NEWSCHANGEMAKER PROFILES

I'm really excited about this Face of Fair Trade installment. This running piece aims to highlight different people in the movement that have been working hard to make a positive impact for Fair Traders across the board. Today's Face of Fair Trade is a special one because it is a profile of our guest blogger, Shayna Harris. Shayna has written about Starbucks for us before and will soon be sharing more words with us in the coming weeks. She just recently returned from a stint in Brazil [check out her travel blog] working with the local agricultural community there and is now back in the States working with the Fair Trade Resource Network. Here is her Fair Trade story.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

I’m currently coordinating grassroots activities for World Fair Trade Day 2009 (WFTD09).  Our goal is to re-claim the record from Finland and hold the world’s largest Fair Trade Coffee Break. We’re trying to involve over 50,000 people this year!  Join us: check out www.ftrn.org for the latest on how to make a Big Bang for WFTD09.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

In college I organized one of the US’s first Fair Trade Coffee campaigns at Boston University.  I was also interning at the organization Oxfam America, which gave me an important global perspective on trade and poverty. And I had an amazing opportunity to follow the coffee supply chain down to the Sierra Madre Mountains in southern Mexico on a study abroad program; I wanted to understand what Fair Trade was all about from the farmer perspective.  I came back from Mexico with SO many more questions than answers!  That was seven years ago, and I am still involved because I have experienced so much inspiration and hope via this movement.

Why is Fair Trade important to you/in general?

Well, as Naomi Klein so poignantly outlines in her new book The Shock Doctrine, the past 30 years of neoliberal trade policies have been both detrimental and ‘shocking’ to human beings around the world, as public policies supporting healthcare, education, and public infrastructure have progressively been stripped away.  Poverty has deepened, and we’re just now starting to feel the effects in formerly sheltered economies like the United States.  Fair Trade represents one -- among many -- responses to corporate globalization.  I’ve also been a part of the solidarity economy movement in Brazil, which is built upon similar principles.  These movements are important to me because they show that human beings are creative and resilient, and that we have the collective capacity to construct humane economic systems at the grassroots which work for people, the environment, and local development needs.

What do you see as the challenges of the Fair Trade movement?

Fair Trade is a dynamic and complex concept which runs against the grain of the dominant economic model – at least that of my lifetime.  At 27 years old and born during the Reagan era, I can’t actually remember a time when international economics was conducted in a humane, transparent, and respectful way. And so the challenge for our generation is to construct a movement which makes possible a reality that we have not yet experienced on a large scale, but those that we have experienced in slices.

An example.  There are many different definitions of Fair Trade, and these stem from the collective and different experiences of those involved in this ‘movement’. In order to solidify and strengthen our movement, we need to develop a common understanding of what Fair Trade is, and embrace the complex dynamics surrounding this term.  Only once we understand our differences can we find common ground.  And so the largest challenge to the Fair Trade movement remains the need to find common ground.

Any background/general information about yourself that you would like to add?

I recently lived in Brazil, a country that really is stuck between the ‘developed and developing,’ a government which in supports export-led growth/corporate agriculture in one government ministry and small-scale family farming/local economic systems in another.  Yet the solidarity economy movement is expanding and strengthening at the grassroots, winning over allies in the political and corporate arena alike.  Brazil’s small farmers still form the breadbasket of the country.

The socioeconomic situation of the US now looks like Brazil’s in terms of income inequality, healthcare, and education standards, but our numbers are falling and theirs are rising.  Through my work I have been humbled enough to learn from countries like Brazil, as there are lessons of resiliency and growth in the most unlikely corners of that country.  We can take those lessons learned to form a stronger movement for Fair Trade right herein the US.

One way to start is by banding together to get involved in World Fair Trade Day 2009… so please visit www.ftrn.org today!

You can continue to follow Shayna on her own blog, Mama Shayna's Musings.

