Fair Trade Beginners and More

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:12:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

Haiti Relief Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:46:00 +0000

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

I am also a long-time fan of Oxfam.

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

Trading in my dryer sheets in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:29:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

Join the Party: Fair Trade White House Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:49:00 +0000

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

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

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

The Focus of Holiday Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:26:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fair Trade month keeps going in Maryland and Pennsylvania

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:15:00 +0000

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

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

Take Steps to be Mrs. Obama's Role Model

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

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

Please sign the on-line invitation!

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

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

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

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

What Makes a Business Fair Trade?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:44:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

Debating Fair Trade with Good Food and Generous Spirits

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:57:00 +0000

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

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

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

31 Days and Quite a Few Fair Trade Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:42:00 +0000

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

But here are some things I have in store:

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

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

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

Celebrating SERRV and Signing up for the Next 60 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:53:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out new Fair Trade blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:43:00 +0000

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

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

Prepping for Fair Trade month

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:26:00 +0000

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

Some things I am involved in:

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

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

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

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

It's not QUICK being green: Furniture Update

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:15:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

It isn't always easy being green, or fair

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:23:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

Back in the Fair Trade Blogosphere

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:59:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy summer!

Fair Trade Bug Repellent? Says Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:11:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fair Trade Trips, Finns, and Futures

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:54:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:35:00 +0000

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

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

View Larger Map

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

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

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

Flying Business Class: My New Travel Habit?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:54:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Meaning of Economy Recovery: Taking a Few Initial Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:12:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

55,000 Strong for Fair Trade on May 9th

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:28:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hands That Feed: Fair Trade with Cedarville University

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:58:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:07:00 +0000

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

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

Traveling Chuckles from Louis CK

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:42:00 +0000

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

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

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