Happy Thanksgiving week everybody! In this Fair Trade Roundup, we’ve got a slightly new format aimed to provide you with more Fair Trade news and info. Each Fair Trade Roundup is now arranged into three sections:

1. Featured Update
2. Global Exchange Fair Trade Updates
3. Fair Trade News to Peruse
   

We’d love to hear what you think in the Comment section!

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FEATURED UPDATE: Two Ways to Shop Ethically this Holiday Season

There are many ways to shop ethically this holiday season; here are two:

1. Shop from the Fair Trade Federation’s 2012 Fair Trade Holiday Gift Guide.

From the Fair Trade Federation:

FTF is thrilled to bring you a collection of gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list! All of the gifts in this guide are sold by members of the Fair Trade Federation– businesses and organizations that are fully committed to fair trade and follow the Fair Trade Principles in every one of their business decisions. Shop with confidence, knowing that your purchases make a positive impact on farmers and artisans around the world. Click here to browse the gift guide.

2. Take part in #FairTuesday.

From #FairTuesday founders Global Goods, a New York-based nonprofit, fair trade organization:

Fair Tuesday (hashtag #FairTuesday) is a fair trade initiative created in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goal of #FairTuesday is to inspire conscious consumerism and show how an everyday purchase can change lives in a whole community. We are featuring fair trade and eco-friendly brands and inviting other businesses to take a step towards sustainability.

You can read more about how to participate in this blog post.

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GLOBAL EXCHANGE FAIR TRADE UPDATES: Give the Gift of Membership AND You’re Invited to Attend Our Fair Trade Store Holiday Parties!

One of Global Exchange’s Gift Membership Packages

Give the Gift of Membership

There are six gifts to choose from, including “Support a Farmer” and “Stand for Human Rights.” You pick the gift and we’ll take care of the rest. We’ll send out the membership card and gift package, plus keep your recipient in the loop about Global Exchange programs and events with our newsletter and e-mail action alerts.

All Global Exchange Gift Membership Packages include:

• One-Year Membership to Global Exchange;
• Special Gift Certificate;
• Fair Trade Gift(s) that represent Global Exchange’s work towards a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Grab yours today, while supplies last.

FREE mugs some will receive at our holiday parties

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Holiday Parties

Every year our Fair Trade store extended community gets together to celebrate the holidays. We shop, sip, nibble and socialize with each other while celebrating the holiday season. This year all four Fair Trade stores will be celebrating on the same night, so if you live near one of our stores we hope you’ll be able to join us!   

Early attendees will receive a FREE Fair Trade mug hand-painted in Tunisia FULL of steaming Fair Trade hot chocolate! *First 25 people to spend $25 or more

One-Night! 20% OFF Storewide for Global Exchange Members Only (Become a Member Today).

Come enjoy some holiday cheer and find gifts for your loved ones, while creating a more sustainable and just world. You can RSVP on Facebook.

*Please bring your Global Exchange membership card for your discount.

“Shop for a Cause” Nights Support Bay Area Organizations

This year Global Exchange is partnering with FOUR inspiring organizations to host “Shop for a Cause” nights at our Fair Trade stores in the Bay Area. Our goal is simple and speaks to our vision for a better global economic system: give back to our communities while giving back to artisans around the world through Fair Trade.

During these special event evenings, you can shop for your friends and family and 20% of your purchase will go to the featured local Bay Area organization to help support their social justice work.

Find out which organizations we’re partnering with in this post.

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FAIR TRADE NEWS TO PERUSE

• FairtradeInternational: Annual Report Reveals the Strength Behind the Sales
• Herald Online: Hershey Shareholders Allege Company Uses Cocoa Produced Through Unlawful Child Labor in Africa
• Fresh Fruit Portal: Fair trade transition picks up speed in the U.S.
  Raise the Bar Hershey! Breaking News: Hershey commits to certified cocoa
  
• New York Times: A Matchmaker Helps Artisans Find Luxury Jobs
• Crowdsourcing.org: Dr. Bronner’s Launches Crowdfunding Campaign and New Educational Video on Fair Trade Palm Oil
• CSR Europe: Nestlé UK & Ireland double commitment to FAIRTRADE as KitKat 2-fingers is certified
• Fair Trade Resource Network: Canadian Fair Trade Network Opens Membership & Conference Registration
  