We're in the midst of the "big four" Fashion Weeks which is resulting in some pretty fabulous internet browsing while I'm home sick in bed. London and New York churned out some great Fall collections, Milan is winding down and Paris is coming up soon enough. My favorite thing to come out of this year's 2009 Fall Collection Fashion Week, besides the fact that bright colors are here to stay, was the Fair Trade fashion event that happened during London's Fashion Week. London's Fashion Week is the only one out of the bunch that prominently features eco and Fair Trade clothing where it has its own exhibition called Esthetica. The Esthetica exhibition has been a part of LFW for a few years now, but this is the first year that it was the center of attention. This is most likely due to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan launched by the UK's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that happened to coincide with both LFW and Fairtrade Fortnight. The Action Plan aims to make fashion more sustainable and less environmentally damaging.

While having many economic benefits, clothing has a significant environmental and ethical impact ranging from increased carbon emissions, waste, water usage and pollution to child labour and unfair trading conditions.  The clothing and textiles sector in the UK alone produces around 3.1 million tonnes of CO2, 2 million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year - with 1.5 million tonnes of unwanted clothing ultimately ending up in landfill.

The Action Plan has brought together over 300 organizations who are taking action to fight against the environmental and social impacts of 'throwaway fashion'. The campaign is backed by Minister of Sustainability, Lord Philip Hunt who announced the Plan at the beginning of LFW.

This action plan represents a concerted effort from the fashion industry, including top names in the high street and manufacturers to change the face of fashion.

Retailers have a big role to play in ensuring fashion is sustainable.  We should all be able to walk into a shop and feel that the clothes we buy have been produced without damaging the environment or using poor labour practices, and that we will be able to reuse and recycle them when we no longer want them.

I’m delighted that so many fashion companies have signed up  to the sustainable clothing  action plan and I look forward to seeing these actions come to fruition.

An interesting thing to note is that some of the big names to sign on to the Action Plan have actually been heavily criticized in the past for their poor environmental and social practices. Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury are increasing their ranges in Fair Trade and organic fashions and looking into fabrics that will encourage and enable clothing recycling. Tesco is also,

extending its traceability programme across cotton supply chains to ban cotton from countries known to use child labour. It's also adding carbon labelling of Tesco laundry detergents.

Companies that have been leaders in the ethical fashion game are continuing to increase their Fair Trade fashion and are proving to be eco-fashion giants. The Fairtrade Foundation is increasing the volume of Fair Trade cotton products and are looking to achieve at least 10% Fair Trade cotton in UK clothing by 2012. T Shirts and Sons are developing the first Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified system for eco printing on organic cotton. All this is exciting news for fans of ethical fashion like myself, but Guardian writer Lucy Siegle points out

Will this action plan actually reverse, halt or slow down the problematic environmental footprint of our fast fashion binge culture? And do these voluntary initiatives really address the evils lurking in the global fashion closet? Unless there's a big surprise [when the plan is announced], there is no mention here of a living wage or any commitment for overseas producers. They may not be fashionable concepts during a recession but it's still a fact that in Bangladesh garment workers cannot afford to buy food thanks to the rise in commodity prices.

We're all familiar with voluntary initiatives, such as the Harken-Engel Protocol that the chocolate industry has yet to follow through on -- eight years later. There is supposed to be improved traceability in the supply chain and encouraging sustainable clothing, but how much further is it going to go? How strict are the guidelines? Is ethical fashion only in fashion on the surface or will there be some greenwashing like GreenLAGirl pointed out on a certain fashion line. All questioning aside, I really am happy to hear about the increased exposure and feasabilty of sustainable and Fair Trade fashion. Even Project Runway recognized sustainable fashion with the pick of their latest Runway winner, Leanne Marshall who was the shows standout eco-fashion star who weaved sustainbility into all her eco-chic couture. No matter how you decide to cut and measure it, eco and Fair Trade fashion has come a long way from hemp and tie-dye to haute couture on high fashion's runway.

[photos: guardian uk & ny magazine]

There's a global recession and a crisis in Gaza, but despite it all Palestinian olive oil farmers are seeing a silver lining. In a conflict that has seen over a thousand Palestinian deaths and several thousand more injuries, future outlooks seem pretty bleak. However, it seems as though this conflict is a key reason behind a surge in demand for Palestinian olive oil from UK consumers, who have been supportive of the Palestinian cause. Although the UK is experiencing an economic recession like the rest of us, consumers across the pond are showing an increase in support for Fair Trade products on the market with sales topping £700m in 2008. Harriet Lamb of the Fairtrade Foundation remarks about the increase of sales in the UK,

We’re delighted to be able to report growth of 43% in Fairtrade sales, keeping us on track with our plan to double the impact of Fairtrade by 2012. In the current global economic climate, farmers need Fairtrade more than ever. So it is profoundly reassuring to know that the public are still wholeheartedly backing a better deal for farmers and workers around the world, enabling them to survive this crisis and continue investing in stronger businesses and a better life for their communities.  And it makes sense for business to build long-term relations with producers on whom they depend while also responding to public demand for Fairtrade.

