We were picking our way through a snowy sidewalk, after departing a commuter train between Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland. I was trying to convince him to join a carpool with me in 2010. After four years of 90 minute commutes (in one direction) and to celebrate my new home, I am trying to find a way to drive to work that is environmentally friendly. From my time in a simplicity group and by rubbing shoulders with the green crowd in the Fair Trade movement, I am acutely aware that car driving is a particularly bad habit to get into.

Alas, I am not such a good recruiter, and it looks like come January I will be a lone driver. I told my colleague that I plan to stop drying my clothes as one big move to offset my carbon emissions. The popular home appliance actually turns out to be quite an energy sucker. My colleague laughed out loud. Not a belly laugh but a punchy "HA!," followed up with a comment something along the lines of "trying to rationalize your way onto the beltway, eh?"

It seemed like a mini version of the what might have been the tensions behind two weeks of the Copenhagen struggles. Two people agree that driving 70 miles round trip is a bad thing (or 193 countries agreed that climate change is a reality). But how to confront it was open to much debate (reduce output, switch technologies) and a bit of finger pointing (your country goes first with goals and commitments!). By the time we reached our office lobby a shrugged resignation: you do your thing, I do mine. (See you in Spain this summer!)

My in-box is filled with "Last Minute Fair Trade Shopping" advertisements, and I know that some of you are still scurrying around trying to find fair, green, and simple gifts. Occasionally you are going to yield to time pressure and pop into a department store. Or you are going to let your hand go toward an irresistible bargain on the shelf from uncertain locations during tight times. I join you in these less-than-perfect compromises. I feel like I am in good company and I look forward to more learning and decision making in the new year.

(The photo above is of my sister, mom, and me last Christmas.)

Join the Party: Fair Trade White House Gift Guide

2009-12-05T05:49:00.004-05:00

I don't want to give too much away to loved ones, but as I undertake holiday shopping today my best source is the Fair Trade White House holiday gift guide.

I've blogged before about the nonpartisan, grassroots invitation to Mrs. Obama that she make the White House a Fair Trade Home. Most of the businesses involved have put together a guide of some of their most popular products to help the First Family and you shop fairly. Using fun software, you can even flip the pages of guide virtually (this is way beyond scrolling through a boring PDF). Think of it as a paperless green effort too.

Good luck with your shopping (modest and conscious though we want it to be!) and don't forget to sign the petition and join the Facebook fan page to encourage Mrs. Obama to bring the justice of Fair Trade into her home. Maybe she'll make it a New Year's Resolution?

The Focus of Holiday Shopping

2009-11-25T14:26:00.013-05:00

For the past few months I've been honored to be a lead blogger for the Fair Trade Resource Network. Here's a slightly modified last entry for them, with a big thank you to readers of this blog too!

Part of my daily routine is to read from inspirational sources. Currently I am revisiting Simple Abundance, a daybook I received as a gift about a decade ago. A recent reflection included,

“At this time of year our conscious attention often turns to what we don’t have rather than what we do—and for a very good reason. The season of non-stop shopping has arrived. [After Thanksgiving] the race to get ready for the next round of holidays begins. No sooner have we celebrated the season of plenty then, with the advent of the first official days of [holiday] shopping, we enter…frenetic weeks of looking, finding, buying, and ordering—but not for ourselves. We feel overwhelmed by a season of lack….

Before we head to the mall, it would do our souls good to have a reality check, in the form, not only of counting our blessings, but of focusing on them. Money is going to have to buy a lot in the next few weeks, but it can’t buy the gifts that count the most: good health, a loving and supportive [relationship], healthy [children and loved ones], the fulfillment of creative expression, and inner peace. We forget this, not because we’re ungrateful louts, but because we get distracted by the razzamatazz of real life. Now is the time to remember….”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

The “razzamatazz” of this year makes me eager for the holidays to fly by so 2010 can get here. The illnesses of elderly relatives, the purchase of a new home and the resulting shift from an urban to suburban lifestyle, a global economic crisis impacting my day job and the Fair Trade movement I love—all are my own special type of 2009 distractions and reasons for dread as I look at my holiday list and check it twice.

Yet this week, I have received cheerful greetings from a friend with the World Food Program who narrowly escaped a kidnapping in Pakistan. Another friend in Sudan wryly reported that his humanitarian service includes sleeping in tool sheds and having only a towel to provide warmth in the cool night air.

Definitely this is the time to count my blessings and to recommit myself to a season of more than just making it through the shopping process. I’ll start by offering a word of thanks to you the reader-as-shopper.

If you are visiting this site, you are probably already doing your best to make plenty of Fair Trade holiday purchases. You are building a just marketplace gift by gift. You’ll likely offer educational pointers on economic justice to relatives and friends while they unwrap your offerings. You do so because you recall that across the world there are many who can hardly remember good health, love, companionship, freedom, peace. You are taking small actions in a big, complex world to alter that reality for others.

Fair Traders like you make holiday shopping worth a lot of focus. Thanks for motivating me.

Fair Trade month keeps going in Maryland and Pennsylvania

2009-11-01T15:15:00.007-05:00

If you are in Maryland or Pennsylvania, it may not feel like Fair Trade month is over! That's because on November 6th and 7th the Hyattsville Mennonite Church is having their annual Ten Thousand Villages Craft Fair and Bake Sale. As I suggest in my book, the Fair Trade movement was started by Mennonite Edna Ruth Byler, and it is good to see the religion's commitment to the cause continuing. For details on time and address in Hyattsville, MD visit the community's website.

I will be doing my own faith-based event as the guest of Chestnut Hill Friends (Quaker) Meeting near Philadelphia. All are welcome to the discussion, Sunday, November 8 at noon. I will explain what Fair Trade is, how it is making a positive impact on lives of people around the world, and why and how Quakers and others of goodwill can support its continued growth.

Take Steps to be Mrs. Obama's Role Model

2009-10-25T12:41:00.005-04:00

It was a personal treat for me to be at Busboys & Poets, a Washington, DC institution, this week talking about the Fair Trade White House effort. The event was organized by Global Exchange in order to celebrate Fair Trade month, and the evening featured The Fair Trade , a documentary describing the incredibly personal genesis of body care Fair Trade company, Anti-Body. Anti-Body is one of 100+ businesses, individuals and organizations working on the grassroots, nonpartisan invitation to Mrs. Obama to declare the White House a Fair Trade Home.

Please sign the on-line invitation!

What was confirmed for me at this event was my growing understanding of the impetus for the effort: it isn't about the Obama family. It is about average American families.

I first became involved in the effort this past spring after Mrs. Obama unveiled her organic garden, when Fair Traders were considering how the First Family might also express support for the ethics of Fair Trade, which include environmental sustainability and small-scale agriculture. Fair trading at the White House was already an idea conceived by a DC advocate in anticipation of the inauguration. To me, having Mrs. Obama involved seemed like a great awareness building and education opportunity. Some of us even envisioned the creation of dozen of Fair Trade gift bags of food, clothing and body care products that the White House could route to Washington, DC homeless shelters.

The more I talk with folks about Mrs. Obama having Fair Trade products in her family's home, the more I realize that Fair Traders are serving as incredible examples for the First Family. We are sharing how we live our lives, how our consumer choices are shaped by concern for fair wages, fair working conditions, and fair treatment of the planet. One gentleman at the Busboy's event shared with me that he works for the Defense Department but that he tries to shop his values to help create a society that relies less on force for conflict resolution. I mingled a bit with business managers who want to live the American dream but in ways that don't exploit others. Once again I found examples of ordinary people using Fair Trade to create extraordinary progress for the world.

Yes, of course, it is the nature of our society that many of us look up to the Obamas for guidance on everything from volunteering our time to charming Jay Leno. But with the Fair Trade White House efforts we have a real opportunity to demonstrate to the First Family how we Fair Traders live our lives. We can be role models demonstrating that important individual actions can be a positive for consumers and producers, especially those struggling in poverty around the world and around the corner. I still hope Mrs. Obama accepts our invitation to declare the White House a Fair Trade home so that our coalition can celebrate publicly and create a great media and education moment. But I also hope we get Mrs. Obama's private attention to help her understand who Fair Traders are and why we'd welcome her to join our movement.

What Makes a Business Fair Trade?

2009-10-15T08:44:00.005-04:00

When I was a student at Agnes Scott College back in the mid 80s, our liberal arts institution for women was mentioned in Playboy as a place with “babes,” or potential swimsuit models, or some such objectionable comment. Many on campus were concerned that our great school and its students were being sullied. But an English professor at the time stated that she thought bad publicity was better than no publicity at all. I embrace that viewpoint especially in these times of information overload.

So when Time magazine used the start of Fair Trade month here in the US to assert that Fair Trade Certified coffee prices are often, to reference my colleague Jonathan Rosenthal, more accurately described as “somewhat less unfair” prices, I was glad for the attention. And when the New York Times Sunday paper sneered at ethical consumption as a superficial half-measure, I sighed but thought, “Thanks for the plug.”

On this Blog Action Day--and everyday--I am glad when Fair Trade gets in the spotlight, especially for the purposes of debate and discussion. I learned in college that critical thinking is a good thing. That challenges based in fact and articulated in compelling way can lead to excellence in theory and practice. We in the Fair Trade movement shouldn’t lament “bad” press; we should step up and join the dialogue.

Personally, I’ve also discovered through the years that my learning style is such that I analyze and synthesize best when given a case study or “real-life” situation. Kind of like word problems we all pondered over in elementary school. Along those lines, I thought I would offer up a scenario and see if others think my analysis is correct, and why. Now, I realize on Blog Action Day, I am supposed to be writing and musing and debating on climate change. This may seem like a stretch, but one of the current challenges in Fair Trade is whether or not we are a “green” movement given, for example, that we a) encourage a certain type of consumption, and b) promote trade across many miles. Which brings us to my question: What Makes a Business Fair Trade? Or for that matter Green? This week I got pulled into such a debate, while standing at a booth at the Green Festival before my Fair Trade White House presentation. Here is the situation I offer for pondering:

My friend Rochel is a tireless entrepreneur. Filled with creative ideas and fueled by the energy she gains as a speed-skating athlete, Rochel has launched her own business: Joyful Bath Company. All of her products are hand-made from natural salts, delightfully packaged with materials that are easily recyclable. They are concocted to help relieve the stresses and strains of the modern world. Rochel has a couple of part-time employees who she pays fairly according to the minimum wage laws of Maryland, where she is based out of her home. I think Joyful Bath is a socially responsible, environmentally-friendly, small business that deserves my support, but I won’t call it “Fair Trade.” Am I right? Wrong? Why does it matter?

Let’s add a little new chatter to all this media and Blog Action Day attention of Fair Trade: right/wrong, good/bad, fad/movement, green or not?

Debating Fair Trade with Good Food and Generous Spirits

2009-10-08T20:57:00.007-04:00

This time last week, give or take a time zone, I was with the good folks of Fair Trade Los Angeles. First we feasted on Fair Trade food, such as wine and chocolate, and homemade goodies, such as hummus and tortillas. We then settled in for a friendly but spirited debate about the pros and cons of mainstreaming, how Fair Trade relates to corporate social responsibility, and the joys and sorrows of being a Fair Trade entrepreneur.

Below are some memories of that evening, thanks to Dan Wilson of St. Cross Episcopal Church The event was held at St. Cross in Hermosa Beach, and there are several other LA area communities (such as Santa Monica and S. Pasadena) considering how to become Fair Trade towns. If you are close by LA, consider joining their grassroots efforts. Let me know if you need a direct contact to the volunteer organizing group or visit their website.

Photos: Fair Trade munchies; Luz and Phil of Fair Trade Express; David of TransFair USA; yours truly; Jane and Joan of FTLA; Raj of Freeset Bags

31 Days and Quite a Few Fair Trade Ways

2009-09-27T20:42:00.004-04:00

The theme of Fair Trade month this October is "31 days, 31 ways." While I have been prepping up for awhile now, the fact is I won't be able to celebrate each and every day.

But here are some things I have in store:

Fair Trade LA, St. Cross Episcopal, and South Coast Interfaith Council are co-hosting an event on "Starting a Fair Trade Business" to be held Thursday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Cross Episcopal Church
1818 Monterey Blvd.,
Hermosa Beach, CA.
I'll be joining David Funkhouser, TransFair USA, Strategic Relations Manager and Phil Fehrle, owner of Fair Trade Express to discuss how Fair Trade is related (or not) to Corporate Social Responsibility.

I'll also be joining the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade at a local October Fest event (the photo above shows the fun we had last time I was there), as well as being part of Catholic Relief Service efforts to build awareness of economic justice. More details on those events in LA can be found through CRS Fair Trade.

If you are in California, I hope you can join us!

Celebrating SERRV and Signing up for the Next 60 Years

2009-09-12T15:53:00.006-04:00

Last night I had the fun of celebrating the staff and volunteers of SERRV, a Fair Trade Organization featured in the "fair trade histories" chapter of my book. SERRV was founded 60 years ago and has been instrumental in creating the Fair Trade movement we know today. The anniversary party the SERRV folks generously hosted last night at their New Windsor, Maryland facilities was a time to reflect on the principles that have made SERRV so successful. It was also a chance to toast the people—-many of whom I am proud to call friends--who infuse the organization with great talent and persistent commitment to the Fair Trade values.

SERRV International started as a program of a faith-based organization, the Church of the Brethren, and then became independent in 1999. Its name was originally an acronym for Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocation, reflecting its start as an income generation project through the sale of wooden cuckoo clocks carved by refugees in Germany. Across the years SERRV has worked to eradicate poverty through direct connections with low-income artisans and farmers in 35 countries. The name is now less an acronym and more an ethos: to SERRV.

Giséle Fleurant, Executive Director of Comite Artisanal Haitien, was on hand at the party to thank SERRV for its long-standing commitment. She noted that across the years and struggles the people of Haiti have faced, SERRV has been a steadfast customer of products such as hand-hammered and cut recycled oil drums (The photo of me at the SERRV store has some Haitian artwork in the background). Mike Muchilwa, a co-founder of Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa, also spoke passionately and personally about how SERRV enables often-exploited artisans like the carvers of Nyab igena Soapstone cooperative in Kenya to access markets on fair terms that respect the dignity of the producers and invest back in their home communities.

Recently SERRV re-branded itself, dropping “international” from its name and fashioning a new logo and minimalist look for its catalog. Despite these recent enhancements, SERRV’s values haven’t changed much along the way. It simply and humbly approaches producers as partners, seeking joint solutions to the challenges of poverty. It offers ideas for production techniques, makes grants of financial resources, and markets products through direct sales, the internet and catalogs. With my day job at CRS, I’m been fortunate to be alongside SERRV staff in Ghana and Madagascar, and I have witnessed them as creative, caring, no-nonsense professionals committed to empowering communities.

Paul Myers, President of the World Fair Trade Organization, pointed out in his remarks that the long-standing practices of SERRV have paved the way for more mainstream companies such as Cadbury in the United Kingdom to enter the Fair Trade marketplace. If it had not been for the pioneers of organizations such as SERRV, the Fair Trade market would not have grown to more than a $1.5 billion dollars here in the States with 5 billion producers benefiting from increased income and expanded opportunities world wide.

Paul noted that the Fair Trade movement was now on the cusp of a new era. Many gathered nodded their gray hairs (mine included!) in agreement, but I don’t think many of us thought that the Fair Trade movement is going to coast easily into such a new period. There are many challenges facing the movement-- from organizational conflicts, to exclusionary practices among producers, to consumer confusion. Like any movement we are filled with fallible human beings. With 60 years experience we are finding that our shortcomings can slow us down at best and do damage at worst.

