The Fringe Benefits of Failure

J. K. Rowling

Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless. The fears my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.

Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.

So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged.

I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all–in which case, you fail by default.

I was disappointed with the quality of the journalism which is typically polemic with a clear axe to grind rather than being as balanced as I would expect from such a good an institution as Stanford. Fair Trade USA have responded to the article so I thought it worth letting you see that response here..

Dear Mr. Nee,

Fair Trade USA is disappointed that you published the article “The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee.”  We welcome feedback and philosophical discussion about ways to improve and expand the Fair Trade system, however the unsubstantiated claims, dated research and misinformation that Colleen Haight presented in her article misrepresent our mission, our model and our accomplishments to date. During our 12-year history, Fair Trade USA has helped improve the lives of more than 1.5 million farmers[i] by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that alleviates poverty in coffee growing communities.  As a mission-driven nonprofit organization, we continuously innovate our model to deliver greater impact back to farming communities.

Here, within the publication’s required 1000 words, we are only able to address some of author’s claims. To learn more, please visit www.FairTradeUSA.org.

Impact

The article says that “retailers explain” that Fair Trade USA does not have sufficient data showing positive impact on growers.  Without citing sources for this broad testimonial, the author fails to share that during the course of her research she met with Fair Trade USA on two occasions. She was presented with a plethora of data[ii] proving the enormous impact we have made in alleviating poverty in countries where farmers are not getting adequate prices for their products and where they are isolated from international markets.  In 2010, we certified nearly 9,000 products from 878 producer organizations in 70 countries.[iii] We work with more than 900 U.S. companies to improve the sustainability of their sourcing practices and empower consumers with the assurance that products were grown and traded following strict social and environmental guidelines.

Since Fair Trade USA started in 1998, over 555 million pounds[iv] of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee has been imported in the United States.  As mentioned, this still represents a small percentage of the coffee industry.  We agree–there is plenty of room for growth.  This will happen with increased awareness, stronger commitments from the coffee industry and further innovation of the Fair Trade model.  We are inspired by the tremendous growth of certified imports.  Imports of Fair Trade coffee, specifically, have more than doubled in the last five years, from 44 million pounds in 2005 to almost 109 pounds in 2010. Fair Trade supporters have generated $45 million in community development premiums since 1998 in coffee alone, $56 million overall.[v]

Pricing Model

To understand the impact of Fair Trade, one must understand exactly how the pricing model works.  Fair Trade USA ensures that in return for their commitment to social and environmental sustainability through the Fair Trade standards, farmers receive a price that is always higher than the market price. Fair Trade standards guarantee a minimum price to producers, but unlike the article insinuates, this is a floor price, not a ceiling.  The direct relationships that Fair Trade fosters between farmers and buyers have allowed cooperatives to negotiate far higher prices, based on the quality of their beans.  In times of high market prices, like we are seeing today, the Fair Trade minimum is raised to meet the market price.[vi] In addition to the price paid for the coffee, buyers must pay an additional $.20 for community development and another $.30 for organic coffee.

The Fair Trade premium is unique because the cooperative is empowered to select and fund the projects that its members feel are most needed. These needs range from building schools and medical clinics, purchasing new equipment to improve quality, funding organic certification or providing members with technical assistance to improve yields or business acumen.  Greater business capacity and higher quality coffee support the empowerment and economic advancement of the entire community.

Additionally, in the Fair Trade system, premiums for community development are paid to cooperatives that pool the resources to fund more substantial projects designed to improve the quality of life for all of its members and their families, contributing to poverty alleviation for the entire community.  The premium has helped bring clean drinking water to farming communities in Africa, it has been invested in education programs for both children and adults, and it has funded cupping courses that have allowed farmers to better understand  and influence the quality of their coffee.

