NEWSINTERVIEWS

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.

I haven't done a Face of Fair Trade in a while. The idea behind Faces of Fair Trade is to highlight the different people or groups behind the Fair Trade movement. These are the people that make it happen and help spread the movement and make it such a vibrant community. These stories make up the collective face of Fair Trade, be it organizations, activists, coffee drinkers, veterans, newbies and you. For this installment of Face of Fair Trade, I spoke with Joyce Kushner, founder of the Fair Trade chocolate company Coco-Zen. What struck me most about her story was her introduction into the Fair Trade movement and how her role as being a parent deepened her commitment. After you hearing her stories of being a momtrepreneur (people say that right?), you can keep up with her at her blog and also check out her Fair Trade chocolate offerings. Or you can be like me and sit and stare at the photo of her amazingly adorable son, Max.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

As a chocolate confectioner, I've committed to using only Fair Trade (and organic) chocolate in everything we make. As a mom, blogger, and member of the human race, I do what I can to help educate and spread the word about Fair Trade, especially with regards to chocolate and cocoa production.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

The truth is, I really hadn't heard of Fair Trade until I decided to go into the chocolate business about 2 years ago. When I was researching about different chocolates to use in my recipes I came across Fair Trade. It intrigued me, so I started to look into it. I was horrified when I learned about the issues of child labor/slavery on modern cocoa plantations, as well as about the devastation it causes to the land. Being a true chocoholic who has bought and eaten a LOT of chocolate, I couldn't help but feel guilty...without ever once understanding what went into the making of the stuff I loved so much. I decided that going forward I would use only Fair Trade chocolate in all of Coco-Zen's treats. Plus, I figured since I myself was so uneducated about Fair Trade, the general public might not really know about it either. I'm certain that most people don't realize the harm that modern cocoa farming practices have on humans and the planet - I like to call it "chocolate's dirty little secret". Because of this, I decided it was important to talk about Fair Trade and help spread the word.

Why is Fair Trade important to you/in general?

Well, I've always subscribed to a "planet & people friendly" philosophy to a certain degree, but it was when I became a mom that it truly became important to me, and I really started to look at how my behaviors and actions affect the world around me. They say having a kid changes your perspective - I know, cliched - but for me it really did. Up until having our son, I had spent my career in retail marketing, and I admit to having been a true retail princess. I pretty much had to have the newest fads and fashions, and while I tried to be a responsible citizen, I can't say that I had always considered the impact my purchases had on people and environment. Then, when our son Max came along, I went through all the anxieties of being a new parent. I started asking myself, what kind of parent would I be, what kind of person would I raise, and what kind of world would he grow up in? This pretty much colored everything I did from then on. I realized that I needed to behave in a more socially and environmentally responsible manner, and Fair Trade falls into that.

Browsing through the Fair Trade actions on the site, I came across an action set up by Devan Singram to alleviate poverty in marginalized and rural groups through Fair Trade.

In the next 6 months, I pledge to connect with at least 125 artisans who live below the poverty line and raise their average monthly income!

Devan is doing this through an innovative project called Elevyn, which is directly connecting socially conscious buyers to crafts produced by indigenous, rural and marginalized urban communities, in a Fair Trade way. The innovation is that Elevyn is connecting marginalized communities to the worldwide market through technology and the internet.

We do that by building a web-based platform that connects community-based sellers to a socially-conscious market. These online stores can be set up and managed by the communities themselves, and Elevyn works closely with NGOs and field partners on training, consultancy and advisory.

I reached out to Devan to find out more about the project and how it started.

Elevyn started of as an idea to highlight stories of social entrepreneurs doing great work. It was an evolving idea, as our team traveled and backpacked our way to places like Sabah, Malaysia and Chiang Rai, Thailand and interviewed people from Sri Lanka, where communities were producing hand made items. We realized one of the big problems for artisans was access to market and obtaining a fair price for the work they were putting into it.

Devan also outlines on his blog more details about the project.

With Elevyn, we particularly wanted to focus on communities in rural areas, many were impoverished because they did not have access to markets. As a result, traditional skills like natural dyeing were being lost, and motivation was low.

In urban communities, we met artisans who were starting to regain confidence in themselves after life changing events, from the effects of landmines and polio to single mothers trying to relearn new skills.

I felt that with applying business tools to sustain local handicraft projects, innovations in web 2.0 to achieve transparency between the market and the artisan, and a whole new way of approaching social work to help improve human lives, we could enable new generations of self independent artisans, and support the good work that our field partners were already doing.

Giving marginalized social entrepreneurs a chance to build their businesses through direct connections with the internets and SMS [deets]. Very Kiva-like innovation. Elevyn was even named top 100 social innovations of 2008 by NetExploratuer.