What gives me hope for the future is a conversation I had with a woman named Sally Keller. Over post-party breakfast, Sally related to me how a personal invitation to become more deeply involved in SERRV led her to a life of professional and volunteer Fair Trade service. She operates a store, Global Village Crafts, in her Utah and travels with her husband to countries such as Peru and Nepal to do development work. She does it not to get rich or travel to “exotic places.” Fair Trade makes sense to Sally. She has witnessed the difference it makes to the people she meets along the way. She, as a SERRV volunteer, is a fine example of a movement that works in direct, meaningful ways to transform lives and communities.

As long as folks like Sally are signed up for another 60 years, so am I.

Check out new Fair Trade blogs

2009-08-28T19:43:00.006-04:00

Thanks for visiting this blog! But for the moment I am focused on being guest blogger over at the Fair Trade Resource Network. I got my professional start in Fair Trade with FTRN, so I'm always happy to help those good folks out.

Along with Tex Dworkin and Zarah Patriana of Global Exchange, I will be posting weekly on topics of interest to the Fair Trade community. In particular, given my Quaker community and current day job with Catholic Relief Services, I'll be focused on faith and spirituality. Jeff Goldman, FTRN's Director, takes on the key issues of the Fair Trade movement. Be sure to click around and see if any of the news and views interest you!

Prepping for Fair Trade month

2009-08-19T06:26:00.002-04:00

I know it is still summer time but fall is coming at us fast. Here's how I am gearing up for Fair Trade month, which is October. I hope you will start your planning and participating too!

Some things I am involved in:

* Reverse trick or treating: Check out Global Exchange's initiative where kids give the adults Fair Trade chocolate and a message of fairness. There are free organizing kits available, so order soon!

* Organizing a Fair Trade Town Steering Committee: There are almost a dozen communities in the United States who have declared themselves supportive of Fair Trade. An updated website can help you and your neighbors become a Fair Trade Town.

* Making the White House a Fair Trade Home: A coalition of fair trade vendors and organizations and individuals like you and me are inviting the First Lady to join the fair trade movement and make the White House a “Fair Trade Home. It is an effort of justice and celebration. Check out DJs for Fair Trade for some inspiration.

*Learning, Reflecting, Acting: I will post a list of my upcoming speaking engagements in Los Angeles, Washington, DC and beyond soon. Even if you don't have a guest speaker, you and your community group can host a book discussion about what Fair Trade is, why it is relevant to your community and your world in theses challenging time. Use this blog and Fair Trade: A Beginner's guide to give you some ideas for conversation starters.

It's not QUICK being green: Furniture Update

2009-08-04T07:15:00.006-04:00

First off, a hearty thanks to all those who commented via Facebook about ways to locate an environmentally friendly dining room table. I wanted to report out that my partner and I have ordered a table that will be made of reclaimed maple from (most likely) a barn in Pennsylvania Amish country. That’s the short version of my tale.

The longer story is that we learned a lot in this process. Some of the tips were encouraging—we discovered that Maryland has charming little towns that feature consignment and antique shops. We were reminded of funky stores in the Baltimore neighborhood of Hamden (think John Waters, Hon). We also learned that yes, the source of wood is important, but the stains potentially do damage to the planet too. I will be honest that we didn’t dig too deeply into that element, declaring victory that we had hired a local carpenter in our new hometown of Kensington, Maryland. Being that he is a smart sort of fellow we assumed he probably didn’t expose himself to too many toxic materials.

No, it wasn't about the making of the furniture that we gained the most knowledge. The biggest lesson we learned was to wait.

Instant gratification is a feature of mainstream U.S. culture. This is especially true these days as nanosecond technologies begin to dominate our lives. I was in a meeting recently where someone called the US, a “microwave society: we want everything quick and easy.” Given these cultural pressures, I can forgive myself for feeling a bit crestfallen when Carol, the lady who sold us the table, predicted six to eight weeks for delivery. Eight weeks? Come on, that’s really two months! Fortunately memories of time in Chiapas, Mexico did an allegorical shake of my shoulders.

The highlands of Chiapas is where I first encountered Fair Trade through a visit to the survivors of a 1997 massacre in the community of Acteal. (Thanks to Chelsea Bay for the photo above, which I downloaded from Picasa). I also learned a little about the philosophy of the indigeneous people in southern Mexico. Generally speaking, these cultures respect the sweep of history, not just the demands of their immediate realities, even when those involve hunger and political repression. They seem to have a deep sense of acceptance of what is true and steadfast optimism about reality. After a short time in that region, I got a sense of the need for perspective. Deep in their bones they seemed to believe that to get the right results against a dominant and different military power might take a while, but the results would be worth it.

My disappointment over a two-month wait for a functional piece of craftsmanship is somewhat insignificant in comparison to Chiapas communities struggling for autonomy and justice. But I don’t make the connection to belittle my desire or to aggrandize anonymous farmers. I offer it because by buying a reclaimed, handmade piece of furniture I can do one small, slow action to preserve the ecosystem that makes survival of both the highlands and the rainforests of Chiapas possible. My inconvenience serves as a reminder of the values I aspire to—patience, respect, gratitude. I invite you to make your own discoveries of the connections between our lifestyle choices and the the lives of the majority world.

It isn't always easy being green, or fair

2009-07-18T07:23:00.006-04:00

Talk about the shoe being on the other foot. My partner and I started hunting for a dining room table, knowing only a few things: we want it to fit the space, we want it to match the room and our own sense of style, and we DON'T want it to be a result of clear-cutting forests. Turns out dealing with the last requiremenet is not as easy as it sounds.

First we tried Craig's List and while a great service, it is pretty hit or miss depending on who is selling what, when. Plus, what's with all the agency posting these days? If I want to buy from a company I go straight to the mall if the first place. Of course, we could check out antique shops for "recycled" furniture, but most of what I see there brings back memories of Thanksgiving with grandma. Plus, both Kris and I hate shopping so going from one place to another finding that secret treasure doesn't seem the best use of our time or fuel.

Being label conscious gals, we sought out Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products. I frankly found that site a little confusing, but on the second visit I got my list of retailers so I could narrow down the hunt. Ah ha! One nearby retailer offered products, but once on the showroom floor I couldn't find products with a label. I knew that Macy's sold Rugmark (soon to be "Good Weave") certified products in the past so we also headed there. The salesperson liked my question about wood origins, but could only provide manufacturer information. A web search (how did we shop responsibly before the Internet!?!) yielded disappointment for the table we were eyeing.

Shifting into social media gear, I posted an inquiry on Facebook (I refuse to tweet, thank you very much) and got several ideas of local sources of furniture. Okay, so we do have to spend a day going from place to place...and not on bicycles. I also was introduced to the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) as a source of info on responsible sourcing. Being slightly dsylexic, the FSC vs. SFC, confounded me for a moment. And then I heaved a heavy sigh realizing I had gotten into the thick of different standards for the same industry.

This saga is all to say: I had forgotten that when I extol Fair Traders to "buy the right thing," it ain't always as easy as it sounds. It takes patience, reliable sources of information, access to transportation, and the ability to make sense out of a myraid of claims. To those of you who do it for Fair Trade: thank you! To all of us: keep up the good work. The producers and the planet need this kind of dedication!

Back in the Fair Trade Blogosphere

2009-06-24T08:59:00.006-04:00

It has been almost a month since my last posting, and I am itching to get back to a Fair Trade focus. Not that I haven’t been trying to live a Fair Trade life, you understand, but I took a bit of leave to help an elderly relative. That’s meant, actually, a lot of shopping (check out the photo of me and cousin Dollie in front of a flat-screened t.v. no less) but not a lot of time to report out.

I’ve also been trying to work a little behind the scenes and at my day job on a couple of efforts to build consumer commitment to Fair Trade. I am very excited by the success of World Fair Trade Day—we beat those nice Finnish people to regain the record for largest Fair Trade break in the world—and by activity afoot to convene another Fair Trade Futures conference in 2010. But I’ve also been, to be honest, distracted by inter-movement tensions that seem to crop up a lot among Fair Traders.

I’ve written on this blog and in my book about the distinctions between fully committed companies and those with specific product lines. With new certifications and product claims coming on the scene, there are more and more debates about which principles put farmers and artisans first, which standards are the most rigorous, and which associations and certifications can best ensure integrity in the value chain. I was hoping that the May World Fair Trade Organization meetings in Nepal would help set some strong, producer-led directions, but apparently there is disagreement within that group of the best way forward regarding product and company labeling. Looking to my own back yard, there have been two sets of "movement" collaboration conversations trying to set objectives, strategies and “authority” for new consumer campaigns. There has been a lot of rehashing of old issues, going in circles about new ones, and sapping of energy of talented, committed people. Oh, and have I mentioned recent mixed media coverage of whether or not Fair Trade is really fair?

Still, I’m not discouraged because, in addition to it being a beautiful day here in Washington, D.C., I believe in the core values that Fair Trade espouses. Recently I was reading a Harvard Business Review posting about the lost of trust in the business world that said that “trust, reliability and relationships” are the new competitive advantages. Hah! Those values are the ones that have driven Fair Trade for 60 years!

Despite all our difficulties, our politics, our opportunism, the movement has, across the decades, uplifted core values which rally the best motivations of people, which result in successful business practices from “crop to cup” as they say, and which create sustainable economic systems that serve as model for how households and multinationals can run their finances.

I’m back in the blogosphere to say Fair Trade and its leaders ain’t perfect. It won’t fix every problem of poverty and shouldn't pretend to. But if in these days of economic meltdowns and increasing inequality, of climate calamities and changing power structures, you want a framework built on “dialogue, transparency and respect” Fair Trade has something for you. We need your help to stay on course and chart new directions. I hope this blog can help.

Happy summer!

Fair Trade Bug Repellent? Says Who?

2009-05-26T06:11:00.006-04:00

I did some shopping this weekend, and I got a surprise at Whole Foods. My local store finally got Fair Trade certified bananas! While they weren't from my preferred brand, Oke, I decided to buy a bunch. This was my effort to register with the store manager that I am glad she or he paid attention to those comment cards I placed in the suggestion box. The voice inside my head, though, started to chide, “Are those bananas from plantations, or small family farmers?”

Ignoring that din because, hey, it was a three-day weekend, I headed to a local nursery in search of my favorite tomato plant. At the counter, a display proclaiming Fair Trade citronella caught my eye. A company was trying to get me to buy a "Brazilian twist" on inspect repellent. Apparently the company is a big supporter of "community trade." (Again the voices in my head: "oh, lord, not another type of trade!") Apparently I could avoid bugs AND do right by the indigenous people of the Amazonian rain forest. I picked up a brochure but not any products.

Now that I am settled back at home, I see from the company materials that they do seem to push all the right buttons around supporting the "tribes of the Amazon Co-op." Because the company buys the natural oils and medicinal plants that end up in its incense and candles, the community has an establish trading partner. The company is concerned with community needs like dental clinics and schools. Because all the harvesting is sustainable, the company is also very green and doing its part to help the planet and its people.

Or so the marketing materials want me to believe. Now, let me be clear, I know nothing about this company besides what its promotional materials tell me. But my critical eye is noticing a couple of nuances. First off, like most of us, I am interested in quality. But on closer inspection the product I was interested in is not really being sold. The “point of purchase” materials tout citronella, which I think most of us agree suggests, “bug repellent.” Yet the product descriptions say nothing about keeping bugs away, only about achieving “peaceful patio environments.”

And, what about the "community trade" and this Amazon co-op? If the products are “fair” that implies a fair price was paid to the farmers and gatherers of the rain forest plants. In the Fair Trade system, these wages and premiums would be distributed through a democratic association structure. Fair Trade co-ops are usually affiliated with an umbrella group such as the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) or the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations. Yet no such affiliations were made on the materials. How do I know that the Amazon co-op isn’t just a creation of the company, kind of life an off shore bank, that allows it to make claims about its social responsibility values?

When I was at Whole Foods, the bananas had a label from TransFair USA indicating that the value chain that brought that piece of fruit from a Colombian farm had been independently certified to meet internationally agreed upon standards. A few aisles away there was a kiosk for Fair Trade crafts and the company, World of Good, noted on its sign that it was a member of the WFTO. Those signifiers—while not guaranteeing perfection in a value chain—allowed me to have some confidence about the companies I was doing business with.

One of the bright sides of our economic crisis has been a marked appreciation for the role of regulation in our financial institutions. We have seen—tragically in some cases—what happens when the logic of the market and the imperatives of profit making are allowed to reign free of limits and scrutiny. In economic justice movements, too, we need mechanisms for setting standards and verifying claims. A label or a seal won’t tell you everything—like who owns the bananas I bought this weekend—but these markers do give you some guidance in deciphering promotional claims. Our Fair Trade institutions exist to keep the movement honest and strong. Pretty promotional materials and carefully chosen buzz words don’t get us closer to fair and sustainable trade, rules and regulations do.

Fair Trade Trips, Finns, and Futures

2009-05-17T18:54:00.005-04:00

One of my first official Fair Trade gatherings was the 2002 convening of the NEWS! (Network of European World Shops) conference in Belgium. It was there that I met a delegation from Finland, who shared with modest pride the story of a cargo ship—dubbed Estelle—destined with humanitarian supplies for Angola. Although I don’t recall the names of any of the Finns I spoke to, I remember clearly how friendly they were to me (the only American at the conference in post-9/11 days) and how earnest they were about the symbolism and the impact of a Fair Trade journey from their country's shores to Africa.

Those good people of Finland have been on my mind this month as the United States has endeavored to win back from Finland the record for World’s Largest Fair Trade Break. I did my part at an event in Hyattsville, Maryland, hosted by the Book Nook and featuring Ten Thousand Villages from Alexandria, Virginia. Although the results won’t be out for another week or so, there is a small part of my American heart rooting for the Finns to retain the record.

But beyond friendly competition, the occasion of World Fair Trade Day got me reflecting on the Fair Trade movement. I was bemused, flipping through the NEWS! conference agenda dated by seven years, to see topics that are still relevant today:

• The Definition of Fair Trade (I recently posted about "who owns the Fair Trade movement" and "ownership" connotes controlling definitions)
• The Impact of Fair Trade (The topic of a chapter in my 2007 book was "Yes, But Does It Work?" )
• Fair Trade in Supermarkets: Threat or Opportunity (we could just replace the word “supermarket" with "big box stores”)
• Fair Trade: A Model or Symbol (the familiar debate of are we reforming the market system or replacing it with an alternative)

In fact, some of these topics were conspired at the Fair Trade Futures conference I helped convene in 2005 in Chicago.

Does this mean that the Fair Trade movement is stuck, asking the same questions over and over but not getting anywhere? Or is this a reflection of how young the movement is—asking itself essential questions of identity and power? For me, I think it is a little bit of both. But more that that, it is a sign that the movement is small and still shaped by a relative handful of organizations and individuals, here and around the world. We keep having conferences—and I am working to make another event happen here in the States in 2010—for a couple of reasons: some questions are perennial and unanswerable, for one thing. Also, the movement is young and attracting fresh interest in different communities throughout the world. And, to expand and diversify, the movement needs events and meeting places to attract new voices and views.

At the 2002 conference in Belgium, someone at a plenary challenged, “We say we are a movement, let’s move!” With another successful World Fair Trade Day celebrated in 80 countries, I think we can take satisfaction that we are moving forward. Maybe we are slow, like a cargo ship, but we have creativity, commitment. Millions of struggling artisans and farmers are willing to join us on the journey.

Books, balls, and making a bang for World Fair Trade Day

2009-05-02T11:35:00.006-04:00

World Fair Trade Day events on or around Saturday, May 9th are quickly approaching! Here in the Washington, DC-Maryland-Virginia area, we have a couple of opportunities to make a big bang for Fair Trade!