Quality

Throughout the article, several accusations are levied about the quality of Fair Trade coffee that are simply unsubstantiated.  In the subtitle, she says that strict certification requirements result in lower-quality coffee for consumers.  However, there is no direct relationship between Fair Trade standards and quality.  We do not audit for quality.  Nor do we force buyers to purchase low quality beans.  The coffee industry encompasses a variety of quality levels, flavor profiles and price points for Fair Trade coffee reflect this paradigm.

The real relationship between Fair Trade and quality is actually quite positive, and one that has evolved over the last 12 years.  As farmers start to receive better prices for their harvests, they are able to invest more money in improving the quality of their coffee.  Cooperatives are hiring and training cuppers and agronomists to help members produce better coffee.  As a result, nearly 250 producers attended the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s annual conference, where they showcased their quality beans directly to U.S. buyers. Fair Trade Certified coffees in Peru and Rwanda, among other regions have been recognized with enviable cupping scores from the industry’s purveyor of quality Ken Davids.

This investment in quality has allowed cooperatives to negotiate much higher prices for the members, allowing them to lift themselves out of poverty through trade, not aid.

After all, combating poverty requires a sustainable model that empowers farmers and workers to help themselves. Given its inclusive, participative approach and substantiated track record, Fair Trade is a viable vehicle for producers to strengthen their positions and take more control over their lives.  As the market and the needs of our consumers, investors and producers change over time, we find ourselves ready to meet the challenges and welcome the opportunity to improve the work that we do, so that we can continue to do deliver more Fair Trade opportunities to more people around the world.

[ii] www.fairtradeusa.org

[iii] 2010 Fair Trade USA Almanac

[iv] 2010 Fair Trade USA Almanac

[v] 2010 Fair Trade USA Almanac

[vi] www.fairtrade.net

It starts with a change
So outwardly insignificant
That no one would notice
Except the person
Behind you in the aisle.

Just a moment
When instead of seeing
Rows of labels
On a supermarket shelf
You imagine the people
Behind them,
Tilling the earth,
Sowing the seed,
Gathering the crops.

And you pause,
Wondering,
What their names are,
Where they live
What difference it will make

If your hand picks up
This box instead of that,

Wondering: how do I
Love these neighbours?
Can I help change
This child’s long journey for water,
Her mother’s lack of healthcare,
The prospect her father faces
Of another year unable
To feed his family well?

Just a moment.
And the person behind you,
Her impatient baby
Squirming in the trolley,
May never realise
That in that brief hesitation
A life hung in the balance.

Christian Concern for One World

NG: John, tell us what your role is and how it fits into a national law enforcement effort against human trafficking

JV: Since 2005 the San Jose Police Department has been funded through a grant from the United States Department of Justice to create and manage a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking task force. We were one of the original agencies to receive this grant. The program now includes about 40 such task forces across the country. I’ve managed the program since 2006.

The program is designed so local law enforcement agencies organize task force representatives from a variety of local and federal agencies. Our task force includes representatives from our department, the FBI, ICE, the United States Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Labor, our District Attorney’s office, and other local law enforcement agencies.

We work in collaboration with the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, a collection of victim-services providers. The Coalition is also funded by the Department of Justice, and we have formal agreements to work together to identify and rescue victims of trafficking. We also work on training local law enforcement officers in recognizing trafficking victims or situations, and we also put a lot of effort into raising the public’s awareness of trafficking.

I’ve been very fortunate. My role with the task force has given me the opportunity to engage a large number of governmental and non-governmental agencies across the country. We work closely with the Polaris Project, who maintains the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Reporting Hotline (888-3737-888).

All of the task forces are working toward a better understanding of how we can all share expertise and information to best assist victims and investigate cases.

NG: What is the most shocking thing you have become aware of in the course of your work?

JV: I often hear comments about how shocking, or terrible, trafficking is. While that is true, in 24-years of police work I’ve seen too many terrible things. Being a victim of violent crime is a terrible thing, whether the victim has suffered sexual assault, domestic violence or other trauma. I really try to avoid comparing tragedies.