Palestinian olive oil farmers have been working on getting Fair Trade certfication for over four years according to Nasser Abufarha, the chairman of the Palestinian Fairtrade Association, and now that they have it, it means a wider market for their goods as well as more sales. And more sales they have seen. For Fairtrade Fortnight that is currently going on, the Palestinian struggle in the Gaza Strip has been a key campaign for highlighting marginalized farmers working toward self-sustainability.

Fair Trade companies carrying Fair Trade olive oil have been nearly selling out of their stock due to the increase in demand. Equal Exchange in the UK (no relation to Equal Exchange in the US) and Zaytoun have seen a threefold and fourfold increase in sales, repectively, compared to last year.

Olives are one of the main crops for Palestinian farmers with thousands and thousands of farmers involved. However, due to the on-going conflict, many farms have been bulldozed or have to deal with security fences.

The village of Anin, west of Jenin in the West Bank, has seen 1,100 hectares of olive orchards cut off by Israel's security fence. Permits from the Israeli authorities are difficult to obtain and there are severe time constraints for visits, making it so hard for farmers to tend to their trees that some have given up altogether.

For the Palestinian Fair Trade Association, the goal is to use Fair Trade as a way to economically and socially empower Palestinian farmers. According to Aburaha, Fair Trade is not only about the price,

We have given farmers hope. An economic exchange that recognises Palestinian farmers' rights and respects the value of their connection to their land, after marginalization under Israeli occupation, is a major accomplishment.

Such a dire situation is showing the strength of the Palestinians who are working beyond conflict to find peace with their land. It also shows the strength that consumers have to positively affect a situation, even in small ways.

Salaam. Shalom.

Find out more about the Palestinian Fair Trade Association.

[photo: Atef Safadi/EPA]

Reader Helen Bode pointed out to me Cafédirect's response to Parminder Bahra's recent article on the abuses found on tea estates. (Cafédirect are pioneers in ethical business and have been working directly with farmers in disadvantaged countries to build  better future through Fairtrade)

[T]here was an interesting piece in today’s Times Online about Fairtrade Tea factories. It’s certainly healthy to ask questions, but I think the story is incomplete at best. Fairtrade as a model has been as effective in creating sustainable development as any I’ve seen, and at  we can point out 1.4 million stories of how Fairtrade has helped the lives of those in need. Some farmers may not see individual benefits in terms of more money in their pockets, but the premiums paid by Cafédirect (which, by the way, are 20% higher than other Fairtrade buyers) build health clinics and drill wells for fresh water that support entire communities.

Thanks for the note Helen. I just wanted to point out that the article doesn't question whether or not the Fair Trade system is benefiting millions of farmers around the world -- because it has -- but rather Bahra has ignited the dialogue of the plantations' role in the Fair Trade system. The Plantation Question is about whether or not plantations play a transformative role in the Fair Trade system. Once again, as it has been pointed out by Fair Trade pioneers, Equal Exchange --

We are not surprised to hear of these shortcomings and abuses occurring on Fair Trade plantations. In fact, the findings presented in this article only serve to reaffirm our belief that plantations do not belong in the Fair Trade system in the first place. Equal Exchange doesn’t debate whether “good” plantations exist (for example, those where workers are treated “well”), nor whether estate workers deserve to enjoy better working conditions. They do.

We believe that “Fair Trade” needs to mean “Small Farmer,” and that the standards which apply to Fair Trade coffee can and should be the sole standard in tea as well as coffee.