I will be returning to my old neighborhood of Hyattsville, Maryland to participate in an event at the independent bookstore, Book Nook. I'll be discussing responsible consumerism with folks who drop by from 1:00 to 3:00. Also, Ten Thousand Villages of Alexandria will be selling crafts, coffee, and chocolate from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Free coffee and chocolate samples will be available!

View Larger Map

From that event, I may head over to the Fair Trade Soccer/Basketball Game & Takoma Fair Trade Tour, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm starting at the Takoma Recreation Center, 300 Van Buren St. (at 3rd St.) NW Washington, DC 20011. Here's the announcement for that event:

Play fair! Join Fair Trade Sports representative April Thompson and FTRN Executive Director Jeff Goldman in a fun game (basketball or soccer, depending on court/field availability and interest of participants) using fair trade balls. No experience necessary! Afterwards, we will have an informal presentation about Fair Trade Sports and FTRN, and follow these Takoma residents on a walking tour of the many great fair trade businesses in the area. Note that we will start at the Takoma Recreation Center (meet at the basketball courts at the corner of Van Buren and 3rd) and move on from there. Please contact April at 202-321-3245/prillytee "at" gmail.com for more info or if you want to join us mid-stream and want to find out where we are in our neighborhood tour.

If you aren't in this area, please check with the Fair Trade Resource Network for events in your area. Even if you can't attend a public event, you can take a pledge to take a break for Fair Trade in your own home. Hopefully together we can set a new World's record for Fair Trade!

Flying Business Class: My New Travel Habit?

2009-04-27T09:54:00.003-04:00

By virtue of my role as a consumer educator, I travel a lot. These days, with some additional family responsibilities in New Jersey, I am on a train or turnpike even more than usual. So perhaps I can be forgiven for splurge on a recent Airtran flight from Atlanta to Washington, when I purchased an upgrade to business class…except that I can’t seem to shake the shame of it. Well, “shame” is a strong word, but what I can’t seem to get out of the back of my head is how easily I settled into my new role as “business class passenger.” I am privileged to even have access to air flight when so many travelers in the majority world are confined to bicycles or rickshaws or stuck in cramped converted school buses. Yet after one flight, I start having a “I could get used to this” response.

Of course, everybody deserves a little indulgence, and I don’t want to make too big a deal over a $49 splurge. For the record, the upgrade wiped out my baggage fee and entitled me to a free cocktail and extra-special snacks that replaced my buying lunch. But the word that trips me up is “entitled.” Because I had the money for an impulse purchase (“Sure Mr. Ticket Taker, swipe my Visa for an upgrade!) I got to leap-frog the hundred or so other people I am usually hanging out with back in coach class. While they were shoving over-stuffed bags into the over-head bin, a flight attendant was calling me by name to interest me in a free pre-flight beverage (in my favorite flavor of mango), all because I could afford 50 extra bucks.

To make matters worse, in the course of a one hour and 10 minute flight, I got used to the conditions, eagerly anticipating my speedy exit from row 3, instead of hunkering down for the long, slow slog from the back of the jet. When I was in the air terminal, I took new notice of the “Fly Clear” security system, where you can pay an annual fee to breeze through security. Having that momentary daydream is when I knew something was going wrong. I have been opposed to the idea that the wealthy can avoid the inconveniences of national security by paying for special screening. What was going on with me? After one single swanky flight, I am thinking about purchasing a security clearance? What kind of “conscious consumer” am I? Talk about a slippery slope.

I was given a little relief from this guilt trip by an article in yesterday’s New York Times by David Segal, “No, You Can’t Get an Upgrade.” As a former student of sociology, I was reminded of the force of culture in a person’s behavior. Segal describes Americans as “epic consumers” and notes that our desire for “bigger and better’ is “…so neatly woven into the double helix of our DNA that we hardly notice it. When we buy a television, it’s rarely because we lack a TV. We want a thinner TV, or a bigger TV, or a TV with features that sound beguiling even if we have no idea what they do.” Well, that explains it! My desire to have more for the sake of a few creature comforts was part of my cultural training. Certainly it makes sense that some of my greedier instincts and not so admirable impulses started kicking in once I indulged.

The article served as a good reminder to me. As I try to take this economic crisis as a time of encouraging fellow traders to reassess and recalibrate consumption, I don’t want to disregard the very real pulls we feel toward a certain way of life or standard of living. I don’t want to suggest that sacrifice or down-sizing is easy, even in the name of simplicity. I certainly don’t want to suggest I have it all figured out or that my way is some holier-than-thou approach. I want to reclaim the American dream, not trash it.

Last week I acted like so many good Americans—maybe I even helped stimulate the economy—by consuming more than I needed. And I re-learned a lesson about what I really value and why. Perhaps it was worth the $49 after all.

The Meaning of Economy Recovery: Taking a Few Initial Steps

2009-04-19T18:12:00.005-04:00

I originally wrote this posting yesterday, but slept on it a bit and offer this revision:

From pundits to real estate agents, I have heard many people speculate about how long the economic crisis will last. While I certainly don't wish long-term suffering for anyone in the States (I have a family member of my own recently laid-off) or overseas (where the poor suffer the most from broken economic systems), I do hope recovery is not quick. Unless we have sufficient time to identify what went wrong, why and how, I don't think consumers or institutions will change their ways.

The word "recovery" has a special meaning to me as a member of a 12-step program where we seek to recover from unhealthy, destructive behaviors and mindsets. I think of how so many households over-indulged in spending, or too many of us didn't recognize the impact of our consumption on others. We were addicted, in a sense, to the pursuit of more things no matter what the cost of acquiring them. In order to recover from an addiction, a person has to go through a series of steps that involve recognition of the issue and a commitment to changing one's ways. True recovery is never quick or easy.

I offer up the 12 step philosophy to help us recover a sensible, sustainable, serene approach to meeting our wants and needs as individuals. Some of the steps refer to a Higher Power, which may be off putting to readers who aren't people of faith. But the point is not to promote religion so much as to help us recognize our ultimate lack of control. A paradox of "recovery" is that in admitting your lack of power you actually gain an ability to get your affairs in order.

Although there are twelve steps, they don't always come in order. I offer up a few that I think ring true for those of us who have over-indulged or failed to plan well. I hope I don't sound harsh or moralistic. Instead, just as I promote budgeting in my book, I want to share an approach to financial matters that has helped me. By looking at our consumption with humility, not despair, we can "recover" from our past habits to stabilize and thrive: something I wish for our economies and our families.

Step 1- We admitted we were powerless over irresponsible consumption - that our lives had become unmanageable

Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sane consumption

Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs

Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it

Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out

Step 12 - Having had a awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

55,000 Strong for Fair Trade on May 9th

2009-04-07T19:28:00.005-04:00

I'm celebrating World Fair Trade Day this year with a Fair Trade discussion and chocolate tasting at independent bookstore Book Nook in Hyattsville, Maryland. I hope our group will be joining 55,000 others in the United States who want to reclaim the record for World Largest Fair Trade Break. Last year more than 12,000 of us took some time out around and set the first world's record for a Fair Trade break. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Finland stepped up and got more than 50,000 Fair Traders together in Helsinki.

This year, though, with the help of the Fair Trade Resource Network, we are going to reclaim the title in a variety of fun, informative and creative ways! I want to share a couple ideas I have heard of that seem simple but effective but first, check out this video for encouragement:

To join in the fun AND promote economic justice consider these ideas:

* Invite a couple friends to a local coffee shop and have them brew up some Fair Trade coffee or tea.
* Serve up Fair Trade hot chocolate for a girl/boy scout troop or sports event that your kid attends.
* Grab your drum and head to a local park for a circle that celebrates Fair Trade with a bang.
* Invite your book group to learn about Fair Trade and discuss its pros and cons.
* Host a craft sale after your congregation's weekly service.

If you need sources for these products, visit the Fair Trade Federation or TransFair USA for a list of retailers. If you need free promotional materials or education materials, ask for FTRN! They'll also explain how to record your break's participation to help us meet our goal.

And if you are not in the United States, fear not! The World Fair Trade Organization has resources for celebrations around the globe.

The Hands That Feed: Fair Trade with Cedarville University

2009-03-27T09:58:00.004-04:00

Next week, Tuesday, March 31, I'm going to be joining students from Cedarville University in Ohio for a "community night." To get a sense of why students are organizing the event, check out the video The Hands That Feed from Benjamin Schmanke on Vimeo. I got inspired just watching this clip and can't wait to meet the students who are so concerned about economic justice.

After we all enjoy some Fair Trade refreshments, I will give a talk on why student and how student participation in the Fair Trade movement is so important. Then there will be a panel discussion consisting of six individuals debating pros and cons of Fair Trade, followed by audience Q &A. The evening will wrap up with a Fair Trade Fair benefiting the work of Lutheran World Relief.

The event is being organized by the campus group "Ekplesso." Join us if you are around Dayton!
Stevens Student Center Event Rooms - Cedarville University
March 31, 2009, refreshments beginning at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7:00 p.m.

Who Owns the Fair Trade movement? Listen to Some Participant Voices

2009-03-13T17:07:00.006-04:00

Finally I have purchased an MP3 player. My delay is not so much that I am a technophobe as that I know that sooner rather than later I am going to lose the darn thing. But the appeal of listening to podcasts (especially during training for my next event: the National 1/2 Marathon) has won out.

Case in point,the 90 minute recording of a London School of Economics panel discussion called "Who Owns Fairtrade? A debate on who benefits, influences and controls Fairtrade." It is a great range of views on some of the controversies related to mainstreaming, corporate investment into Fair Trade, and the ideals of Fair Trade partnerships. I suggest you listen first to the contribution of Dyborn Charlie Chibonga and Rajah Banerjee who speak from farmer perspectives to what Fair Trade means as a framework. Then give a listen to Pauline Tiffen, a colleague I profile in Chapter 7 of my book, who gives a historic grounding of Fair Trade and reflects on its evolution and current power dynamics. Finish up with Katie Stafford, a business consultant, and business owner Kate Sebag.

Traveling Chuckles from Louis CK

2009-03-03T06:42:00.004-05:00

I had a welcome snow day yesterday, meaning I could walk around in the pre-plow beauty, watch "Ellen," and do other spontaneously fun activities. One included looking at a You Tube video of comedian Louis CK. In this riff, he takes on one of my pet peeves: people who complain about the inconveniences of modern travel.

Case in point: my last snow day I was in Baltimore but wanted to get to my home in Washington, DC about 50 miles away. The commuter train home was more than an hour late but I had choices: I was able to take a light rail to a bus, which took me to a subway, which took me within a few blocks of my home, on a paved road. Along the trip I thought of my friend Alonso in Chiapas, Mexico. When I was in Mexico, Alonso had only one option to get him to his work in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez: a windy road in a a micro-bus packed with passengers. Another friend of mine once fell out of such a van at high speed!

This video helps us realize how much we take for granted, while poking some gentle fun. I confess I saw myself in the indictment of the person who thinks wireless service must be instantaneous at all times!

Traveling in Ohio: next event March 31

2009-03-02T09:31:00.008-05:00

Ohio is buzzing about Fair Trade these days. This weekend I had the honor, thanks to my day job,* of giving a keynote address at the 3rd annual Global Solidarity Conference held at the University of Dayton. I was so inspired by about 80 people who, during particularly tough financial times in their home state, dedicated a Saturday to discussing how to promote economic justice.

At the end of this month, I head back to Ohio participate in a community night at Cedarville University. I love being part of campus events (see photo above from my time at my alma mater, Agnes Scott College). I'll be joining the owner of Stoney Creek Roasters, professors from campus, and leaders of student trade groups. This public event is intended for students and members of the Cedarville, Xenia, and Yellow Springs communities. If you are in the neighborhood, please join us Tuesday, March 31, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Stevens Student Center.

*Of course, nothing on this independent blog should be construed to be representing my employer. Likewise, the Catholic Church doesn't always represent my views.

Chapter 7 Update: Ordinary People Making Fair Trade Extraordinary

2009-02-15T07:50:00.008-05:00

Last week I was interviewed for a documentary about ethical consumption. I am having a little post-production anxiety around how I came off: did I oversimplify complex issues? Was I sanctimonious? Did I tell enough stories of the real impact Fair Trade makes?

Luckily this blog gives me a chance for "do over" on some questions. For instance, I was asked why I sincerely believe in Fair Trade, and the answer is the individuals and institutions that are part of the movement inspire my trust, inform my understanding of the marketplace, and excite my passions. In chapter seven of my book I focus on notable Fair Traders, and I'd like now to share a couple more.

This time last year I got a chance to meet two women who each in her own way is taking the concept of Fair Trade and integrating it into her life. I met Marianne H. McLean, of Beans for Better Life, at a conference that CRS Fair Trade was a part of in Indianapolis. Marianne's company is based in Indiana and so I got to spend a little time with her and team-mate, Joan Eicher. Like so many Fair Traders, Marianne had a unique but compelling story about why her coffee company is fully-committed to Fair Trade, even though at the time we met she had never been to a coffee farm. It turns out that Beans for Better Life is an effort of social entrepreneurship for Marianne and her husband. When they heard, while chatting with a fellow passenger on an airplane, about the plight of coffee farmers, they knew they had to take action. Motivated by their faith and grateful for the financial success they had, the couple decided to "give back" by starting a family business that is fully committed Fair Trade. As a mom, Marianne also decided she wanted to use the business to create ethical fundraising opportunities for schools and other community groups. Beans for Better Life has a program that provides special pricing for fundraising and donates 10% of profits back to farmer cooperatives. She's clearly setting a good example for her family and her community.

The community of San Diego has a great role model in the person of Carolyn Lief, who I met last year at a World Fair Trade Day celebration in that beautiful city. During the festivities--orchestrated by a fun and vibrant committee of volunteers and businesses--I learned that Carolyn had traveled to a Nicaraguan coffee community with a delegation from St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral. Meeting a coffee farmer named Fatima helped Carolyn understand the impact of her household purchasing back at home. Reflecting on the lure of discount shopping, Carolyn said, "We get the best bargains at someone else's expense. I don't want to be acting at someone else's expense any more....bit by bit I am trying to buy Fair Trade." She's also trying to organize businesses, faith groups, and students in the San Diego region around key events such as last year's World Fair Trade Day,which I was honored to be a part of (see photo above; Carolyn is third from the right), and the annual Fair Trade month in October.

Small businesses like Marianne's and community groups such as Carolyn's are what make me believe in Fair Trade. The principles and practices of Fair Trade are the framework around which ordinary people work to create extraordinary efforts at restoring fairness in trade.

Turning These Tough Times into a Teachable Moment

2009-02-09T16:57:00.005-05:00

I haven't been blogging much in part because I have been preparing for some upcoming events, including an interview with the makers of a new documentary called The Bottom Line. As part of my prep work, I came across this article from the Christian Science Monitor. I've been trying myself to figure out how the current dire straits for many U.S. consumers is an opportunity to reconfigure our understanding of our own finances and lifestyles AND stay true to fair trade and other socially responsible principles. Check it out, even if you aren't a person of faith. A spiritual approach to money | csmonitor.com

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Blog Relationships: Building Fair Trade through Social Media

2009-01-25T09:38:00.010-05:00

Last night I was treated to a dinner party. This is one of my favorite ways to spend time: eating tasty pasta, sipping red wine, and enjoying interesting, insightful people I am blessed to call friends. In the course of our talking, the group realized that four of us at the table of eight were connected on Facebook, four of us not. We had a fun time discussing the pros and cons of all different types of social media (listservs, twitter, "old-fashioned" email) and concluded that sharing good food with good company was a much preferred way of spending time.