• Chicago Fair Trade: African Fair Trade Convention to be Held in Ethiopia
• CRS Fair Trade: Time to Celebrate: Fair Trade Campaigning Together
• ABC News: Deepen the Holidays Through Fair Trade Gifting
• CBSNews: Palestinian farmers turn to organic farming
  
• GOOD: Want to Learn More About Fair Trade? Here’s a Primer
  
• Justmeans: Socially Responsible Food Is On the Rise in the U.S., New Report Says
  
• Fair Trade Colleges & Universities: Fair Trade Campaigns Conference
  
• The Packer: Organics marketing meshes well with Fair Trade-certified programs

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THE FAIR TRADE ROUNDUP AND YOU!
•    Subscribe to our Fair Trade blog to receive new Fair Trade blog posts automatically.
•    News to share? If you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me.
•    Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Like and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

We hope that you had as much fun as we did eating Fair Trade bananas, hosting movie screenings, baking delicious Fair Trade goodies, recycling Halloween costumes, and giving out Fair Trade chocolates.

We especially liked Equal Exchange’s video about the Potong Cooperative Tea Garden in India. With your help, Equal Exchange was able to donate 10,000 tea bushes to farmers in India.

If you haven’t taken advantage of our Fair Trade Month promotion, sign up now! Join Global Exchange for $35/year and we’ll send you a gorgeous customized Global Exchange tote bag from Handmade Expressions women’s cooperative in India, a No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy, Globalization or International Development and a bag of Equal Exchange chocolates!

Also, celebrate Dia de los Muertos and honor loved ones. Get tips on how to Build Your Own Fair Trade Dia de los Muertos Altar.

Happy Fair Trade Halloween!

P.S. Check out our Halloween staff picture on Facebook. It’s a hoot!

Happy Fair Trade Month!  For 31 days we’re setting out fun ideas and activities  (and a contest!) to have you eating Fair Trade bananas, hosting movie screenings, baking delicious Fair Trade goodies, recycling Halloween costumes, and giving out Fair Trade chocolates to trick-or-treaters. For more, visit Fair Trade Your Halloween.

Breaking news! 

Hershey’s has announced its commitment to source 100% certified cocoa by 2020.

This is a huge step for Hershey’s to improve its supply chain accountability and shows that it is responsive to consumer pressure and you helped us get here!

While we welcome today’s announcement, we continue to urge the chocolate giant to go 100 percent Fair Trade with incremental benchmarks.

As suggested in a joint statement from the Raise the Bar, Hershey! coalition, to truly address child labor, Hershey’s needs to make sure it is certifying all of its cocoa Fair Trade — the only certification that adequately addresses the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

Join us in thanking Hershey’s for taking this monumental step forward and urge the company to choose a 100% Fair Trade certification for its chocolate and truly raise the bar.

For more information about Hershey’s path toward certified cocoa, please see our blog post from earlier year when Hershey’s made its first announcement about going with Rainforest Alliance and its Bliss Bars.

Our 31 Days of Fair Trade has begun!

Have you heard? Global Exchange along with our friends at Equal Exchange and Green Halloween have set up 31 days of fun ideas and activities (and a contest!) that will have you eating Fair Trade bananas, hosting movie screenings, baking delicious Fair Trade goodies, recycling Halloween costumes, and giving out Fair Trade chocolates to trick-or-treaters.

So far so good!

So far this month, we’ve had folks getting in the Fair Trade habit and watching a movie about Potong Cooperative Tea Garden in India. (With every viewing, Equal Exchange is donating a tea bush to farmers in India.)

And we’re just getting started…the month has barely begun, so there’s lots of actions still ahead to look forward to. Let’s take action together.

Here’s how to TAKE ACTION:

• Check out the calendar of 31 Days of Fair Trade Action activities so you can take action daily to support Fair Trade
• Visit FairTradeHalloween.org for the whole list of actions
• Follow us on twitter @GXFairTrade or on Facebook where we will deliver your daily action each morning at #fairtrade31.

Looking forward to taking action with you.

For 31 days we’ll set out fun ideas and activities (and a contest!) that will have you eating Fair Trade bananas, hosting movie screenings, baking delicious Fair Trade goodies, recycling Halloween costumes, and giving out Fair Trade chocolates to trick-or-treaters.