That said, the scope of slavery, worldwide, is amazing, with estimates that as many as 27 million people are enslaved today. As I began my involvement in the anti-trafficking movement, another element that surprised me was the socio-economic scope over which trafficking occurs. Trafficking occurs everywhere. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you think you don’t have trafficking in your community, your not looking for trafficking.” In the trainings we give, we try to get people to understand that they have to closely examine the cultural and socio-economic make-up of their communities. Doing so may give them a better idea of how trafficking may be discovered. Trafficking looks different in different communities.

NG: You must see some egregious crimes against people in the course of your work. What gives you the most cause for hope in tackling trafficking?

JV: What gives me the most hope, and makes my current work so rewarding, is the level of commitment of so many people within the anti-trafficking community. It is important to understand that our nation’s response to trafficking is really just ten years old, starting when Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. And much of the support for victim-services and law enforcement task forces began around 2005.

So both from a governmental and non-governmental standpoint, most of us have been learning about trafficking as we’ve developed programs, investigated cases, and discovered how victims are exploited. Human Trafficking is the most complicated subject in law enforcement I’ve encountered, and outside of law enforcement it is just as complicated. Victims of trafficking have unique needs, and agencies that don’t have a history of working together need to learn how to do so, because no one single agency can assist a victim or investigate a case. We all have to work together to raise awareness and understanding of trafficking.

So many of the people within the anti-trafficking community are really dedicated and energetic, and just working to end slavery. This work brings together people and organizations with really divergent views on other subjects, but we are all abolitionists.

I can tell you that in all of my varied experiences in law enforcement, I’ve never partnered with social entrepreneurs like Trade As One, collaborated on a training project with Stanford Medical Center like we are now, worked with so many different federal agencies and victim services providers, or such a wide variety of faith-based organizations. Fighting slavery brings me and my partner, Officer Jenn Dotzler, into contact with all of these. The people we meet are truly inspiring to me. They give me faith in the future. And after 24 years of policing, I can use all of the positive energy I can find.

NG: What can we do to help your efforts and those of your colleagues in similar positions in police forces around the country?

JV: Talk about trafficking within your communities. Not just your neighborhood communities, but your work and faith communities, too. Raising awareness can help law enforcement agencies understand the importance of this issue, and make anti-trafficking work a higher priority. Task forces like ours’ offer training to law enforcement. Ask your local police or sheriff what they are doing to assist victims or investigate potential cases.

There are several great sources of information on trafficking, including the Polaris Project website. (www.polarisproject.org)

I also believe we all need to continue our personal study of trafficking; how and why it occurs, how is it linked to supply and demand both in labor and sex trafficking, and how we as individuals can be unwitting beneficiaries of slave labor, and how we impact slavery in the course of our lives. We all need to work together if we want to abolish slavery.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.”

This is a favorite phrase of ours at the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition as we continue to work towards the “answers” to fight the injustice of human trafficking with who we are, where we live and with the choices we make. The systems and solutions that got us to today, are not necessarily the forms, networks and ideas that are going to rid our neighborhoods of human trafficking—we believe the best ideas are yet to come. People from all walks of life are coming together, learning not only how to recognize signs of trafficking, but how to respond on behalf of the oppressed. For example, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, abolitionist groups, churches, community organizations, government and law enforcement agencies and everyday citizens are sharing information and resources, and joining forces for effective and sustained response to the call to end modern-day slavery.
The Bay Area Anti-trafficking Coalition is part of this modern-day abolitionist movement. In January, we hosted the 2nd annual Freedom Summit in Fremont, California, and Trade as One was there. It was not only the largest anti-trafficking event on record, but by focusing on education, collaboration and empowerment, it has become a catalyst for action and a model for other regions to replicate. Attendees were touched deeply as they learned about human trafficking in our region, and to the question ‘What can I tangibly DO to ACT on my convictions?’ Attendees were offered a 10-minute, 10-day, 10-month prototype for considering their steps towards engagement that anyone can follow.