But I did offer one of the values of blogging for me: using the connectivity of the web to learn about the great work other people are doing around the globe. Case in point is a new colleague I have, Sharon Rose Goldberg of SAHA, a program of an Israeli nongovernmental organization working to build Fair Trade connections among Palestinians, Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews. Sharon had found my book on-line through Powell's. She was curious to learn more about domestic and regional Fair Trade initiatives such as the one in Brazil that I profile in my "Future of Fair Trade" chapter. Thanks to Skype she was soon able to have a conversation with a representative of FACES in Brazil to share ideas for promoting community trade. Sharon is obviously a really great networker because she has also connected with Zarah and the folks at change.org who recently profiled SAHA's work in their Faces of Fair Trade section.

When Sharon and I spoke we discussed other ways to learn from fellow Fair Traders, such as attending conferences and joining associations. The international travel part for me is going to have to be reduced this year due to our global economic woes (but hooray for my smaller carbon footprint!), and I'm grateful that I can "meet" people through the web, learn from fellow bloggers, and order Fair Trade wine for my next dinner party.

Here is a photo of my sister and me at my last party.

Dr. King's Triplets of Racism, Materialism and Militarism

2009-01-19T09:37:00.010-05:00

My way of commemorating Dr. King's birthday is to use my "day off" to read some of his writings. When I was a public school teacher at Tilson Elementary in Decatur, Georgia, I was chagrined to recognize that I, a so-called "well-educated" white woman, could not recall any of Dr. King's oratory beyond the occasional "I Have a Dream" quip. At the same time, my 5th grade "at risk" African-American students could recite speeches in their entirety. That was the beginning of my understanding of how education in our country perpetuates patterns of poverty and disenfranchisement. Wouldn't a person of privilege such as myself need an understanding of Dr. King's vision and analysis as much minority students working to take their rightful place in a more just society? But somehow I hadn't been taught from the texts of Dr. King. Although my own elementary school was just a few miles away in Tucker, GA, my education was vastly different in terms of priorities. There are many reasons for that, but if I took anything away from my collegiate education, it was the call of life-long learning. Turning the pages of Dr. King's writings in adulthood is one way I try to keep educating myself.

Today on Democracy Now I was treated to audio excerpts from Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam" speech at the Riverside Church in 1967. Listening I realized anew that although the body of Dr. King's work is important in its entirety, there is no denying the influence of his "sound bites." In this speech Dr. King invites Americans to a "radical revolution of values" that overturns a world in which profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people. Fair Traders often speak about putting "people before profit." I suspect we have Dr. King to thank for that turn of phrase and for the moral analysis behind it. And when I say that Fair Trade is an alternative that allows us to dismantle the systems that create poverty, I am recalling Dr. King's point that "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar;" It is working to restructure the system that caused the begging in the first place. While in 2009 we are still faced with the damage that comes from the triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism identified by Dr. King, his wisdom teaches we can overcome them with charity, justice, and hope.

Yes, there is that word "hope" on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration. There are many causes for hope just as there are many reasons for "change." What I think that Dr. King reminds us is that we are each called in our own way to be a part of the solution. Doing so requires sacrifice, patience, and attention. But we have come so far in one generation's time! I believe that realizing his dream is possible, and I offer the words up for my education and your inspiration:

"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963

Fair Household Budgets? Ideas please.

2009-01-09T18:14:00.008-05:00

Go figure: I'm about to learn how to play an on-line 3D game. Frankly, "second life" and avatars and all that virtual world activity kind of creeps me out. But a teen services organization called Do Something has a game called "Karma Tycoon" that I want to play. Let me explain.

Like many of us in the Fair Trade movement, I often wonder how to apply the principles of Fair Trade to poverty in the United States. In a previous posting I came out in support of domestic Fair Trade initiatives and their links with farm worker justice in particular. But I've still felt like I didn't have much to say about the problems of the urban poor, who I encounter regularly in my Washington, DC neighborhood and because I work in Baltimore, MD.

Now, with unemployment rates in the US rising, I am even more concerned and curious about what Fair Trade offers in terms of solutions to poverty: rural, urban, suburban. In Chapter 10 of my book, I cast conscious consumption as an approach to managing one's resources in sustainable ways that helps others. But a presumption was that readers were using tools such as a household budget. Also I presumed that people had jobs--probably middle class ones, I admit.

What does Fair Trade offer to our citizens now, as they lose their jobs or get swamped with credit card debt and potential foreclosures that represent a lack of understanding about finances? Can the rationales and principles of Fair Trade and conscious consumption help us get out of the mess we are in? Can it help us steer a new path of financial responsibility?

My thinking is that we as Americans not only need to re-evaluate our spending in terms of our impact on people and the planet,we need to improve our skills at money management. Beyond the usual resources in the simplicity movement, though, I don't know who does work in this area. I reached out to a friend of mine provides credit counseling for a local government agency, and she pointed me in the direction of the "Karma Tycoon" game. I'm also going to check out mainstream resources such the new free financial planning action plan from Suze Orman's (yes, Suze).

I'm trying to figure out who is already helping our society manage money wisely so I can identify potential partners, build on existing wisdom and experience, not re-invent the wheel etc. If you have suggestions, please post them here to help my research and create connections. My ideas for bringing fairness into efforts to address current economic woes need a lot of shaping and influence.

Cast your Vote "to" not just "for" Obama

2009-01-06T10:44:00.004-05:00

As the countdown continues to the Obama-Biden inauguration, we have another chance to use the voting process to help shape our new leader's agenda. The final round of the Ideas for Change in America competition has begun. Between now and January 15 you can indicate which of the top ideas in several categories should move forward. The following day Change.org is co-hosting an event at the National Press Club with the Case Foundation to announce the top 10 rated ideas and present them to the Obama administration. Then they'll launch a national campaign in coordination with our nonprofit partners to ensure that each idea gets the full consideration of the administration and 111th Congress.

Voting for a politican is an important first step for the democratic process, but then we have to continue to communicate our priorities to the people in power. With this informative effort, you can add your voice once again. The idea I got behind--declaring the White House a Fair Trade Zone--is in the running in the Fair Trade category, but I encourage to look at all the causes and cast your 10 votes throughout the ranked initiatives.

P.S. I want to acknowledge that not everyone who reads this blog voted for Obama originally; I hope the posting title doesn't distress you too much. It is hard to come up with catchy titles on regular basis!

Doubts and Rededications for 2009

2008-12-29T10:32:00.002-05:00

I have been working on this blog posting for a week now. It was going to be a “year end” reflection, but I clearly missed THAT deadline. Now it is a “looking forward into the New Year” sort of thing. My original intention was to reflect on how the conspicuous consumption of many of us in the “minority world” (meaning the very affluent, economically developed population that is first on so many material measures) is now contributing to poverty around the world AND also creating our own society’s financial crisis and moral bankruptcy. In the spirit of wanting to offer new paths and alternatives, I thought I'd put forward conscious consumption again as a useful path.

Of course, I’m not the only one drawing cautionary tales and suggesting new approaches. When discussing some of the operating myths of our financial world, one of my favorite columnists, Ben Stein of the NY Times, said last week, “We are more than our investments. We are more than the year-to-year or day-by-day changes in our net worth. We are what we do for charity. We are how we treat our family and friends. We are how we treat our dogs and cats. We are what we do for our community and our nation. If you had $100 million or $100,000 a year ago and now you have a lot less, you are still the same person. You are not a balance sheet, at least not one denominated in money, as was explained to me recently....Losing and making money are not moral issues so long as you are being honest. You may have a lot less money as this year ends than you did two years ago. But you are just as good or bad a person as you were then. It is a myth that money determines who you are, and if you have gotten over that myth by now, then 2008 will have been a very good year.”

In preparing for 2009, I wanted to offer up the ways of simplicity, Fair Trade, and its sister movements of buying local and green, as anecdotes to our woes and as elements of a way forward to have a very good year. Re-emphasizing themes of my book, I was going to try to convey that we can figure out when “enough is enough” for each of our households and our real net worths. In doing so, we can help build better communities in our society and around the globe and, as Stein argued, create deeper understandings of who we are.

Through several blog drafts I almost got there. Flipping through my journal and reflecting on my personal vision for 2009, I continue to believe and get excited by the idea that the more consciously I consumer the less likely it is that a laborer is going to be exploited. In the same spirit, I remain steadfast in my belief that the less I acquire also means less burden is put on an overtaxed planet. I am so pleased that the Green movement has really hit its stride so I have even more opportunities to learn from others on how to make this so. This year I re-read Quaker John Woolman’s “A Plea for the Poor” first published in 1793. Although the English is antiquated, I feel motivated by Woolman's point that an unnecessary increase in possessions is contrary to the Golden Rule—a value of so many world cultures. Woolman points out that if you knew what others had to go through to to satisfy all your desires, you wouldn’t want to trade places with them. With the “do unto others" mentality you’d turn away from the unnecessary material goods and, surprisingly, enjoy a lighter way of being and doing in the world. That seems to a very appealing invitation during tough economic times with the specter of a consumer credit meltdown on the 2009 horizon.

But in trying to craft a nice exhortation, I’ve been sidelined by doubts (and not just because I saw the movie of the same name yesterday—which I highly recommend). There are two main reasons for this: The first is that during the recent presidential election, thanks to Joe the Plumber, I heard more from folks in my life who believe that what they earn is theirs to spend and they alone should determine how to spend it. In the spirit of American independence, there didn’t seem to be much a sense of connection to others who have less but who make our economy function, or who consistently fall outside its boundaries, especially if there was any indication that those in need might have a sense of entitlement for the help given. One family member rightly challenged me to explain “Who says when a person on welfare has enough?” Is it when the poor person has a television? Is it a flat-screen? Does it include cable? She went on to ask if we are going to prevent homelessness, “How many bedrooms does a family get in their house?” One for each child? Each adult? " This person, and others I know, said that she had worked hard for her money and she, not the government or any other system (such as Fair Trade) should determine how she spent it. My "it's a gift to be simple" refrain was respected but not a tune these folks picked up. I seem to be able to decide for myself what is enough, while also admitting what Ani Difranco once wrote, “just when you have enough, enough grows.” But I can't seem to make the case for others so far removed from my perspective. Obviously I know that there IS a middle ground, and “yes we can” get there, but the road seems so very long and well worn.

Which leads to my second reason for my feeling of ineffectiveness these days: the lessons of history. Above I quoted an 18th century Quaker. Woolman was connecting consumption to slavery. I and others connect it to sweatshops. Progress, but not enough. Confronting poverty and its causes is a perennial struggle. Even more, there is an undercurrent in our Judeo-Christian society that “the poor will always be among us.” Some approach these kind of social ills with a sense of “it is what it is” resignation. They see no connection between their behavior and its unintended consequences. And--this is where my heart really sinks--their concern for how the economy does or doesn't impact people seems proportional to how they are feeling in their pocketbooks. Hearing that Americans, with crude oil back in the $40 a barrel range, are back to using their SUVs and sales for hybrids are decreasing, I feel as if our society is doomed to a boom-bust cycles of disinterest and only baby steps to justice.

Okay, “doomed” is a strong word. I’m sure my sanguine personality will kick back in gear here soon. But I did want to share some of my internal dialogue, an indication that while I may promote simplicity I do try to avoid being simple-minded. I also know that conscious consumption is not a cure-all. Take a look at the current situation in Gaza for a prime example of how we can't consume our way into justice and peace. But I guess I needed a refresher course--preaching to the choir as much as I do--in the need to recognize and respect the diversity of viewpoints and counterpoints. Perhaps that becomes my resolution for 2009: stick to my vision of a world and pursue that place while being open to the ideas of others, all while learning from the wisdom of the past.

Is Starbucks Good Enough for the White House?

2008-12-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

My colleagues at change.org are promoting an "Ideas for Change" conversation/competition in which citizens can submit an idea for a policy or program, discuss it with others, and vote on the best ideas from around the country. Just before Inauguration Day change.org will host a major event in Washington, DC and deliver the top 10 rated ideas to the Obama Administration. Then there will be a national lobbying campaign rallying around the winning ideas. (This photo is a group of Obama voters--I'm the one with the t-shirt and cupcake--after voting in the presidential election)

Here on my blog, on the left-hand side, you can vote for one of these ideas: declaring the White House a Fair Trade Zone. As catchy ideas go, this one is great. But as we mobilize interest and votes, I also want to throw out some questions. For instance, being a Washingtonian I know folks who work in the executive branch. They tell me that Starbucks is what is brewed at the White House, at least for official events. So, would it be enough for those voting for this idea to have Starbucks provide one of its Fair Trade blends in the White House? If so, this could be a pretty simple switch and we could spend our efforts using the moment to educate the Obama family and their staff as to why Fair Trade is important. OR, we could first get the agreement for Fair Trade coffee period, and then suggest a cupping so the Obama Family could chose their own preferred blends, including options from the fully committed world of Fair Traders who roast nothing but Fair Trade.

In other words, what do we mean by "Fair Trade zone?" What's enough commitment from the new residents of the White House? And will we stop at coffee? What about tea? Bananas?

As an incrementalist, I am leaning to the easy "win" of having the White House catering staff ask Starbucks to serve their Estima and proudly show the Fair Trade certified label. BUT....I wouldn't want any superficial acceptance of the idea by staff, without backing it up with education and an opportunity to highlight those companies that go beyond Starbucks commitment, and to get other items, including non-certified crafts, in the door. To be declared a Fair Trade town, a community has to meet a set of criteria. What level of commitment will we challenge the White House residents to embrace?

I'd welcome comments about the best approach here or at change.org. And, of course, check out all the ideas (change.org is concerned with a range of progressive issues) and cast your votes!

Red "face of Fair Trade"

2008-12-06T10:07:00.001-05:00

Those who know me personally are aware that I blush very easily. Blame my father: whenever we laugh a lot, drink a beer, forget to breathe during an exciting moment, have stage fright, or otherwise experience any kind of energy surge, my gene pool blushes. I'm blushing a lot right now as Zarah Patriana of change.org has dubbed me a Face of Fair Trade. It is a honor to be featured on this progressive blog alongside folks like Scott James of Fair Trade Sports and Manish Gupta of Handmade Expressions. One of my book chapters is called "Ordinary People Making Fair Trade Extraordinary," and Zarah's pages are a great way to introduce us all to some new leaders. Thanks Zarah!

Read Globally, Buy Locally in Washington DC and Baltimore

2008-11-29T16:31:00.001-05:00

With the holiday shopping season upon us, I am getting some inquiries about where to find Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide. I've also been delighted recently to learn of two sellers of the book in my home and work neighborhoods. If you live in Washington, DC, please consider visiting Potter's House Books, in Mount Pleasant, which also sells Fair Trade craft items. If you live in Baltimore, the quirky Hamden area is home to Salamander Books, which specializes in used, rare, and out-of-print books. Also in Maryland, is the operation center of SERRV, which has a gift store filled with the wonderful products you know from their catalog.

Thanks for considering my writing as a potential gift, and don't forget that it is perfectly okay to read your own copy of the book and then play it forward. In these times when our economy and our planet are in peril, your recipient may appreciate even more that you are recycling!

Chapter Four Update: Understanding the Rainforest Alliance and Fair for Life labels

2008-11-23T18:57:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I was on retreat with a bunch of Quakers and as it was a potluck (which really seems to be the only way Quakers do social events!) the question of what kind of coffee to bring came up. One of my friends asked if it was okay to bring Rainforest Alliance (RA) certified coffee. She bought her coffee from a local company that used the green frog seal and thought that it meant that “the farmers were treated alright.”