There is no questioning that Fair Trade offers a better alternative to the current conventional trading system that we are familiar with today that puts profit over people, it is questioned whether or not plantations who have been abusive in the past, and are still reported to be, should play a role in the Fair Trade system. If certain plantations are to continue carrying the Fair Trade label, what needs to be done to improve the system in order to make sure that plantations are keeping up with the strict standards?

The Fair Trade movement is evolving everyday in order to be a better system to prove that it is no longer business as usual where human rights are being neglected and the environment is being degraded when producing a product, so there is deep concern in me, and surely many in the Fair Trade movement that there continues to be trust in the system. I know the Fair Trade system works, and has worked for many in the world, and as the movement expands there are growing pains where issues need to be ironed out and focus needs to remain on benefiting the disadvantaged producer. So my question still stands: what should be the next steps?

As Cafédirect points out in their blog post about the positive impact that Fair Trade has been capable of, the best way is to hear it directly from the farmer. A Kenyan tea farmer shares a poem about how Fairtrade has changed his and his community's life for the better:

The Fairtrade Tree Poem

Thrive, thrive and blossom,
With shooting buds of hope,
Branches with shade of livelihood,
The trunk bears the strength of the disadvantaged,
Deeply rooted to live.

In you oh fair-trade tree,
Birds will build nests,
Nests to shelter the poor.
A shelter to lay eggs.
Eggs of a better able society.

Your bark oh fair-trade tree,
Winds the ligaments of the community.
It keeps them close and strong.

Fair will we be to you,
Promise to tender you our hope.
Water you with natural water adherence
Mulch you with compliance,
Weed all the vices and non standards,

Oh our lovely fair-trade tree.
The beauty of our environs
Your green colour, oh.
Shows your nature of fairness.

Composed by Murerwa G Thirinja
Chairman, Fairtrade Supervisory Committee Michimikuru

We must continue to hear stories like this, of progress and hope, and make sure that the Fair Trade system continues to inspire poetry and growth in farmers and communities.

[photo: www.cafedirection.co.uk]

If you've been paying any sort of attention to the news lately, you might have heard about Somali pirates that have been hi-jacking ships left and right. Well, while some are using ships for evil, the guys over at the Greenheart Project are looking to use sailing for nothing but good. I stumbled across this project a few hours ago and I am completely fascinated.

Has anyone else heard about it? Because I really want to know more, beyond the website. Here is what I gathered so far. They are planning on establishing a trade vessel that will run solely on sun and wind.

By using trade winds and traditional sailing routes in addition to electric motors powered by the sun, S/V Greenheart will be able to deliver her cargo without burning petroleum products for propulsion.

One of the main goals of the project is to "publicize international cooperation, clean energy, fair trade and sustainable industry". They will zig zag around the world between the Global North and the Global South. They will have charitable missions, such as aid and relief.

Greenheart will coordinate with local and international charities, NGO's, relief organizations and ministries of the relevant governments in order to load aid supplies, medical and educational donations, and development project support. These cargoes will be delivered free of charge to countries in the developing world.

AAaand they will participate in Fair Trade commerce.

As the charitable supplies are delivered, Greenheart will buy environmentally sound and sustainability sourced products from small producers and cooperatives at better-than-market prices to support their efforts. Because of her extremely shallow draught, S/V Greenheart will be able to load at small ports and up rivers presently unable to accommodate ocean-going vessels, thus providing new access to international markets for small producers.

They will then sail to other countries and sell the Fair Trade wares that they found along the way.

By combining both charitable and profitable aspects while embracing the principles of environmental protection, sustainability and fair trade, Greenheart will offer a very public model of a self-funding, respectable institution. We hope to inspire people and organizations around the world to re-think the boundries of business and of international aid. In time, we intend to build a fleet of non-polluting sailing cargo ships for use in poverty abatement programs around the world.

Their official mission statement:

We at Greenheart are striving to create a new model of a clean, cooperative and sustainable enterprise. We commit to supporting equally the environmental, the social, and the economic viability of our world by adhering to the principles of fairness and accountability in trade, respect and stewardship for the environment, and a charitable, global disposition. By operating a solar-power assisted sailing trading ship around a global route with complementary loads of development aid and fair trade goods, we intend to function as a self-funding charitable merchantman. Our goal is to forge connections, both physical and institutional, among societies, environments and economies the world around. We propose using our unique platform to bring together organizations, institutions, governments and corporations with sincere desires to further sustainability for our planet. Both our ship and her crew are dedicated to promoting, by example, the practice of environmental protection, fair & equitable trade relations, and the responsible use of renewable resources.