This goal to connect with 125 artisans in six months started in November and will culminate in May for World Fair Trade Day. In the true nature of web 2.0, you can follow their progress toward their goal through twitter, the Facebook or just keep browsing their site. Devan is also giving updates on the Action page, so while you check that out go ahead and make your pledge of support.

For International Human Rights Day, President Bush, who expressed his frustration at the lack of United Nations action to help those suffering from the genocide in the Darfur, met with human rights activist Dr. Halima Bashir. Dr. Bashir ran a clinic in Darfur where she treated rape victims of the Janjaweed militia. The selfless act of helping heal others made her a victim herself. After her escape, she started her own healing process and wrote a book about her experiences and survival.

Today, the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan persists leaving half a million dead and over two and a half million people displaced. Since 2004, Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International has been working with thousands of Sudanese people living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. CHF International work with the displaced people through programs that focus on sustainable, holistic development and economic empowerment.

One noteworthy project provides support to internally displaced basket and mat weavers in Darfur. This project has helped stimulate income generation for hundreds of women, particularly in Kalma, the largest IDP camp located in Southern Darfur. The precarious situation of living in these camps surrounded by conflict and violence leaves many women uncertain of ways to provide for their families. Through this basket and mat weaving project, the women are able to be economically viable while simultaneously preserving a traditional and vibrant art form in Sudan. The women come together at the Women's Community Center located at the center of the camp to weave their baskets, which also allows them to share stories and begin their healing together.  This project not only provides economic empowerment to the weavers, but it also improves their self-worth, proves their ability to be independent and offers them hope for the future.

In accordance with Fair Trade standards, the women are paid 30% more than the local market price. The weaving project also only uses sustainable material such as palm grass and natural dyes and use indigenous designs and techniques.

CHF International Crafts Center Manager, Jennifer Marcy shared a story of her recent visit to Sudan with Global Exchange who partner with CHF International to showcase the handwoven baskets in the international marketplace.

When the conflict began there was a lot of demand for handmade products as a result of the influx of nonprofit workers who flooded into the area and needed a gift when they returned home from Africa. But, the local market is now saturated and my job is to increase production of these baskets and coordinate the logistics to get them to the United States, where market demand is high due to the interest of Americans who want to help the people suffering in Darfur. It is difficult to clearly understand how this complex situation in Darfur is going to unfold. What is known is that millions of innocent people are victims of this conflict and are unable to lead a normal life. Life in the camps is tedious and often boring. An elderly weaver told me that in her village they always had something to do, whether it was harvesting crops or tending to her children, her days were full. In the camp, life slowly drifts on, which is why I think CHF’s programs are so important. They allow women and men to learn, create, earn a living and socialize. Life continues on, the next generation of children is born in the camps and only knows life in the confinements of the camp walls. Our hope is that the millions of displaced can one day return to their ancestral village, but for now my job is to help women earn a living so they can send their children to school and buy nutritious food for their family.

CHF International also shared words from weavers working with the project.

"When I first arrived [at the camp] a year and a half ago, there weren’t any services like [the basket weaving project]. We had to leave the camp frequently and many women were attacked. We feel safe inside the center and now have some money to buy goods and supplement the food rations we receive.” -Zulafa

"[Coming to the women’s centers] gives us a chance to be with other women and talk about our problems. We can laugh and forget the hardships we have suffered.” -Victoria

Interested in supporting the project and having a basket of your own? Contact the Craft Center directly craftscenter@chfinternational.org or check this out. I've seen the baskets in person and they are breathtakingly exquisite.

For more updates on Darfur, resident genocide blogger Michelle offers her Daily Darfur at the change.org Stop Genocide blog.

[Photos: CHF International]

So, the other day my friend peeked in my room and called me out when he saw Jackie DeCarlo's Fair Trade for Beginner's book at my bedside. Yes, my friends, it's true. This is my latest before-bed-slash-for-leisure-slash-fun book. Aaand, let's just say this isn't the first time I've read it. Hey! It's very informative. So imagine my excitement when Jacqueline DeCarlo herself agreed to be featured as a Face of Fair Trade. Thanks, Jackie.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

I try to help people in the United States understand and get involved with the global Fair Trade movement.  I’m really fortunate because I can do this in a variety of ways that keep me continually learning from consumers and producers themselves. I have a “day job” with the economic justice team at Catholic Relief Services in which I reach out to millions of Catholics and connect them to the work of our partners, including those based in 100 different countries.   I also use my book, Fair Trade: A Beginner’s Guide, as a platform for sharing and reflection on my blog.  I am often asked to speak at community events, which is something I love to do because consumers ask great questions and expose me to wonderful activism at the local level. And, of course, I’m a consumer trying to live a Fair Trade live, and I’m fortunate to live in the great city of Washington, D.C. where there are lots of activities to participate in.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

Back in 1999 I took some time off to study Spanish, process some personal losses that had happened, and explore Latin America.  While in Chiapas I was introduced to a coffee cooperative and learned how important Fair Trade was to creating the kind of life the farmers wanted for their families and communities.  On a long bus trip across Mexico I had an “ah-ha” moment when I realized that Fair Trade offered opportunities for the producers, and it also offered consumers a more authentic way to shape their consumption.  I had been involved in efforts at simplicity in my Quaker community in DC, and Fair Trade seemed an excellent way for producers to improve their livelihoods AND have U.S. citizens consume responsibly.  I ended up volunteering a bit for the Mut Vitz cooperative and then when I returned to States I joined the Fair Trade Resource Network, where I eventually got a job.