In chapter four of my book, I ask “Should We Look for the Label?” and if so which one. Since publication I have noticed the RA label has been popping up on more store shelves, especially since it has been embraced by Caribou Coffee and other retailers. As my day job is near a Caribou location, I have had the chance to talk with Caribou employees about the label and how it is different from Fair Trade Certified.

The ten standards of RA have many appealing elements, especially with growing awareness of environmental issues. The majority of them deal with concerns such as ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection and waste management. There is also one standard related to working conditions, in which “farmers must ensure fair treatment and good working conditions for all employees.” This focus on employees helps us understand an important difference between Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. “Rainforest Alliance certification was developed to deal with agriculture at large….” I read that as “large agriculture” because RA is certifying a range of farm types, including estates and plantations. Fair Trade certification was started to help small-scale farmers who needed a fair price for their crop to stay on their lands and provide for their families. Unlike in Fair Trade, RA does not guarantee a minimum price but does believe that the RA certification will help farmers demand an above market price because their environmentally friendly product holds more value for conscious consumers.

To my mind, RA offers consumers another option in the marketplace because it addresses a concern that workers who may not own their own land but do need the work offered by estates or plantations are treated responsibly. While I recognize that large agricultural operations have the potential to force small scale farming out of the market, and I myself remain committed to purchasing Fair Trade over RA because I want to be “on the side of the small-scale farmer,” I can’t discount the realities that landless workers face. I also applaud the stated RA mission to “conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods….” (emphasis added)

As with all certifications, an important test is how the value chain is audited to insure that, in this case, workers are benefiting at the same time the planet is being protected. I confess I have no direct personal knowledge of the veracity of the RA certification. As important, as analysts such as Morson and Mongoven point out, another test of the value of certification is whether or not companies that can use a label take the opportunity to incorporate the standards into other aspects of their business. In their article “Many Shades of Green” Morson and Morgoven note that some companies may use a label for good publicity, others to respond to a particular market demand, and others try to transform their practices for their own benefit. Fully committed Fair Traders (those who go beyond using a label on just a few product lines) want to use the marketplace to transform not just their business but indeed the entire marketplace, in order to stop the exploitation that calls for Fair Trade in the first place. That is the most demanding approach to take to label use and, again, I don’t have any experience with the range of responses of RA label users. I’d welcome comments from those who do have direct knowledge.

Another emerging complexity in Fair Trade labeling is the arrival of the “Fair for Life” certification in the U.S. marketplace…more on that in my next posting.

Helping Obama-Biden Confront the Economic Crisis

2008-11-11T18:44:00.000-05:00

It was just a week ago--but it seems longer given all the high-fives, tears, and spontaneous street celebrations--that the United States elected Barack Obama our next President. My birthday is November 4, and I had joked that all I wanted for my birthday was a Democrat in the White House, and I got my request. Thank you friends, family, and fellow Americans for a wonderful gift. I know it sounds trite because so many of us are saying it, but I do feel like I got my country back.

As some readers will remember, Obama wasn't my first choice, but once the party had a nominee, I got behind my candidate with my time, talents, and treasure. Now I want to get behind my President as he and his administration face so many problems. The economic crisis is perhaps the one that I can relate to most as a Fair Trader (and a stakeholder in 403b plans!). When it comes to trade, I most often focus on the micro--what you and I can do as consumer citizens--but surely now is the time to look issues on the macro level, especially regarding trade agreements.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is part of several coalitions working to offer the new administration, and the new Congress, fresh ideas for trade policy. One of their efforts includes support for the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act of 2008. You can find the full act at the Library of Congress by searching HR 6180.
Here's a summary of its provisions, courtesy of Public Citizen. The initiative sets out what trade activists are for and what we believe our leaders need to do to address the financial crisis in terms of global trading systems:

* review existing trade pacts, incoming economic outcomes in the U.S. and indicators concerned with issues such as human rights and the environment,
* solidify standards for what can and not be included in future agreements, such as food and product safety standards,
* renegotiate existing trade agreements to address any gaps identified in standards such as labor protections,
* expand of Congressional oversight, and
* replace Fast Track approval.

Alas, as a resident of the District of Columbia, I have no voting representation in Congress but
if you DO have two Senators and some representatives to contact, let them know you support the TRADE ACT sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Mike Michaud

In my next posting, I'll get back to what we can do as consumers, especially focusing on the topics from chapter 10 in my book "Daily Life with Fair Trade," such as making a household budget to guide your spending. Refreshing on those techniques in these difficult times will also help our new President out.

Fair Trade Leadership Position Open

2008-11-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

As post-election euphoria subsides for many of us, we begin to think of how we as individuals will be called to help President Elect Obama implement a new era of American leadership. Each of us will have a part to play, and our "day jobs" are often a way we can devote our energies to causes we believe in.

After volunteering for a Fair Trade cooperative in Mexico back in 2000, I got my professional start in the movement with the Fair Trade Resource Network. Over the course of four years, I was fortunate to help this small but significant grassroots organization and its volunteers shape the Fair Trade movement in the United States. I'm excited that the position of Executive Director is open and I wanted to share the description in case some readers might be interested in applying according to the details below:

Executive Director for the Fair Trade Resource Network
Schedule: Full-time
Compensation: $40,000-$50,000 annual salary, health insurance, 2 weeks paid vacation
Start Date: January 1, 2009

The Fair Trade Resource Network is seeking a full-time executive director to conceptualize, energize, secure support for and carry out Fair Trade education campaigns in the U.S. and abroad. Salary, benefits and office location are negotiable.

About the Fair Trade Resource Network

The Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) seeks to improve people’s lives through Fair Trade alternatives by providing information, leadership, and inspiration. FTRN gathers, develops, and disseminates educational resources to people and organizations interested in the movement to build a more just and sustainable world through Fair Trade. See www.ftrn.org to learn more about our work.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The FTRN Executive Director is responsible for all aspects of leading a small non-profit organization devoted to advancing fair trade. S/he will envision, fundraise, plan, manage and promote all of the organizations programs. S/he reports directly to the FTRN Board Chairperson and will work closely with an active board of directors.

1. Vision and planning

Working closely with the board, the E.D. will envision and execute new and existing programs designed to promote fair trade.

2. Fundraising

Fundraising is an essential responsibility for this position. The E.D. will write and report on grant proposals, solicit gifts from major donors and small donors, organize fundraising events, seek sponsors for programs such as World Fair Trade Day, and innovate new fundraising opportunities.

3. Staff Management

FTRN has one part time administrative staff person, and a fulltime temporary program staff person, both of whom will report to the E.D. The E.D. will be expected to manage these staff, and recruit and hire new staff as growth allows.

4. Program Development and Management

FRTN’s major programs include:

1. World Fair Trade Day
2. Fair Trade and the Arts traveling exhibition
3. Fair Trade Leadership Training
4. Fair Trade Institute (online library partnership)
5. Education for Fair Trade and the Environment
6. Fair trade pen-pals and curriculum development

5. Outreach and Communications

As an educational non-profit, outreach and communications are major elements of the E.D.’s workload. The E.D. create and capture opportunities to promote fair trade through the media and grassroots outreach.

6. Networking & Partnerships

As a small non-profit, and the only one in the U.S. devoted exclusively to promoting fair trade, networking with allied individuals and organizations is essential in order to leverage our message. The E.D. will seek new allies, and manage existing partnerships with organizations such as the Sierra Club, Fair Trade Towns Initiative, TransFair USA, IFAT, Fair Trade Institute, and others.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate is a social entrepreneur who is:

1. A passionate, visionary spokesperson for Fair Trade education, with a strong grasp on the complexities of Fair Trade and global trade issues, a compatible personal values system, and the ability to communicate fair trade messages powerfully in writing and speaking to the public and other stakeholders.

2. A strong fundraiser who enjoys connecting with potential funders and donors, able to make in person fund raising solicitations, get people excited about Fair Trade education, and secure contributions; able to develop fundraising strategies with the board and support the board in fund raising activities; and able to develop and monitor strategies for ensuring the long-term financial viability of FTRN. Grant writing and reporting abilities are required.

3. An established networker in Fair Trade, ready to network in the U.S. and abroad with other Fair Trade and Alternative Trade organizations in a collaborative, coalition building format.

4. An enthusiastic team player able to work with board and staff to conceptualize and implement new projects and programs. Program development and project/staff management experience must be demonstrated.

5. An effective manager able to oversee and streamline (but not perform) low-level administrative work, by contracting out services, and managing staff and volunteers; able to attract and energize volunteers and interns to help execute projects and/or administrative work and maintain a supportive work environment that reflects FTRN’s organizational values.

6. A prudent financial steward who can develop annual budgets that support FTRN’s operating plans and manage FTRN’s resources within those budget guidelines.

7. A persuasive communicator with media networking, outreach and PR skills; able to conceptualize strong and effective long term communications outreach strategies that will gain attention for fair trade.

8. A computer-savvy person familiar with web-based communications technologies (or eager to learn them), capable of basic web site content management (not programming or design but such tasks as posting news and other new content), managing e-newsletters, email lists and other online communications.

9. A person ideally located in or near a major metropolitan area for easier access to foundations, conferences, volunteers, partners, and media.

Other helpful experience would include:

o Experience in education or curriculum development
o Experience in running a profitable business and developing income-generating projects to supplement grant money.
o Experience in event planning and management

To apply, please send the following materials to work "at" ftrn.org:

o Cover letter describing qualifications and interest in Fair Trade education;
o Detailed resume/CV;
o Any supporting materials as examples of relevant work, such as successful grant proposals, marketing or communications materials, newsletters or other related materials;
o At least three references, ideally including at least one person who served as a board member or executive director.

My Marathon Shoes

2008-10-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

As my sore quads can attest, I finished the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday! Although my friend Kathy E. McKee and I were a bit slower than expected due to a comedy (or calamity!) of errors, I finished strong and met my other goals such as improving my overall fitness level. In addition to six months of physical training, I also used a lot of mental techniques to help me through. Along with a bunch of mantras, I framed the marathon miles into roughly four chunks.

The first set of miles I focused on the support I was receiving from family, friends and colleagues who believed in me and were impressed by my determination. The second set involved cataloging past accomplishments and the resources I have to draw from to take on such a challenge. The third chunk I refer to as the “stop your bitching” as I reflected on the fact that I was choosing this challenge, while literally billions of other people have daily realities that involve pain and deprivation without the financial, physical and cultural/political resources I have access to. Don’t confuse this segment of the race with pity miles, though, as I was reminded by a Marine who had his right leg partially amputated. He cheered me and Kathy on (calling us “The Obama Girls” due to the bumper stickers on our backs) as he, another Marine, and his prosthetic device whizzed on by! The final set was "Memorial Miles" as I dedicated the toughest miles to the memory of friends, family and colleagues who were unable to run due to their early deaths: Angela Campos, an AmeriCorps leader murdered by her ex-boyfriend; Ivan Klein, a Quaker friend who died in a freak hiking accident; Christopher Mastrangelo, my 40 year cousin who died after a 6 month struggle with brain cancer; and Kennan Garvey, another Quaker Friend and leader whose heart attack ended his life just a few weeks after announcing his retirement.

The last 1.2 mile was just the “whatever gets you over the line” and that included singing songs, walking A LOT, and chatting with fellow finishers.

As this is a professional blog, you are probably wondering what all this has to do with Fair Trade. Well, during all the training, I got pretty curious about runner gear, especially my shoes. In a recent issue of Running World an article traced the journey a pair of Asics running shoes in an effort to build runner awareness of the environmental impacts of their most important piece of equipment. Although I wish the article had also considered the workers in each step of the value chain of these shoes, because environmental sustainability is a key principle of Fair Trade I thought I would share the path of an Asics pair to highlight what it takes to bring a consumer good to market AND what role we can play in reducing our carbon footprint (pun intended!)

Here is the shoe journey described by Runners World:

1) Asics has a factory in Shandong Providence in China whose workers put together dozens of components from other factories to sew, glue and assemble the shoes.

2) A container of shoes takes a 12 day voyage by sea to the Port of Long Beach in California

3) After clearing customs the shoes are shipped to a warehouse in Southaven, Mississippi

4) The warehouse mails them to a running store. My local favorite is Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan, Washington, District of Columbia.

5) Once I wear my purchased shoes for 350 miles, it is up to me to either donate them to a program for the homeless or have them recycled. Nike (yes, Nike) has a network of recycling centers that cut shoes into rubber, foam and fabric pieces.

6) These materials are sent to places such as athletic-surface manufactures, which grind up the rubber for tracks and use the foam for basketball courses or running tracks.

Sounds like a nice virtuous cycle but the Runner's World article estimated that a pair for a runner from New Jersey (my home state) would travel 12,986 miles to make all this green activity happen. And I thought the 26.2 miles of a marathon was long!

Here I am at the finish line!

Support from Equal Exchange for Small Farmers and the Planet

2008-10-11T07:31:00.000-04:00

I just posted a press release from Whole Foods, and now as I keep working my way through my in-box, I see my friends at Equal Exchange also have some news to share! It is very inspiring to see this Fair Trade pioneer sharing details of their efforts to bring justice to the food system, as well as health to the planet.

EQUAL EXCHANGE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO CREATE A GREEN AND MORE JUST FOOD SYSTEM

“The best way to protect jobs and livelihoods, ensure people’s food security and health, and protect the environment is to keep food production in the hands of small-scale farmers.” - Via Campesina, an international farmers’ organization

September 26, 2009 − Equal Exchange’s new campaign, Small farmers. Big Change: Creating a Green and More Just Food System represents a path to bringing justice to the food system and health to the planet. This co-operative business long recognized for being a pioneer in Fair Trade is now creating additional ways consumers and producers can join together to reduce our environmental footprints, conserve natural resources, and demand agriculture and trade policies that actually benefit small-scale farmers and consumers, instead of large corporations. The positive impact of these actions would indeed represent a powerful change.

Why should consumers care about small farmers? While 25 – 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are estimated to come from the industrial agriculture sector, the sustainable farming practices of small-scale producers actually help cool the planet, protect the environment, and restore local eco-systems. Organic farming, reforestation, soil and watershed protection, and the use of stoves that convert organic waste into methane gas are just some of the ways in which small-scale farmers are keeping our food, our bodies, and our eco-systems healthy. By supporting small-scale farmers, we can bring justice to the food system and help reduce the effects of our changing climate. It’s a win-win solution that benefits us all.

However, small-scale farmers face tremendous challenges. Many of our agriculture and trade policies are designed to favor large agricultural corporations. The subsidies, credits, and tax incentives the government awards to agribusiness dramatically undermine the ability of small farmers to compete in the marketplace. Additionally, global warming causes changes in weather patterns which affect crops and crop cycles. Unusual storms have become more frequent and severe, causing a loss of lives, homes, crops and livelihoods.

Equal Exchange’s new campaign involves education, environmental and food security partnerships, and political action. Our new blog: www. SmallFarmersBigChange.coop offers articles and opinions on agricultural, trade, and environmental issues that affect small farmers and consumers. Through the blog, we will also keep consumers informed of key legislative areas and other opportunities for political action in which we can influence trade and agricultural policies that benefit producers, consumers, local communities and our planet.

Equal Exchange is also inviting consumers to directly support the environmental protection and food security projects that small-scale farming co-operatives are implementing in their communities. Toward this end, we have created the Small Farmers Green Planet Fund. Some of the exciting projects the fund will support this year are:

Climate change adaptation project, South Africa.