Friends. I ask again. Has anyone heard of this project? I want to know more. All about it basically. I will do more sniffing around and report back. It sounds too good to be true. But I want it to be true! Developing!

Fall is a big sports season. College football is in full swing, as is Pro Football and my beloved Lakers are 5-0. Oh happy day.

With all the sports in the air, I chatted up Scott James, founder of Fair Trade Sports, the first sports equipment company in the US that provides eco-certified Fair Trade sports balls. Their sports balls are ensuring fair wages to their adult workers and making sports a fair (trade) game. Not only that! They have quite a commendable business model. They are commited to donating all profits after taxes to domestic and international children's charities. Very much like the Newman's Own way of doing things. With that, I am proud to feature today's Face of Fair Trade: Scott James.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

Founder of Fair Trade Sports, bringing the world's first line of eco-certified Fair Trade sports balls for soccer, football, basketball (and more) to North America.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

I was in the high tech industry when my first child was born. I knew one day he was going to ask me what I did for work. I wanted to be able to tell him I was  directly helping people, directly working on some of the Big Issues we face, like extreme poverty.

Frankly, I believe as Fair Traders we are trying to work ourselves out of a job. And I think it can happen with two generations. The Fair Trade movement is a medium-term remedy (read: 75 years) to fix our currently broken economic system, which is not sustainable nor holistic in how it interacts with human beings around the world. I look forward to the day when we no longer need Fair Trade or eco labels, when *everything* will be made with true sustainability in mind. My five year old son already wonders aloud what type of Fair Trade company he is going to start. He's just assuming that he would make it a sustainable company from the beginning.

Consumer education. Despite the many friendly faces at events like Green Festival, we're still a fringe movement in North America. We need to continue working together - across product lines and industries - to promote the face of Fair Trade. Whether we're talking about coffee or handicrafts, flowers or sports balls, we need to all do our part to educate North American citizens about the benefits of Fair Trade for themselves and producers.

Any background/general information about yourself you want to add?

I love the current pace of innovation we're seeing in sustainability. It's an exciting time to be a part of the positive solutions we seeing launching just about every day.

[Photo Credit: Chip Py, Co-Op America]

So, all throughout October, I had a running piece called "Faces of Fair Trade" where I was highlighting different people in the Fair Trade movement in honor of Fair Trade Month. I would ask different people questions about their involvement with Fair Trade, in order to showcase different 'faces of fair trade' which involves farmers, artisans, activists, and you. I enjoyed talking to different people so much, I've decided to keep it coming.

Recently, I spoke with Kristen, the West Coast Coordinator of Global Goods Partners, a non-profit dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives for those in marginalized communities. Introducing today's Face of Fair Trade; Kristen.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

Above all I am a consumer. I purchase gifts for people, items for my house, jewelry/scarves, chocolate-especially very dark, coffee-decaf, tea (mostly green) etc. and these items have more value to me when I know how and by whom they were made and who benefits from my purchases-other than me of course.

I am a founding member of Borderline, a collective helping to connect women artisans along the Thailand-Burma border with fair trade markets in the US, Europe, Australia and Japan.

In the US, I am the west coast coordinator for Global Goods Partners, a not for profit fair trade organization that supports economic and social development in women’s community groups throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America by creating new markets for their hand made items, through fair trade fundraising opportunities for schools and not for profit organizations. GGP is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, which is based in Seattle. I coordinate the SweatFree Washington Campaign, a project of WFTC aimed at passing SweatFree procurement legislation at the local and state levels.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

It is hard to place a first time. It has been an ongoing process of learning and then making decisions about what I am going to do once I know the real situation.

All over the U.S. today, people are casting their ballots. I've never missed an opportunity to vote since the day I turned 18, and today I'm giving you an opportunity to cast your vote for a group of small-farmers in South Africa who are cultivating for change for themselves and the world around them.