So Oct. 1st, check out our website for the whole list of actions, or follow us @GXFairTrade or on Facebook where we will deliver your daily action each morning at #fairtrade31.

We’re thrilled to announce that Equal Exchange is selling organic milk chocolate minis and organic dark chocolate minis in bulk, so this Halloween you can support cocoa farmers (including children!)  by passing out delicious, socially responsible chocolate to trick-or-treaters. Equal Exchange will be taking orders starting October 1st.

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Also, consider joining me at the second National Fair Trade Campaigns Conference Oct 26-28! Fair Trade enthusiasts from all over the country will come together to share experiences and resources, sharpen leadership skills, and build momentum for Fair Trade. Register for the event.

Looking forward to working with you to Fair Trade your Halloween!

The National S’mores Day of Action on Labor Day wrapped up a summer of s’mores-making and petition-signing for Fair Trade activists across the country who urged Hershey to end child labor and poverty in the cocoa fields. Our goal was 1000 s’mores by Labor Day and we got close!

887 activists across the country made fair trade s’mores and signed petitions.

Photos of fair trade s’mores eaters were posted on Hershey’s Facebook page. Our final s’mores count, a few choice photos of Fair Trade s’mores eaters, and all the petitions will be sent to Hershey with a letter asking them to catch up with their competitors and start the process of going Fair Trade.

Events took place across the country: 82 s’mores eaters signed petitions and posed for photos at the Higher Vision music and “Community Activation and Awareness Gathering” in Sonoma County, California on June 9.

More folks joined in the campaign at three San Francisco Mime Troupe summer shows in the San Francisco Bay Area, making s’mores and signing our petition.

Fair Traders at Penn State, the Brandywine TrailBlazers, sent us a batch of petition signatures gathered at their Fair Trade s’mores event on the Penn State campus on August 16th. Global Exchange’s Fair Trade partners Green America and the International Labor Rights Forum also spread the word among their activists.

Thanks to everyone who made s’mores, got photographed, signed petitions, and told friends and family about this action. We know you enjoyed taking part; the Equal Exchange chocolate we provided for the west coast s’mores was delicious! And so were the vegan marshmallows and organic graham crackers! (Hershey’s s’mores wouldn’t hold a candle!)

We will keep up the pressure on Hershey: stay tuned for our next action, Fair Trade Your Halloween– 31 days of Fair Trade Actions!

Subscribe to our Fair Trade blog to receive updates about this and other Fair Trade news.

Happy (still) summer everybody! This month in the Fair Trade Roundup, there’s lots to share. So sit back, grab a cup of Fair Trade tea (or coffee, or vodka:) and catch up on what’s going on in the world of Fair Trade.

NATIONAL S’MORES LABOR DAY ACTION MONDAY

September 3, Labor Day, is the National S’mores Day of Action. So this Monday, join us in blitzing Hershey’s Facebook page with photos of Fair Trade s’mores eaters holding messages urging Hershey to end child labor and poverty in the cocoa fields.

Click here for directions on how to post photos to Hershey’s Facebook page.

Leading up to this day of action, we’ve almost reached our goal of registering 1000 fair trade s’mores by Labor Day. (We’re at 823 and counting!) We need your help to reach our goal by Labor Day. It’s not too late to register your s’mores!

While our goal is to reach 1,000 registered Fair Trade s’mores BY Labor Day, our goal ON Labor Day is to see a Hershey Facebook page covered in Fair Trade S’mores photos. Won’t you join us?

Here’s how to take part in National S’mores Day of Action:

1) Share Photo on Hershey’s Facebook: Photograph your Fair Trade s’mores festivities anytime now, then post photos of your action to Hershey’s Facebook page on Sept. 3rd. Directions on how to do this are here.

2) How to Register Your S’mores: Simply go to this page and enter your s’mores count.

Chain stitch pillows from India, on sale now!

GLOBAL EXCHANGE STORES ROCK BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR

All Global Exchange stores are having a sale right now. Through Aug. 31 shoppers can save 50% OFF selected items. But it gets better. Saturday, Sept. 1st through Monday (Labor Day) Sept. 3rd the savings jump to 75% OFF!

What’s on sale? Oh, a variety of items, including housewares, bedding, decorative art pieces, handbags, jewelry and lots more. Our SF store posted some photos of a few of the sale items if you care to peek.