The Heiveld Co-operative and Wupperthal Tea Association are comprised of 220 small-scale farming families located in the Northern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa. These indigenous communities descend from native Khoi and San populations that have inhabited the region and cultivated rooibos for centuries. Due to extreme climatic conditions in the southern Kalahari, global climate change affects these farmers disproportionately. Their land, livelihood and culture are in peril. Equal Exchange has committed to raising $20,000 to support their efforts to adapt to this rapid climate change. The project will include initiatives to: enhance bio-diversity; promote water conservation; develop windbreaks using native plant materials to enhance soil carbon and reduce soil degradation; and, recapture the indigenous strategies of natural resource management used by their ancestors.

Food security, organic farming, and environmental preservation, Colombia.

“Everything I grow is organic. Why? You see my hands; they’re covered in dirt. But they’re no longer burnt from using chemicals. And my land? Well, it’s time to give back to the land a part of what the land has given to me.” Doña Ana Lucia Bañol, “La Montaña” Reserve, Riosucio, Caldas

In the outskirts of Riosucio, Caldas, 3,300 Embara Chambi farmers have formed the ASPROCAFE Ingrumá coffee co-operative to improve their members’ quality of life, preserve their culture and communities, and protect the area’s natural resources. In Caldas, many of the coffee trees are old, density per acre is low, and soils are depleted. Deforestation and poor land use management have caused additional problems: soil erosion, land and mudslides, water contamination, and changes in the local weather.

Many farmers in Colombia today lack interest in organic farming because it is difficult and costly. Yet, the indigenous farmers in ASPROCAFE are deeply committed to the environment and to deepening their organic practices. In the past two years, Equal Exchange and its partner, Lutheran World Relief, provided over $65,000 to support their integrated food security, environmental preservation and reforestation project which includes: planting of organic coffee and fruit trees; soil and water conservation trainings and practices; organic gardening and the fabrication of natural pesticides, fertilizers, and methane cooking gas; and a loan fund for women to buy farm animals to make organic fertilizer to diversify their diets and income. This year, Equal Exchange is committing to raise an additional $15,000 to ASPROCAFE for this project. The co-operative plans to build an organic fertilizer plant to increase production and offer the excess to neighboring communities.

Reforestation, food security, environmental protection, Nicaragua.

“Look how green it is here. It’s hard to believe, but it actually rains more here than in other areas of Boaco. Wherever you look and see green, lush farms - those belong to members of the co-operative.” -Maria Theresa Mendoza Martinez

The Boaco region, where the farmers of the Tierra Nueva (New Earth) Union of Co-operatives have their farms, is cattle country. The landscape is dry and deforested as most of the hills have been cleared to grow pasture for the cattle. But several communities stand out – green and lush, these coffee farms are shaded with varieties of fruit and timber trees and it rains often.

The members of Tierra Nueva are fanatics in their concern to protect these last patches of green. Last year, Equal Exchange, and its partner, Presbyterian USA, funded an environmental protection and food security project in which members planted 200,000 coffee trees, 5,000 fruit trees, and constructed 16 fuel efficient stoves for their members. This year, Equal Exchange has committed an additional $10,000 to continue the project. The co-operative plans to reforest an additional 50 hectares, construct 22 more fuel efficient stoves and begin an organic fertilizer project using worm composting.

Food security and income generation, Mexico.

CESMACH was founded in 1995 to help the farmers in the Sierra Madre region of Chiapas to market their coffee at higher prices, access affordable credit and receive technical assistance, while at the same time protect the important resources of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, a U.N. designated World Heritage Site. The organization groups 270 families of small coffee producers in 14 communities, located in the buffer zones of the Reserve. Within the nucleus of the biosphere, agricultural activities are not permitted as the area contains many endangered and protected species. Organic farming is allowed in the buffer zone, which separates the biosphere from the surrounding region, as long as it is done in accordance with a strict set of standards designed to protect the fragile environment of the rain and cloud forest. For thousands of farmers living in this area, coffee is the principal agricultural activity and their only source of income.

Consequently, CESMACH has decided not only to become the supplier of the highest quality, organic coffee in the region, but to create and implement a variety of social development and environmental projects which will benefit its members and the fragile Biosphere in which they live. Three years ago, the co-operative began to actively work with the women members and the wives of members to support their efforts to provide a more healthy and diversified diet to their families, as well as generate additional income. Earlier this year, Equal Exchange and its partner, the Uniterian Universalist Service Committee, provided $15,000 to support a women’s leadership development and capacity building project. Now Equal Exchange is committing to raise an additional $20,000 to support an integrated environmental protection and food security project which will establish 50 organic gardens, 180 mixed fruit-tree gardens (2000 plants of different species), 40 rustic family plant nurseries to encourage the recovery of native crops found in the Biosphere, and 30 collective chicken coops in which they will raise 2400 chickens for consumption and sale into the local market.

How can consumers help?

Purchase Equal Exchange’s Organic Love Buzz coffee. For every 12 oz. package sold, Equal Exchange will donate 20 cents to our Small Farmers Green Planet Fund. 100% of these funds will go to support the green projects of our farmer partners.
Food co-operative members and consumers can purchase Equal Exchange’s Organic Co-op Blend. For every pound purchased, Equal Exchange will donate 25 cents to the Small Farmers Green Planet Fund.
Make a tax-deductible donation to Grassroots International and send it to Equal Exchange, 50 United Drive, West Bridgewater, MA 02379. Write Small Farmers Green Planet Fund on the check.
Visit www.SmallFarmersBigChange.coop to read about these projects and our campaign, as well as to offer your thoughts and opinions. Sign up to receive Action Alerts on key legislative and other political actions.
Support domestic small-scale farmers by purchasing produce from local farmers, and Fairly Traded coffee, tea, and chocolate from small-scale farmer co-operatives abroad.

About Equal Exchange:

A pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade since 1986, Equal Exchange is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, chocolate and healthy snacks to retailers and food service establishments. Major customers include Shaw’s, Whole Foods, Hannaford, Ten Thousand Villages, hundreds of natural food stores, restaurants, and thousands of places of worship nationwide. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting more than 40 small farmer co-operatives in 18 countries around the world.

For more information, contact:
Phyllis Robinson
EQUAL EXCHANGE
West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Tel 774 776 7390
probinson@equalexchange.coop

Wnole Foods, Farmworkers and Domestic Fair Trade?

2008-10-11T06:58:00.000-04:00

It is perhaps a bit lazy to just cut and paste a press release. But because I try to support farmworkers I wanted to share this news. It is a month old, but I hope by now there may be some response from Fair Traders about its implications regarding the Whole Trade guarantee for US farmers and farmworkers?

Whole Foods Market Signs Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to Support "Penny-per-Pound" Tomato Program in Florida
Company Also Exploring Program to Help Guarantee Ethical Sourcing and Production in the U.S.
Contact:
libba.letton@wholefoods.com (512) 542-3031
julia@ciw-online.org (239) 657-8311

AUSTIN, TX (September 9, 2008) – Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the Florida-based farm worker organization spearheading the growing Campaign for Fair Food, announced today that the two will work in partnership to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers.

According to an agreement signed this week, Whole Foods Market will support the CIW’s “penny-per-pound” approach for tomatoes purchased from Florida, with the goal of passing these additional funds on to the harvesters.

“With this agreement, the Campaign for Fair Food has again broken new ground,” said Gerardo Reyes of the CIW. “This is not only our first agreement in the supermarket industry but, in working with Whole Foods Market, we have the opportunity to really raise the bar to establish and ensure modern day labor standards and conditions in Florida.”

“We commend the CIW for their advocacy on behalf of these workers,” said Karen Christensen, Global Produce Coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “After carefully evaluating the situation in Florida, we felt that an agreement of this nature was in line with our core values and was in the best interest of the workers.”

Additionally, Whole Foods Market is exploring the creation of a domestic purchasing program to help guarantee transparent, ethical and responsible sourcing and production, using the company’s existing Whole Trade Guarantee program as a model. Whole Trade Guarantee, a third-party verified program, ensures that producers and laborers in developing countries get an equitable price for their goods in a safe and healthy working environment. The goal is to purchase Florida tomatoes from growers that will implement a similar program. “We are especially excited about working with the CIW to develop this domestic ‘Whole Trade-type’ program,” said Christensen.

About the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The CIW (www.ciw-online.org) is a community-based farmworker organization headquartered in Immokalee, Florida, with over 4,000 members. The CIW seeks modern working conditions for farmworkers and promotes their fair treatment in accordance with national and international labor standards. Among its accomplishments, the CIW has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of six slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers. The CIW uses creative methods to educate consumers about human rights abuses in the U.S. agriculture industry, the need for corporate social responsibility, and how consumers can help workers realize their social change goals. The CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food has won unprecedented support for fundamental farm labor reforms from retail food industry leaders, with the goal of enlisting the market power of those companies to demand more humane labor standards from their Florida tomato suppliers.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2007, the company had sales of $6.6 billion and currently has more than 270 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market employs more than 53,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 11 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.

Fair Trade Playing it Forward in the Midwest

2008-10-02T08:31:00.001-04:00

First off, happy Fair Trade month to all here in the United States! Last weekend, I was gearing up for the big month with a few speaking engagements in Michigan. It was a great chance to celebrate an Fair Trade retailer, Kirabo, as well as talk with consumers, including several students who volunteer at the store as well as turned out for the talk and a coffee cupping. I heard that Michigan State University was the first school to go 100% Fair Trade with coffee in their dining-halls, which I confess surprised me a bit (I had thought it was Cornell). Anybody out there in blogland who can confirm?

In any case, it was great to be with the people of Michigan, including Jody and Chris Tretter, who run the amazing Higher Grounds coffee house and roastry in Traverse City. If you want to experience fully committed Fair Traders in action, check out their operations. They embrace the Fair Trade model as much as possible, for example paying living wages and health care to their employees, and protecting the environment by not using "to go" cups (customers donate mugs which others can borrow or keep!). Environmental sustainability was the topic of my talk, and when I got home the theme continued to be at the fore-front of my mind.

Going through my mail when I returned to my apartment, I saw my royalty statement from my book publisher, Oneworld. I confess I was pretty pleased to learn that more than 5,200 copies of the book had been sold since its debut in May 2007. But the news just kept getting better. A colleague of mine, Laura Strickland (see photo below courtesy of CRS], sent me a story about how she has been using the book for education and saving a few trees in the process!

At the end of our [CRS Fair Trade training] in Seattle we were invited to take extras of what was on the table. I chose to take an extra copy of your book. When I returned home I wanted to share the book with others so I decided to put a note in the book. It was a very simple note. 'When finished reading this book please sign it and pass it on to someone else you think would be interested in reading about Fair Trade.' I signed it Laura Strickland, CRS Fair Trade Ambassador, and I also put in my phone number. I did this in June 08 as soon as I returned from Seattle....I recently had a message left on my phone form a gentleman in Wisconsin. The message was telling me he was now reading Fair Trade: A Beginners Guide. He also told me that he was the 16th person to sign the book and that it has been in 6 states. It has traveled a good distance from Kitty Hawk NC to Wisconsin.

I really appreciate Laura sharing that story! Although I can't proclaim that my book is published on post-consumer recycled paper using planet-friendly inks, it does my conscience good to know that others are reusing my book as a way to decrease consumption during Fair Trade month and all year long.

Living Green through Fair Trade

2008-09-25T05:49:00.000-04:00

...that's the title of three talks I will be giving this weekend at Kirabo Fair Trade's Anniversary Festival in E. Lansing, Michigan. Using stories from my visits to Madagascar and Nicaragua, I will share reflections on the Fair Trade principle of promoting environmental sustainability. The owner of Kirabo, Gail, will also showcase some products that come from recycled materials.

Talks will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (well in advance of the Presidential debate--let's hope McCain shows!) and then on Saturday I'll be speaking 11:30 and 3:00 a.m. In between they'll be fun activities, including coffee tasting from Jody and Chris, the good people of Higher Grounds Trading Company, a Michigan-based fully committed Fair Trade company. Come get samples at either 9:00 a.m. or 10:30.
Wearing my CRS hat, I will also be speaking on sustainability and Catholic Social Teaching on Sunday morning at St. John's on the MSU campus, beginning around 11:00 a.m. I'd love to Michigan folks at any of these events, and if you aren't in that neighborhood leave a comment explaining how you've gone green through Fair Trade!

Chapter 1 Update: Why Fair Trade Isn't Just for Coffee Farmers Anymore

2008-09-18T15:59:00.000-04:00

The basic premise of my book is that Fair Trade is a strategy for confronting poverty—both material and spiritual. The failure to meet basic material needs of people in the Majority World (a term coined by Albert Tucker which now replaces for me the term “global south”) is the most glaring concern, while in the Minority World people and communities suffer from a lack of meaning and fulfillment due, in part, to the negative effects of over-consumption. I make the case that Fair Trade addresses a range of concerns: it help improves the lives and communities of both producers and consumers and does so in ways that are sustainable for the planet. But just as Abraham Maslow demonstrates in his hierarchy of human needs, the concerns of the materially poor are the most urgent, and that means that Fair Trade is more than just about getting a great cup of justice java.

One way to track progress on efforts to alleviate economic poverty is to consider whether or not the world is achieving its Millennium Development Goals. In 2008, the UN Development Program released a report trying to answer the question: Are we on track to meet the MDGs by 2015? Here are excerpts from the report’s website:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger : The goal of cutting in half the proportion of people in the developing world living on less than $1 a day by 2015 remains within reach. However, this achievement will be due largely to extraordinary economic success in most of Asia. In contrast, previous estimates suggest that little progress was made in reducing extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education:  The number of children of primary school age who were out of school fell from 103 million in 1999 to 73 million in 2006, despite an overall increase in the number of children in this age group.

Goal 3: Promote gender equality & empower women : As part of its success in raising the total primary enrollment rate, Southern Asia has made the most progress in promoting equality since 2000. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia and Northern Africa have also made strides in reducing gender disparity. At the same time, Oceania has taken a step back with a slight deterioration in gender parity in primary school enrollment. Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and Western Asia have the largest gender gaps in primary enrolment. In Western and Central Africa, where high repetition and low retention rates are common, girls in particular fail to enroll in and stay in school.

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality:  In 2006, for the first time since mortality data have been gathered, annual deaths among children under five dipped below 10 million. Success!

Goal 5: Improve maternal health:  In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman’s risk of dying from treatable or preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth over the course of her lifetime is 1 in 22, compared to 1 in 7,300 in the developed regions.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases : Every day, nearly 7,500 people become infected with HIV and 5,500 die from AIDS, mostly due to a lack of HIV prevention and treatment services.

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability:  Globally, carbon dioxide emissions increased by 30 per cent from 1990 to 2005, with annual growth from 2000 to 2005 greater than in the preceding decade. Per capita emissions remain the highest in the developed regions, about 12 metric tons of CO2 per person per year, compared with about 3 metric tons in developing regions and 0.8 metric tons in sub-Saharan Africa.

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development : Adjusting for changes in prices and exchange rates, aid disbursements from governments fell by 8.4 per cent in 2007 compared to 2006.

The final goal speaks of global partnership in the context of economically poor countries receiving development aid from economically richer countries. But for Fair Traders, partnership in terms of shared vision and responsibility is the core of their mission. Many factors such as weather, armed conflict, disease and food shortages—whether in times of crisis as the world is currently experience or through failures of distribution—contribute to suffering around the globe. Fair Trade can’t confront them all but, as the book describes, it seeks to adhere to core principles focused on treating people with respect, investing in communities, protecting the planet, and infusing consumption with awareness of its impacts.

