Fair Trade
In today’s world economy, where profits rule and small-scale producers are left out of the bargaining process, farmers, craft producers, and other workers are often left without resources or hope for their future. In some areas, people—including young children—are trafficked into slavery to produce products you buy!
Fair Trade helps stop this cycle of exploitation and encompasses a range of goods from the global south, from agricultural products such as coffee, chocolate, tea, and bananas to handcrafts such as clothing, household items, and decorative arts.
Update: In 2011, TransfairUSA changed its name to Fair Trade USA, withdrew from the World Fair Trade Organization, and adopted new, weaker standards that do not meet international standards. See ‘Big Changes in Fair Trade‘ and Support Authentic Fair Trade for more information. Also in 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that there has little progress in reducing forced labor—including children.
Links for more information on Fair Trade.
Big Changes in Fair Trade! [UPDATED]
As of December 31, 2011, Fair Trade USA (formerly TransfairUSA) has dropped out of the World FairTrade Organization and lowered their standards to the point where it will hurt small growers—as well as many small, independent shops here in the … more
Fair Trade links & resources
Reliable sources for information on authentic Fair Trade Reports & News Stories: Why Your Morning Coffee Could Be the Product of Child Labor (Faster Times, November 2011) Combating Slavery in Coffee and Chocolate Production, by Jeff Nall (Toward Freedom, January … more
Chocolate: The Bitter Truth
Fair Trade isn’t just about coffee. Many commodities are subject to abuse by large trading corporations and large growers. Coffee is perhaps the largest volume, but tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas, and many others are also important. Chocolate is subject not … more
Support Authentic Fair Trade
Join with Us to Support Authentic Fair Trade by Phyllis Robinson – Small Farmers, Big Change, January 7, 2012 Deep controversies in the Fair Trade movement have been simmering over the past decade. Today, the situation has reached a boiling … more
Occupy Wall Street’s Moral Ground
By Kathleen Moore in Yes! Magazine, November 1, 2011] Much of the Occupy movement’s power comes from a simple moral message: It’s wrong to wreck the world. It’s wrong to wreck the health and hopes of others. The Occupy Wall … more
Youth Food Bill of Rights
Declaration of Youth Food Bill of Rights July 30, 2011 We demand respect for mother earth, for the Food Justice and Food Sovereignty culture, and for the indigenous cultures that are working to establish their own autonomous food systems. All … more
Do campus food services contribute to sustainability and health?
Campus dining services, like other institutional food-service operations, prepare large volumes of food every day, most of it the product of the industrialized agriculture system, not grown sustainably. It is often served in ways that produce large volumes of waste, … more
Religious Groups Support Fair Trade
Most religions and charitable relief organizations support Fair Trade—here’s a list of organizations where we found published statements on Fair Trade: American Jewish World Services Catholic Relief Services Church of the Brethren Episcopal Relief and Development Fair Trade Judaica Islamic … more
Earth Charter
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for … more