Fair Trade pioneers, Equal Exchange, have been supporting the Heiveld and Wupperthal cooperatives for years by working directly with them to offer their delicious Rooibos Tea. The Heiveld and Wupperthal cooperatives also put their land and the environment first by mitigating the effects of the warming climate on their production. Thanks to their work for the environment, they have been selected as one of 12 finalist in the 2008 BBC World Challenge competition. This challenge is aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level. The winner will receive $20,000 to invest in their project/business and two runner-ups will each receive $10,000.

Voting is now open on the BBC website (and goes through November 21st), and you can also view a short film clip from the movie on their site.

Show your support and vote for them now. These small farmers have had a long history of oppression during the years of apartheid and have fought through it and have survived through the production of the rooibos plant. With the rooibos plant, a plant of their ancestors, they have been able to see change. They went from sharecroppers during the Apartheid era to being part of a democratically run cooperative. In doing so, they also put the environment into mind by implementing soil and water conservation, enhancing biodiversity, and recapturing indigenous strategies of natural resource management used by their ancestors.

This vote isn't about politics, this vote is about enhancing opportunity for others across the world making a difference and changing the world around them.

Learn more about the cooperatives and their work.

Being the incredibly busy lady that she is, I was grateful that Carmen Iezzi, Executive Director of the Fair Trade Federation, was able to take some time to answer a few questions for me.

Aside from managing all the strategic, administrative, and programmatic aspects of the evaluating body that is the FTF, she is a freelance writer and researcher, acts as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Ten Thousand Villages of Alexandria, and chairs the Millennium Development Goals Task Force for the UN Association of the National Capital Area. Somewhere along the way, I hope she finds the time to breathe, because I was running out of breath just typing all that out. That's not all! I haven't even listed what she did prior to all this. More on her superwoman abilities here.

Probing her mind about Fair Trade, much as I did with Manish, here is what she had to say.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

I became involved in Fair Trade in graduate school at American University. While studying international development and international politics, I was  frustrated by the models we were learning about. None of them seemed to effectively break the cycle of poverty and dependency. Then, a friend of mine - who was working for SERRV International at the time and founded one of the first Fair Trade Student Associations in the US - introduced me to Fair Trade, because he thought it would address some of the concerns that I had.

Why is Fair Trade important to you or in general?

I appreciate Fair Trade's emphasis on partnership and respect; its attempts to create trading relationships that work for everyone in the supply chain and empower producer communities to help themselves. In addition, I find the spillover effects that result from Fair Trade partnerships one of its most important benefits: schools are builts, wells constructed, children fed by their parents who have not received an hand out from someone, but had an opportunity worthy of the dignity of a human person to take care of themselves.

In conjunction with Blog Action Day and Fair Trade Month, I am highlighting a group of Ugandan women using their traditional weaving skills as a vehicle to combat poverty.

The National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda (NAWOU) is an NGO that was formed in 1992 in order to improve the status and living conditions of women in Uganda.

With the guidance of NAWOU, these women have been able to sell and market their traditional hand-made crafts in the international market under Fair Trade terms.

According to Marketing Officer at NAWOU's craft centre, Pamela Kyagera,

"I strongly believe we can go a long way in fighting poverty through fair trade. The women you see bringing the crafts would never make it through conventional markets.

"They would not sell through markets which are far from their homes. They would not have enough information and they would get exploited."

The women have been able to share stories of how they have benefit through the Fair Trade system.

Widow and mother of three, Joyce Nakazi:

"I have benefited a lot from the sale of the baskets because I managed to build a house from my savings. I also paid for education for my eldest son, who qualified to join the university. I used to work as an attendant at a nursery school near our church but the money was not enough. So I quit to rather make baskets,"

Daisy Nanteza, who was left homeless after her husband's death in 2006 recounts:

"Living as a single mother and educating children here is not easy. But I have managed it by selling crafts. I make up to 100,000 shillings a month (about 60 dollars)."

Sanyu Rose, single mother of three, talks about Fair Trade:

"What I understand about fair trade is that you don't exploit the artisans because you have to ensure that both sides gain. We have benefited from fair trade because we get a higher price, compared to the price in shops not operating under fair trade principles."

A testament of how Fair Trade is doing its part in alleviating poverty. Read more about these NAWOU workers, as well as challenges they face along the way.