The official Fair Trade Definition offered in Chapter One may soon be supplemented by a new charter of principles written by two preeminent Fair Trade umbrella organizations: IFAT and FLO. As of May 2008 the introduction of the draft states,

“Fair Trade is, fundamentally, a response to the failure of conventional trade to deliver sustainable livelihoods and development opportunities to people in the poorest countries of the world; this is evidenced by the two billion of our fellow citizens who, despite working extremely hard, survive on less than $2 per day. Poverty and hardship limit people’s choices while market forces tend to further marginalise and exclude them. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation, whether as farmers and artisans in family-based production units (hereafter “producers”) or as hired workers (hereafter “workers”) within larger businesses.”

IFAT and FLO have requested feedback on their full draft charter and I, thanks to my work with Catholic Relief Services, will be attending the IFAT Global Conference in May 2009 for the latest updates. By commenting below, you can share your reactions to the charter, as well as to progress on the MDGs, now. I will carry your perspectives forward as best I can.

Part of the reason I am providing chapter updates via this blog is that I hope readers of the original Fair Trade: A Beginner’s Guide and of the chapter updates will add wisdom and experience that the Fair Trade movement needs to become closer to achieving a shared reality of economic justice. To participate, please comment!

Fair Trade Struggles in Nicaragua

2008-09-03T07:26:00.000-04:00

I’m just back from my third trip to Nicaragua. The first was about eight years ago, soon after I had encountered Fair Trade in Chiapas. I didn’t stay long because, thanks to my poor sense of direction and Managua’s lack of street signs, I stumbled—quite literally—onto a dog who bit me. With the help of the U.S. Embassy, I was on a plane to the States to get rabies treatment after having only spent a day in what is one of Central America’s most fascinating countries. Luckily all went well—no rabies for the dog or for me, so neither of us had to be put down. And, after my detour, I was fully vaccinated for my next dog run-in on the streets of Mexico. I am not making this up…I have been bitten twice on my Latin America travels. And people wonder why I have cats in my Washington, DC apartment!

My last two visits to Nicaragua have been much more enjoyable and educational. My day-job with CRS Fair Trade has meant that I’ve gotten to know the work of some farmers and agro-enterprise specialists in the Matagalpa region who are working to improve the quality and market access of Fair Trade and organic coffees. This visit involved two days of meetings with folks from four CRS countries to plan a new coffee initiative in Latin America that focuses on the emerging realities and changes in the marketplace—including consumer desires to make socially responsible choices in the context of big-box stores and mega-supermarkets.

While coffee was the focus of this trip, I had a couple of opportunities to visit with women who are trying to use the principles of the Fair Trade movement to shape their businesses and confront poverty in the cities. One was Eileen Moore, a development professional and social entrepreneur who is associated with a local NGO called Dos Generaciones and its supporter Trócaire. A two year-old report about the community where Eileen and her colleagues work is, unfortunately, still very relevant as it describes the heart-breaking situation of children trying to survive in the dumps of Managua. Eileen is marketing the products of parents who are being trained to sew, and she is developing a business plan, thanks to the support of groups such as Agora partnerships, to help gain business in the local tourist and expatriate markets and abroad. After meeting with Eileen, I come away with an almost overwhelming sense of how hard it is for disadvantaged groups, even those with a network of supporters, to make it in the modern marketplace.

This was also a message I took away after meeting with Nueva Vida, a clothing cooperative, located near Managua. Nueva Vida, which was formed by the women of a community devastated by Hurricane Mitch, had also received an array of public and private support, for many years being a featured vendor of Maggie’s Organics and touted as a “sweat-shop free” alternative. Recently organizational, political, and interpersonal challenges have slowed the progress of the group and new leadership is trying to regain a foot-hold in an intensively competitive apparel market. While I was taken with the determination of women such as my hostess Maria Elena to improve their customer service efforts and professionalize their operations, I couldn’t help but worry about the obstacles they have to overcome as they seek to be viable in an industry characterized by the “just-in-time” demands of consumers who want to buy clothes cheaply and quickly.

This is one of the tug-of-war battles in the Fair Trade movement. We say we are about offering a viable “alternative” way of doing business. But the realities of that business—building the skills and capacities of often under-educated vulnerable groups living in economies suffering from lack of infrastructure—come up against the “realities” of the traditional marketplace. Consumers expect rapid service, an array of color and design options. An inspiring story like that of Nueva Vida might encourage a church group or non-profit to buy their t-shirts once, but if the order is delayed or the cost of organic cotton too high—then tough choices are sometimes made in the future. Those truly committed to Fair Trade know that it has many development related functions: it helps disadvantaged groups build their capacity to meet the expectations of consumers, but that trajectory can be slow and painful. Meanwhile, clients can be lost or become disenchanted. It takes a special kind of commitment to not only pay a higher price but also wait a little longer for a product to arrive.

Of course, for me the commitment is stoked by visits to places like Nicaragua, where I witness the street children begging at each traffic stop, where I see the desperation in the eyes of women like Maria Elena, and where I am encouraged by the persistence of businesswomen like Eileen who creatively design new products—such as an adorable cloth teapot set for children--to appeal to sophisticated shoppers. If you can’t meet personally with those involved in making trade fairer, making it a tool of opportunity and advancement, please check out the links of this posting to learn more details directly from those living the realities. Please give the products and the women behind them a chance. And then comment on this blog about what your experience is in dealing with organizations that might lack capacity, but not determination.

thanks to catholic relief services for the photo from my 2008 trip

Count Down to Fair Trade month

2008-08-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

My partner and I have started a count down for our vacation (and, for the record, we have 20 days to go!) and it got me thinking about the fall season. October is just around the corner and that means the 5th annual Fair Trade month is about to kick off. Check out TransFair's site for resources to help you celebrate the theme, Faces of Fair Trade. Halloween falls in October, of course, and so now is the time to order your supplies for Reverse Trick or Treating. It is a fun way to help you educate about the power of Fair Trade chocolate alternatives. Still think you have some learning to do before you become an advocate? Visit the virtual Fair Trade Institute and check out the variety of published work (if you are an author, log your info too!). Do you just want to kick back and enjoy a community event? Get acquainted with the Fair Trade Towns USA initiative, the same folks who helped bring you the largest Fair Trade event in US history!

So many of us work long and hard for Fair Trade and sometimes we need to step back and celebrate! Fair Trade month gives us a chance to do that and more. Start planning now so you can be part of the movement and the fun!

Take World of Good's Smart Shopping Cart Quiz

2008-08-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

In chapter 9 of Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide, I feature World of Good and its fair wage calculator as a harbinger of the "future of Fair Trade." While I work on updating that chapter and the rest of the book, check out WOG's fun and informative Smart Cart Quiz to get examples of your consumer power!

Pilgrimage to Fair Trade Town

2008-08-03T07:52:00.000-04:00

Last week I went on my annual retreat to Pendle Hill, a Quaker center for spiritual growth, study and service outside of Philadelphia. By spending a few days away in the company of like-minded folks and nurtured by the hospitality and good food of the center, I always find myself restored and ready for next steps in my professional and personal life. But I got an extra boost this year.

While mapping a Saturday morning training run, I discovered I was just a few miles from Media, PA, the first Fair Trade Town in the United States. It was a great treat to be able to spend a few hours in this charming and inviting community. First, it is pretty darn cool to see "Welcome to Media" signs that include its heritage designations such as being a Preserve America town, also touting being the first Fair Trade Town in North America. Then it is a real kick to see the diversity of the Fair Trade movement on display on one main street (actually it is State Street in Media). I had a bit of Quaker pride (is that an oxymoron?) to learn from the local newspaper that Media-Providence Friends School had won an award for integrating Fair Trade education into its curriculum. I was able to step into a venerable Ten Thousand Villages store, a Fair Trade pioneer that has more than a 160 stores in North America. On the same block, with a slightly more funky vibe, was the Selene Coop, a place to get locally grown food, not to mention flyers on the latest in holistic medicine. I love to eat at diners, but it is rare you can find Fair Trade coffee served up. Not a problem at Koffee Korner, an independent restaurant where I stopped for breakfast. I finished up my time gathering some groceries for the roadtrip home at Trader Joe's.

Besides having so many Fair Trade shopping options in one place, the Media, PA FT town fulfills another critical role in the U.S. movement. It is a leader demonstrating that citizens like you and me can transform our communities and set an example for others. Watch this video from YouTube to learn more about how they did it and what the impacts are. Right now there are another half-dozen declared Fair Trade towns, and that many more coalitions striving to reach the designation.

My town of Washington, DC has its own community of activists rallying for Fair Trade and one way that is done is through public events. Media itself has a Fair Trade concert coming up, September 14. In case you don't want to stumble on Media like I did, consider your own pilgrimage.

What's Missing from "Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide?"

2008-07-20T12:54:00.000-04:00

The Fair Trade movement in the United States is growing and changing. It is hard to keep up with the facts and figures, not to mention the individuals and organizations getting involved. To try and help us all catch up I plan to do a simple update of my book, in PDF form, in time for Fair Trade Month in October. I will do a chapter-by-chapter review, providing updates as I can as well as some questions for discussion given recent changes (ex. the use of plantations for Fair Trade certified flowers).

If you have topics you think missed in the book or updates that you'd like included, let me and other readers know by commenting and recommending sources of info and inspiration.

You, Me and the Food Price Crisis

2008-07-13T06:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I paid $1.75 for one tomato. I was scrabbling around for a quick lunch to serve my mom, who is visiting from Atlanta. Cheese and tomato sandwiches are always a good bet, so as I completed some morning errands I popped into a local organic supermarket . I try to make most of my household purchases organic and free-range, so I am used to having to pay a bit more for food. But I was surprised: almost two dollars for one tomato. Now don't worry, I am not about to whine about the price, because I try hard to be aware of the privilege I have in being able to pick and choose the types of food in my pantry. In fact, I raise this point because my fleeting moment of surprise is somewhat ridiculous when people all over the world--including the United States--are struggling with food prices that are rising at double digit rates, and that is if they can find the food to purchase.

Analysts have listed a "perfect storm" of reasons for the crisis. A recent NY Times editorial dubbed the prime consequence "Man-Made Hunger" created by irresponsible government farm subsidies and opportunistic energy policies. There have been some factors outside the power of governments, such as drought, but another crisis-creating factor cited often is exponential consumer consumption in places like China and India. Rethinking consumption, as I describe in Chapter 10 of my book, is something I believe that consumers in United States have a special obligation to do, for the benefit of both producers and consumers around the world. I have been pondering how conscious consumers like you and I can best react to the growing economic global crisis.

Certainly we can advocate for fairer government policies and we can tackle world-wide environmental issues like climate change that increase the likelihood of drought. But what can we do on a personal level? Many of us have been redoubling our efforts to live greener lives. My home of Washington, DC even has a rock radio station that offers its listeners tips to protect the planet. Although I am, of course, very gratified that more and more individuals and communities are thinking about ways they can recycle office paper, water bottles and the like, I fear we are forgetting that "recycling" is the third R in a mantra to REDUCE, REUSE and then RECYCLE. The first step is to reduce the number of things that we buy. Reduction lowers the amount of waste that is created by excess, decreases the use of energy, and simplifies our complicated lives. When we do need to bring a new item into our lives, we can take the chance to reuse something that is still useful, whether we buy it at a consignment or thrift store or obtain it free-of-charge from a community service such as the freecycle network.

As we consider growing poverty and hunger around the world, as we feel our own pocketbooks shrink in the face of $4.00 a gallon gasoline, I believe that now is the time to consider how many things we are buying. Our daily lives can impact the daily lives of others even as we work through our own challenges. In tough economic times it is easy to get fearful about our futures, to drown out the worries of others, but I believe the principles of Fair Trade--such as promoting sustainability and long-term partnerships--can help us navigate confusing and challenging times. If you have ideas for how, please post a comment.

Is it Alright to Promote "Domestic" Fair Trade?

2008-07-05T17:08:00.001-04:00

Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I caught up on reading and blogging during this holiday weekend. I see from a listserv that the Farm Labor Organizing Committee has organized a campaign asking the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company to be more transparent about their corporate structure so that advocates can effectively work to secure labor rights. Tens of thousands of farm workers in the Southeast plant, tend, and harvest tobacco for RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, but apparently the tobacco giant isn't willing to work with farm worker representatives of FLOC.

When I directed an AmeriCorps and EPA funded farmworker safety project I learned that tobacco sickness--which is basically a condition that comes from being exposed to tobacco--was one of the most prevalent illnesses farmworkers faced on a regular basis. That is in addition to pesticide exposure and concerns like dehydration. These kind of "safe and healthy working condition" issues that the working poor face in the United States seem to me a great opportunity to uplift Fair Trade principles and practices as an alternative way to do business. In fact, the Domestic Fair Trade Association works to "contribute to a movement for fairness, equity and sustainability that supports family-scale farming, farmer-led initiatives such as farmer co-operatives, just conditions for farm workers, and the strengthening of the organic agriculture movement." Companies like Equal Exchange are promoting domestic products such as pecans from my old stomping grounds of Georgia. For many years now, groups like SERRV have offered handmade products from projects such as The Enterprising Kitchen in Chicago, which helps low-income urban women succeed in the U.S. workforce.

But, for some advocates the declaration of these initiatives as "Fair Trade" blurs the distinctions around the "true" meaning of Fair Trade: partnerships to help the global south gain market access, restore equity in international trading practices, empower small-scale entrepreneurs etc. As a friend and colleague once put it (this is a paraphrase), "The needs of the American family farmer are of great concern, but somebody in Iowa struggling to make his payments on a tractor isn't suffering like a farmer in Bangladesh. The farmer in Bangladesh is who Fair Trade is concerned with."

This reminds me of a recent couple of articles in BusinessWeek.com, where some advocates (myself included) were quoted about whether or not Fair Trade standards are being watered down. Case in point was the entry of plantations--including those run by suspect companies such as Chiquita--into the Fair Trade system. Some advocates are concerned that mechanisms that stray from the original practices of Fair Trade, in this case small scale farming, dilute the power of Fair Trade and drift from the alternative nature of the system.

To me, it seems that we need to apply Fair Trade principles to the case of oppressed farmworkers in North Carolina and to landless plantation workers in Latin America. Doing so broadens our fight for economic justice. At the same time, we need to highlight and buy from those companies, such as Oke Bananas, which focus on farmer ownership and power sharing. It doesn't seem to me that we have to be exclusive in our efforts.

Perhaps this is naive or falling into the trap of "Fair Trade Lite." What do you think?

Healing Victims of Torture

2008-06-27T06:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the United Nations Day for Victims of Torture, one single day to help build awareness of the extreme cruelty some individuals have endured and the resources they need to re-build their lives. With all the coverage in recent years of the U.S. government's treatment of detainees and prisoners and Supreme Court rulings about the rights of those held, you might think we don't need any more awareness. But from my time working on refugee and immigrant issues I know that torture is a persistent fact of life in many societies even outside of wartime. Victims are often civilians like church woman Diana Ortiz or unknown women and men who have been brutalized to intimidate them and break down civil struggle for justice.

Here in the United States we have institutions dedicated to naming and healing these unspeakable acts, such as the Marjorie Kovler Center in Chicago or the Center for Victims of Torture based in Minneapolis. In addition to providing counseling and support services to the individuals and families whose lives have been nearly destroyed, CVT and others have joined together to advocate for banning torture. These campaigns need supporters, of course, so check out their sites. In your local communities there may be refugee resettlement agencies looking for volunteers to provide direct services, if you are inclined to that type of action. Confronting and ending torture can happen outside the headlines, through people like you, just as the acts themselves may be hidden from view.