Why the big sale? To make room for all the new items coming in. So stop by any GX Fair Trade Store location now through Labor Day to save big. I’ll be there, grabbing some early holiday gifts while they’re on sale, cuz, you know, every bit helps when it comes to saving!

FAIR TRADE YOUR HALLOWEEN

Halloween, you say? But it’s barely September! Yes, it’s true, summer isn’t over, but autumn is coming up quickly, the kids are back in school, and Halloween will be here before you know it. This year Global Exchange is working with partner organizations to present to you, Fair Trade Your Halloween– 31 days of Fair Trade Actions!

That’s all I’m going to share at this point, but stay tuned for details about how together we can make October an extraordinary time to spread the word about Fair Trade.

Details about this exciting month of activities will be coming soon; Subscribe to our Fair Trade blog to receive updates about this and other Fair Trade news.

Graphic credit: Fair for Life

FAIR FOR LIFE RECOGNIZED BY FAIR TRADE TOWNS

In an email sent out earlier this month, Fair Trade Towns’ USA National Coordinator Billy Linstead Goldsmith announced:

On behalf of the Fair Trade Towns USA National Steering Committee I am happy to share the news with you that the Fair for Life label, certified by IMO (the Institute for Marketecology), will now officially be included in Fair Trade Towns USA’s criteria.

 After much research and careful consideration, the National Steering Committee has concluded that the Fair for Life program meets many rigorous standards that are crucial to Fair Trade. From delivering impact to producers and farmers to evaluating the business practices of the companies using its label, Fair for Life indicates that strict criteria have been met to empower producers and protect the environment.

GREEN & BLACK’S FIRST GLOBAL BRAND TO ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIRTRADE INTERNATIONAL IN THE USA

Green & Black’s, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of organic Fairtrade chocolate, just announced plans to partner with Fairtrade International in the USA.

From Fairtrade International press release:

Green & Black’s is the first major global brand to announce it will carry Fairtrade International’s FAIRTRADE Certification Mark in the USA. The move further emphasizes Green & Black’s commitment to Fairtrade which benefits farming communities in developing countries, including cocoa farmers in the Dominican Republic and Belize and sugar farmers in Paraguay.

Photo Credit: Fair Trade Federation

TWO UPCOMING FAIR TRADE CONFERENCES 

1) Fair Trade Federation Annual Conference 2013

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) has announced the dates for the 2013 FTF Annual Conference.  FTF reports:

The FTF is headed south. Join us for three days of fair trade fun in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. Want a sense of what you can look forward to?  Notes from our 2012 conference are available online.

2) Fair Trade Towns Conference

Registration is now open for the Fair Trade Campaigns Conference 2012 taking place October 26 – 28, 2012 in Chicago, IL.

Fair Trade Towns USA describes the conference:

The conference will bring together leaders and organizers from Fair Trade Towns and Fair Trade Colleges & Universities campaigns at all stages, as well as newcomers to the Fair Trade movement. The goal of this conference is to deepen the local grassroots commitment to Fair Trade around the US and build partnerships locally that help facilitate life-changing benefits for farmers, workers and artisans in Africa, Asia, and Latin America & the Caribbean.

Register here for the Fair Trade Campaigns Conference or click here for more info.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

• The Nation: The Brawl Over Fair Trade Coffee
• Fast Company: Fair Trade USA’s CEO On Being A Better Social Entrepreneur
• The Independent: Harriet Lamb: Fairtrade moves to next level: Head of the Fairtrade Foundation is signing up big business to her ethical fight
• Brandon Sun: Olympics go green and fair trade
• Co.exist: A GPS Social Enterprise Finder To Find The Best Businesses Near You
• Fast Company: Find The Child Slaves Hiding In The Grocery Store
• Fair Trade at Penn State Brandywine: Seeking Ethical Chocolate – A Fair Trade S’more Event!

THE FAIR TRADE ROUNDUP AND YOU!
•    Subscribe to our Fair Trade blog to receive new Fair Trade blog posts automatically.
•    News to share? If you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me.
•    Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Like and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

On Labor Day, join activists from around the country in a fun Facebook action to demand that Hershey‘s and the rest of the cocoa industry END the grinding poverty and abusive child labor in the cocoa fields…by making a statement with s’mores!

We are close to our goal of making at least 1000 Fair Trade S’mores by Labor Day on Sept 3. Will you help us?