Why is Fair Trade important to you/in general?

I try to remember every day that I am incredibly privileged to be living in a democracy, situated in the middle class, with so many resources, such as a roof over my head and clean water coming out of the faucet.  Between my Fair Trade travels and the work I used to do for refugee and immigrant concerns, I know that my lifestyle is very far removed from the majority of the world in terms of the basic expectations and opportunities that people have for their lives.  I believe deeply it does not have to be this way.  If we use the framework of Fair Trade—making sure people and the planet are protected as we trade, using long-term relationships to create equitable systems, investing in communities not just in personal gain—then we’ll be able to create a fair, just, sustainable world.

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

Frankly there are lots, but I think that proves that the movement is on to something! For example, Fair Trade means many different things to many different people, and although diversity can be a great thing that means that the movement is open to a lot of interpretation.  Sometimes that takes it away from its fundamental purpose: to create partnerships that “seek greater equity in international trade.”  Now, that doesn’t mean that Fair Trade shouldn’t evolve or be a role model for other economic justice movements, but it does mean that we can’t apply the term willy-nilly without rooting ourselves in the injustices that Fair Trade is trying to address.  To help us do that, we need to return again and again to the producers themselves to see what they want from the movement, and we need to check in with the consumers who are driving its growth in the “minority world.”

For more from Jackie, be sure to check out her blog where she picks up where her book left off and continues to inform about Fair Trade and her work to further the cause.

[Photo: Sara Stender]

Just the thought of Divine Chocolate makes my mouth water a little. I know that dark chocolate is better for you, but I really recommend you try out their milk chocolate. As cheesy as it sounds, it really is divine.

A while back, I featured the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative as a 'Face of Fair Trade'. The Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative are the farmers behind the Divine Chocolate. Aside from farming the cacao beans for the Fair Trade Certified chocolate, the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative own a significant portion of the Divine Chocolate company, have seats on the board and also have share in the profits. They are inspiration to everyone in the Fair Trade community because they really exemplify the possibilities and successes that the Fair Trade movement can achieve.

Co-op America recently conducted an interview with the CEO of Divine Chocolate USA, Erin Gorman, for their December installment of 'Faces of the Green Pages'. Erin talks about the work she does with Divine Chocolate and the farmers who make it all happen.

What makes Divine Chocolate a green business?

Divine has been recognized in the US and in Europe for its commitment to Fair Trade and its pioneering ownership model. We've created a brand that allows farmers to tell their own story. We joined Co-op America because it is an aspirational community, where everyday we learn about new ways to improve how we do business. Green is a process, not a destination, and it's a pleasure to be involved in the journey with so many other social entrepreneurs.

The network of green businesses continues to grow as people become more aware and concerned about their consuming habits. A leader in the green business movement, Erin explains the challenges of maintaining high standards of social and environmental responsibility.

As a global brand, our biggest green challenge is the environmental and economic cost of fostering participation by farmers in Ghana in our work in the US. Kuapa Kokoo works very hard to encourage cocoa farmers to actively participate in the leadership of the cooperative, and then in the promotion of their chocolate brand to the world at large.

However, there are real limits to the frequency of visits to the US that are possible for the farmers. There are time constraints to deal with, and the carbon footprint of the plane trips. Our challenge is to find partners to help facilitate participation in new and tangible ways, using new and emerging technologies. For example, we've started establishing some video-linking programs between schools in Kuapa societies and schools in the UK. I am hoping to be able to bring this soon to the US as well.

Divine Chocolate and their pioneer model of farmer ownership sets them out to be real innovators. What are their next steps to continue their green commitment?

I look forward to bringing more businesses and their customers into efforts to address poverty and development through Fair Trade and social enterprise. This is an essential part of any green economy -- finding ways to improve the livelihoods of the world's poor. Co-op America has been a leader in ensuring that the definition of "green" includes social and economic justice.

In particular, it is exciting to see "Fair Trade towns" popping up across the country -- seeing citizens take control of their own local marketplace.

Check out the rest of the interview for more, including advice for budding green entrepreneurs out there. You do that while I explore some of their recipes. Ripe plantain chocolate cake! Oh. dear.

Photos: Co-op America

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.