Thanks for considering this uncomfortable subject, which might seem removed from considerations of Fair Trade but certainly not from justice. And to tie it all together: speaking of CVT in Minneapolis, the 1/2 marathon I spoke of last week was a big success. My time in MN was filled with not only running, but also enjoying tasty Fair Trade Peace Coffee at local establishments such as Moose and Sadie's (their granola is incredible even if you haven't just run 13.1 miles!) and the Birchwood Cafe. At the Birchwood you'll be treated to locally and sustainably grown meals in the middle of a tree-lined neighborhood that attracts many cyclists as customers. My friend Kathy and I left with not only full bellies but also some cool sports socks!

Nine Minutes of Fair Trade Education

2008-06-20T11:50:00.000-04:00

I'm technically on a three day vacation, heading to Minneapolis (home of Peace Coffee!) to run/walk a half-marathon tomorrow. A goal of mine was to blog before I left... here I go. I am taking a bit of a short-cut, though, just sharing a video I recently found on YouTube. Called "Fair Trade: the Movie" it is a quick introduction to Fair Trade Certified food, with testimonials from farmers, businesses and advocates, including students in Seattle, a city I recently became very enamored of. Although this story of Fair Trade misses out on the artisan sector, I found it a pretty useful intro and hope you enjoy. Of course, if you have other videos to recommend, comment away!

Sweatfree tees on College Campuses

2008-06-06T18:17:00.000-04:00

The U.S. government isn't always the best source for information on Fair Trade, but I was happy to give a background interview to the news service, America.gov , on the history of the Fair Trade movement and how it relates to apparel. The resulting article features the t-shirt company of my friend and colleague, Joe Falcone.

I think the article does a pretty good job of sketching out the problems some of us in the Fair Trade movement have with so-called "Fair Trade" clothing. Currently there is no certification for the vast and complicated clothing value chain and industry-created standards are themselves hard to verify.

Still, the scale and transparency of Joe's operations build confidence in me. He works directly with nongovernmental organizations in Bangladesh, his business model is based on the success of pioneers such as Equal Exchange, and his sales pitch is always wrapped up with consumer education (I know because he gives free copies of my book away!) With trail-blazers like Joe building long-term relationships, rooting their work in solid Fair Trade principles, and sharing financial benefits with workers, I am proud to wear my UCONN and University of Madison t-shirts from Counter Sourcing. I'm also hoping that enough consumers will get behind companies like Joe's to ensure their success. Consumer interest and the pressure to prevent consumer confusion will help the Fair Trade movement focus on how we can claim clothing as part of our efforts at economic justice.

Farmworker Victory Makes Fast Food a Little More Appetizing

2008-06-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the Seattle-Tacoma airport! I've just finished a training with the CRS Fair Trade program and a series of meetings with colleagues and allies who make the Pacific Northwest their home. In addition to business meetings, I got to catch up with my artist friend Krissy Maier, who helped me and others at the Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade Resource Network pull off the Fair Trade Futures conference a few years ago. Krissy now owns her own jewelry making business, Orange Box, and I proudly sported one of her rings while sipping the mandatory latte in this city of java. It REALLY is true that Seattle is a coffee town-- I ended up my stay with quite an appreciation for latte art. It is a amazing--even a bit scary--what a Barista can do with a cup full of foam.

Beyond a caffeine buzz, I was also jazzed by time with the likes of Scott James, who runs Fair Trade Sports, a socially responsible enterprise that personifies the ethos of doing well by doing good. Scott and his team work to make sure that athletes can embody the values of good sportsmanship by using adult-made sports balls that are environmentally friendly. My CRS colleague, Katy, and I were also treated to a tremendous amount of chocolate and a tour of the factory of Theo Chocolate, the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States. Founder Joe Whitney got involved in the chocolate business when working with cacao farmers. When he didn't get any response to a letter-writing campaign asking major chocolate companies to source their cocoa beans responsibly, he decided to start his own company. If you are in Seattle, be sure to get a reservation for the factory tour.

But what does this have to do with fast food? Well, after a great trip enjoying the highest quality coffee and chocolate, I am now faced with dinner from a food court. I love to travel and I know many people are struggling for one meal these days, so please don't hear this as complaining. But for somebody who tries to avoid encouraging industrial agriculture, eating out can be a challenging experience. Now, thanks to the advocacy campaigns of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers major fast food chains such as McDonalds, Taco Bell and, most recently, Burger King have agreed to pay a net penny per pound more to farmworkers for the tomatoes they harvest. That makes digesting the 7 layer burrito I just ate a little easier.

One more penny a pound for grueling work doesn't totally solve my current version of the "Omnivore's Dilemma," but it does give us an example of how grassroots activism can make corporations do the right thing. That's thinking outside the bun I can get behind.

Helping Artisan Cooperatives Get Their Start

2008-05-29T08:01:00.000-04:00

At a book discussion at the Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena, California recently, I was asked a familiar question along the lines of, "How do you help craftswomen enter the Fair Trade market?" Many folks, whether volunteers with groups like Peace Corps or Catholic Relief Services or backpackers who stay in a community awhile, develop close bounds with a community and want to help them use their talents and skills to create products under Fair Trade terms. The Fair Trade skin care company Anti-Body is an example of committed entrepreneurs working with their partners in Africa to develop products and get them to market.

Inspired their example and the history of Villages founder, Edna Ruth Byler, I like to encourage these new enterprises, but with a clear eye to the challenges of the handcraft market. Luckily there are many professionals who do product and cooperative development for a living. I'm sharing a recent announcement from Aid to Artisans about a training available this summer to help producers and importers develop market readiness.

And while we are talking about building capacity, on my to-do list is to reach out to Oikocredit a leader of microfinance and a leader in Fair Finance. If you are interested in borrowing money under fair terms to work with producers you might want to research the Oikocredit requirements and criteria.

I hope these two leads help those helping producers become Fair Traders!

Intergenerational Support of Fair Trade

2008-05-25T15:34:00.001-04:00

In the wake of World Fair Trade Day--did you hear more than 12,000 North Americans participated in the World's Largest Coffee Break??? Check out the slide show!--I am brimming with blogging ideas. Also, this weekend I saw episodes of the Tracey Ullman show, State of the Union, on Showtime and I now have a wacky desire to be match the work of Arianna Huffington. I mean if she blogs daily, shouldn't I????

But I have this "order in which they were received" attitude about email messages, and a friend alerted me in early May that the AARP Bulletin recently featured Fair Trade shopping as a way to be economically smart. Initially I kind of winced because sometimes "outside of the industry" blurbs about Fair Trade can be riddled with errors. I was surprised to find on target comments like, "Generally, fair trade products cost the same and sometimes less than mass market items, because the large percentage taken by the middleman is removed from the equation. For example, FTC coffees and chocolates are generally priced competitively with specialty coffees and chocolates—but they are more expensive than mass-produced varieties."

As more people start looking carefully at their personal budgets, I wish we would take this as a wake-up call to reflect on our consumption patterns. Can we fixate less on the price of a gallon of gasoline and more on why we drive so much? Why don't we take these moments of economic uncertainty to consider life priorities, economic justice, and care for the planet?

Absent those kinds of queries, if the American Association of Retired Persons wants to promote Fair Trade as a way for seniors and others on fixed income to be frugal, so be it! In fact, the premise of the article is "you can save the world by changing your shopping list." Saving the world is a motivator for many age groups. On my travels I have certainly met many a retiree who is making Fair Trade advocacy a second career....let's welcome AARP and to the movement!

A little bit of Fair Trade irony

2008-05-15T18:28:00.000-04:00

I'm processing a wonderful set of experiences in California this past week. Before I post any reflections about participating in the (hoped for) W orld's Largest Fair Trade Coffee break with the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade, traveling across the border to Tijuana, and debating Fair Trade at UCLA along with members of Fair Trade LA, I'll pass on this bit of levity in a video clip from Comedy Central. The Brits have long been ahead of the United States on several of the Fair Trade fronts. This is just another example that they "get it," courtesy of comedian John Oliver. The video reminds me of the classic, if somewhat more sardonic, written piece from the Onion a few years back. Enjoy but maybe also reflect: are there one too many "ouch" moments in that piece?

Here's to not taking ourselves too seriously even as we work on some pretty serious issues. And a toast to treating the person right next to us as well as we want farmers and artisans treated!

World Fair Trade Day: How Will You Participate?

2008-05-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

Just four days left but it is not too late to participate in World Fair Trade Day this Saturday, May 10. I just placed my order for Fair Trade Certified flowers as a Mother's Day gift for the best mom in the world (okay, I am biased) and I'm finishing up preparations for my trip to California to participate in World Fair Trade Day activities (see more details in the post below). I'm encouraging my colleagues at CRS headquarters in Baltimore to participate in the World's Largest Coffee break by handing out a bunch of postcards produced by my friends at Fair Trade Resource Network. Check FTRN or one of its sponsors out for details on how you can get involved. Really, if you can brew a cup of coffee or tea YOU can participate or maybe even attend an activity in your community.

As this year's theme says: Isn't it Time We Made the World Fair?

REACH ACROSS THE WORLD: Transforming Lives Through Fair Trade

2008-04-25T21:43:00.000-04:00

I know technically I am on "blogging vacation" but I'm getting excited about my plans for World Fair Trade Day....

Reach Across the World is the theme of the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade seminar on May 10, 2008. I'm excited to reach across the country to join them in this World Fair Trade Day celebration! Not only will there be information sessions and food tastings, but we'll also participate in the Fair Trade Resource Network's and Fair Trade Towns Initiative's attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest Fair Trade coffee break ever. Then, on Monday and Tuesday, thanks to colleagues at Catholic Relief Services, I'll be headed to Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena and an event at UCLA.

Great people, great activities. This is why I love Fair Trade! Visit FTRN to find out what's happening in your community this World Fair Trade Day!

A Fair Trader's Work-Life Balance

2008-04-07T18:22:00.000-04:00

There is so much great stuff to report from the Fair Trade Federatio n conference in Austin this weekend: interesting workshops from the likes of Tex Dworkin of Global Exchange and Jacquie McDonald of Ten Thousand Villages Canada, fun and inspiring colleagues too numerous to mention (but I'll give a special shout out to Elizabeth Cole a friend and local Fair Trade activist who took a bunch of us on a tour of Austin one night), and dozens of challenging conversations and strategy sessions. But I'm going to focus on the fact that three people separately talked to me about being "overwhelmed" by all the work that needs doing in the Fair Trade world. Of course, it is not unique to our social movement that we have high aspirations, limited resources, and a ton of problems to confront. But because I had one friend and ally tell me for the second time in recent weeks that he thought I was a candidate for burn-out, I have decided to take the warning signals for myself and those I care about (Fair Traders who uttered the world "overwhelmed" you know who you are).

I'm going to put this blog on hold for awhile. This is hard to do as a compulsive person who wants to answer "just one more email" before I go to bed each night, but one of the things that motivated me about the conference was that I want to give my best to the Fair Trade movement. I can't do that if my brain is foggy and my body tired, not to mention my spirit worn thin. Even though I only post every week or so, I feel stressed out most days that I need to think of useful and fun postings. It is very gratifying to have people tell me in person and read from google analytics that this blog is helpful, but then I worry that I have to be VERY helpful, ALL the time.

This attitude is foolish and, arrogant, I know in my heart. I need to listen more to my heart and less to the nagging soundtracks in my mind. My vision for the world is one in which we all have enough of our basic needs met, and we all have enough opportunity to pursue our higher aspirations. Although my motivations and aspirations are good--I want to help you live a Fair Trade life!--I need to tend to my own basics. I hope to return to this blog when I am restored and refreshed. That will mean--I trust--that I'll have better information and insight to share. And if any of my struggle sounds familiar to you, as you strive for your own vision of a just world, I hope you will consider what you can let go of for awhile. Join me in practicing a work-life balance that is full of the same respect we try to offer farmers and artisans....

Doing My Part to Keep Austin Weird

2008-03-29T16:21:00.000-04:00

I'm headed to the Fair Trade Federation conference this week in Austin, TX and I'm pretty excited to be in that town for more than 12 hours (the duration of my last visit!) I know a few Fair Traders there, and I want to experience personally what so many love about a town who started a campaign called "Keep Austin Weird." Before my conference activities begin, on Thursday night at 7:00, I'll be doing a book signing at BookWoman, a feminist bookstore whose independence seems to capture the spirit of a town dedicated to local businesses and unconventional thinking.

If you are in Austin, please join me Thursday night at 7:00. I'd love to hear directly from locals about why Fair Trade resonates with the likes of world-renowned music makers, BBQ cooking, and political action. Also check out the FTF public exhibit on Saturday afternoon at the Wyndham Hotel. Fair Traders are a fun lot and sometimes considered a little weird ourselves, so we should all get to know each other!

Diet Globalization

2008-03-17T05:58:00.000-04:00

When I was as an undergraduate I kept having the experience of thinking I had discovered a brilliant new idea, only to find out someone had thought of it already. The notion that what irritates us about somebody else is a trait we don't like in ourselves...Thanks to the psychologist Jung for that. A conception of the universe as balanced between forces of creation and destruction, good and evil...chalk that up to ancient Chinese philosophers of the Tao. My consolation was that I was stumbling upon the work of deep, wise thinkers and philosophers, so I must be on to something.

As I've gotten older I am a little more confident on the validity of my own experience and insights. But I still do like to be verified, which is why I want to call your attention to last week's NY Times article , "A Global Need for Grain that Farmers Can't Fill." It is a good summary of the problems of rising food prices for those struggling in poverty, and offers up a term for a phenomenon that has shaped my advocacy for Fair Trade: "diet globalization."

When I was traveling in Mexico and Central Amercia in 1999-2000, I was very unsettled to find so many people aspiring to have a U.S. lifestyle. Certainly struggling to have basic needs for food and clean water, not to mention clean clothes and decent housing, needs no explanation, of course, but I was a bit horrified to see how U.S. culture and material values of over-consumption were infiltrating small communities and big cities. When I talked to friends or home-stay hosts, it was clear that achieving "The American Dream" was a driving force. As someone traveling, in part, to clear my head of the conspicuous consumption of U.S. life, this was very distressing. I wondered how the Earth could sustain such consumption and how the human heart might be diminished by a focus on achieving more, more, more material possessions.

I encountered Fair Trade among coffee farmers in Chiapas and realized soon that not only was it a way to have those communities organize for economic justice, but Fair Trade was also a way for consumers in the Global North (what I now call the "minority world" thanks to Albert Tucker) to think about and shift their spending habits. I came back to the United States with the desire to help U.S. consumers understand how Fair Trade could help improve their lives and the lives of others, not to mention protect the planet.

It turns out that this notion that the Majority World--those across the globe who want to work their way out of poverty to have a lifestyle similar to the average North American--is called "diet globalization." In the Times article the quote that stuck out for me was:

'“Everyone wants to eat like an American on this globe,”
said Daniel W. Basse of the AgResource Company, a Chicago consultancy.
“But if they do, we’re going to need another two or three globes to grow it all.”'

At this moment, world demand for crops central to the typical U.S. diet, as well as biofuels, is driving food prices up for economically poor people and also for the existing middle classes. An irony, of course, is that increasing rates of obesity in the United States is a growing health concern, even as billions worldwide are malnourished. Health issues aside, as average households experience budget crunches, I hope we can take this moment to help people consider if their lifestyles are sustainable for themselves and billions of others on our planet. Do we really want our diet globalized for the rest of the world???

Maybe as prices go up, those of us with middle class lifestyles can consider going on a philosophical diet to change our own and others' expectations of what the proverbial good life is. In addition to using Fair Trade as a tool for taking those steps (which is the topic of Chapter 10 in "A Beginner's Guide) we can check out the simplicity movement and organizations such as "Center for a New American Dream" to help us reconsider our lifestyles and those of others.