In 10 minutes

• Put the National Anti-Trafficking Support Hotline on your cell phone, 1-888-3737-888
• Shop to stop slavery, check www.tradeasone.com and buy from vendors who use fair labor practices
• Learn about abolitionist organizations and events in your area, visit www.freedom-summit.org

In 10 days

• Host your own screening of ‘Call + Response’ with family or friends
• Take a training class with Not for Sale, sign up at www.notforsale.org

In 10 months

• Do a group study of one of the many powerful books on trafficking, such as Good News About Injustice from International Justice Mission.
• Ask your church to join the Bay Area Church Coalition, which now numbers more than 100, so that congregants can be informed and stand against human trafficking in their own communities.
• Write a letter, or a blog, or start a petition to adopt anti-trafficking laws at the local and state levels.
• Whether you tell a friend, volunteer an hour, report a suspicious incident, purchase slave-free products, write to your senator, or donate to a worthy abolitionist group, every act is significant and cumulative, bringing the light and hope of rescue and restoration to those who deserve to be free.

Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Founder Betty Ann Boeving and Media Coordinator Robin Shepherd can be contacted at: justicejourney@gmail.com

On day four of our week long blog posting on the issue of modern day slavery I want to focus on one of the people on the front lines of the battle to restore the lives of women rescued from the evils of human trafficking and enforced prostitution.

I first met Pierre Tami in London six years ago at a conference on how for-profit business was being used to address extreme poverty and cycles of abuse. Within only a few sentences of our conversation we were immediately talking about the need to understand consumer behavior, design and channels to market. I venture to suggest that there are not many conversations concerning the global poor and the trafficking of humans that ever get into those subjects, let alone so quickly. But Pierre understands the essential need for the creation of sustainable fair trade jobs in a globalized marketplace.

It is still a strange thing for us, but as people get to know my wife Cath and me, our journey and our story, they often remark about the risks we have taken and the cost we are paying to see Trade as One’s vision take root. But when I compare what we are doing with Pierre and Simonetta… Well, there really is no comparison. They are my heroes. It is people like this that keep us doing what we do. Here’s what they do.

You can find their products on our site if you search for StopStart.

One of my friends, Justin Dillon, singer, songwriter and the creator of the widely acclaimed and influential film Call and Response, is doing fantastic work in this area. Take a look at a great little video he has produced on this subject.

He is mobilizing people to get major brands to sit up and take notice of the fact that a lot of people care about how people are treated in the supply chain. Go and check out his website and get involved

I wanted you all to have a chance to hear from him on what he has learned on his road of getting involved and making a difference in the world. Here’s Justin:

5 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ACTIVISM

In the last 5 years I have had the opportunity to dip my feet into the rushing rivers of full time activism. When I started down the path to finding my own response to the horrors of human trafficking, I had no idea it would lead to directing a motion picture and creating a global campaign against force labor. I’ve learned that activism is not a profession, it’s a practice. For what it’s worth, I’ve compiled a few of the things I’ve learned.

1. Its Judo, not Karate
I used to think the way to fight injustice is with brute force. I’ve come to learn it’s more nuanced than that. One of the greatest maneuvers we can pull in fighting injustice is to use the opponent’s force against them. For those who profit from forced labor, the most strategic move I can make is to hurt their business. Sure I want to see them pay in other ways, but hurting what concerns them most is the greatest shot at creating systemic change. It’s not about what makes me feel good, it’s about acting with the end in mind. Advocating for tougher laws on pimps and johns (punter) may seem a step removed, but it’s a more effective move. Strategy above impulse.

2. I dost protest too much
Gary Haugen makes a quote in my film about how most of us are oblivious to human rights injustices, but when we learn about these injustices we tend to fall into a paralysis of despair. Neither of these two conditions are helpful. It’s easy to get upset and want to do something extreme about injustice, but extreme and dramatic opportunities to help are rare. We need to be honest with ourselves about how much we really care about injustice. Will we become part of the growing consumer mass demanding slave-free standards from the companies we buy from? Are we willing to adjust large areas of our lives to see change? Most are not. But it only takes a few who are to start a movement.

3. Slow and Steady wins the race
Reacting to something never gets a strategic result, but responding does. Our appetite for change is sometimes greater than our capacity to live in the trenches of the change-makers. We need to cultivate an activist metabolism, which allows our passion to burn over long distances, rather than short sprints. There has never been a human rights movement that was wrapped up in a week.

4. Obstacles vs. Opportunities
Seeing obstacles is easy. It merely takes a keen sense of the obvious. Of course there is disease, poverty, and injustice all around us. And yes, it’s very difficult to make a dent. Those who only see problems seldom solve them. It’s those that carefully look at a problem and find slivers of opportunity that gradually fix it. When I get overwhelmed its usually because my view is blocked by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Its at that point that I need to back up and look more carefully for the opportunity to change the problem, and run after that opportunity with all my might.

5. Privilege > Passion
I constantly need to remind myself that it’s a privilege to possess any level of passion to fight injustice on someone else’s behalf. It’s a luxury to be passionate. Most in the world are simply trying to survive. The only reason this is possible is because I happen to live in a place and time where I am not required to fight gross injustices against myself. I am free. I am blessed. And I am firm believer that blessings like freedom and comfort are to be leveraged for others. Otherwise they become tawdry possessions that we take for granted.

In Solidarity,
Justin Dillon

Her husband worked with law enforcement to expose the trafficking of young girls into brothels and spoke of the very palpable sense of evil and danger that he confronted daily. The whole experience for me was an epiphany, although I did not recognize it as such at the time. The good that this couple were attempting to do in an atmosphere of bondage and abuse was a challenge to my sense of significance in life. Not just whether my life had enough meaning when compared to what they were doing, but I had to ask myself if I had the courage to do something as brave as them and risk looking back on years of labor to ask how much I had really achieved? I did not know it at the time, but those two days I spent with them would alter the course of my future.

I find myself seven years later running a business that exists to create enough work for businesses like that one I visited. Here is how I see Trade as One‘s mission is an important part of a response to slavery:

1. After all the hard and dangerous work of releasing someone from the grips of slavery, if they do not have a dignified source of income that pays a living wage, they can be just as vulnerable as they ever were.

2. The reason why people are trafficked and enslaved in the first place is because they are poor. This poverty deprives them of financial stability and of the protection of the rule of law. It is a noble act to rescue people from drowning in a river. After seeing so many – 27 million slaves alive today – one has to ask the question of why they are falling into the river further upstream. Providing dignified work to the poor allows them to stay well away from its dangerous banks. It stops them from running out of options and migrating or being sold to the urban slums or brothels.

3. Fair Trade is using the market, not charity, to include the marginalized. As awareness and participation in it grows, it becomes an increasingly powerful message to larger corporations that there are a lot of people who are stating with their wallets that the way in which people are treated when they are making the products we buy is a very important issue. This could be the most influential role Fair Trade has in the long term. By proving that a large and viable market exists for ethically sourced products we will be able to change the way the rest of business is done.

4. We need practical, every day actions that we can engage in. Writing a check to a charity that works in this area is great and we need to do more of it. Phoning your senator, yes but once you have taken three minutes and done that, then what? Hosting a film that raises awareness, for sure. We need lots of ways to respond. Fair Trade is a way to decide, on a daily basis if you want, to take small actions that create paths out of slavery. Eating white rice from the Surin co-operative in Thailand in one of the poorest regions of that country keeps communities together and stops them from having to abandon their rural homes and migrate to the city. If everyone made small purchases the collective effect on the ability of organizations like the one I spent time with in Mumbai would be very large indeed.