Here’s how:
1. Dig into some s’mores: Now through Labor Day weekend, include Fair Trade s’mores in your barbeques and campfires, or plan a We Want More from Our S’mores picnic in the park (or in the kitchen) or other event with friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors. Check out these videos to see how much fun you’ll have.
2. Let the s’mores be counted! Count the s’mores you eat and register them online.
3. Collect petition signatures: During your s’mores gathering, collect signatures on petitions asking Hershey to step up and become Fair Trade Certified.

Then On Sept. 3rd, participate in the National S’mores Day of Action!

Here’s a screenshot of the s’mores pic that Tex shared on Hershey’s Facebook page.

On Sept 3, we’ll have a Day of Action where we’ll blitz Hershey’s Facebook page with our important message that we want fairness now!

To get involved, photograph your Fair Trade s’mores festivities anytime now, then post photos of the action to Hershey’s Facebook page on Sept. 3rd.

If you don’t have a camera, (or you’re on a diet:) no worries. We’ve been collecting photos all summer long, so feel free to use one from our Facebook page. You can find them here and here.

Can’t wait until Labor Day? Once you’ve registered your s’mores, feel free to post your photo to Hershey’s Facebook page anytime, though on Sept. 3rd is the ideal time if you want to join others for the Day of Action.

Here’s how to post your own photo to Hershey’s Facebook page:

Via mobile: Take a photo with any mobile device that allows you to Share on Facebook, go to Hershey’s Facebook page and post your photo and comment to the Hershey’s Facebook Wall.

Via personal computer:

1. Log in to your Facebook account;
2. Go to Hershey’s Facebook page and click “LIKE”;
3. On the left-hand side click “photo/video” then “Upl0ad Photo/Video” then “Browse”;
4. Find the photo on your computer that you want to Share and double click it;
5. Write a comment, e.g. “Hershey stop using child slave labor/go fair trade” — you can get ideas from this page: http://www.raisethebarhershey.org/why-hershey/;
6. Hit “post” and watch your photo and comment appear on the Hershey Facebook page! And don’t worry, you can “unlike” the Hershey Facebook page after your post has been up for a while.

Here’s how to post a Global Exchange photo to Hershey’s Facebook page:

1. Go to one of our Facebook s’mores photo folders (here and here) to find a photo you like, then click on it to open it up;
2. Save to your desktop (mac users click, hold and drag the photo onto your desktop, pc can right click and click ‘save’);
3. Log in to your Facebook account;
4. Go to Hershey’s Facebook page and click “LIKE”;
5. On the left-hand side click “photo/video” then “Upl0ad Photo/Video” then “Browse”;
   
6. Find your saved photo on your desktop and double click it;
7. Write a comment, e.g. “Hershey stop using child slave labor/go fair trade” — you can get ideas from this page: http://www.raisethebarhershey.org/why-hershey/;
8. Hit “post” and watch your photo and comment appear on the Hershey Facebook page! And don’t worry, you can “unlike” the Hershey Facebook page after your post has been up for a while.

Together we can make a difference! Here’s to 1,000 registered s’mores and a Hershey’s Facebook page filled with all of our Fair Trade s’mores photos on September 3rd!

GLOBAL EXCHANGE IS HIRING A NEW DC FAIR TRADE STORE MANAGER. IS IT YOU?

Join the Global Exchange family! Our Fair Trade Store in the Washington DC area is in need of a new rock star Store Manager.

We’re looking for someone organized with retail management experience, excellent customer service skills, and knowledge of Fair Trade and a demonstrated interest in international and human rights and social justice work.

Are you or someone you know that person? Apply today, the deadline to apply is July 23, 2012 and you know what the earlybird gets! Job details, qualifications and application here.

If you’d like to spread the word about this job to folks you think might qualify:

• Tweet this
• Use the Share and Retweet buttons on top right to share this blog post
• Share this message on your Facebook and/or LinkedIn Wall:

Attn D.C. Job Seekers (and friends of D.C. job seekers!) The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in D.C. is hiring a new Fair Trade Store Manager. Spread the word! http://www.globalexchange.org/jobs#DC

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Thanks for helping to spread the word!!

FAIR TRADE PHOTO CONTEST: SUBMISSIONS ARE IN, TIME TO CAST YOUR VOTE

Have you seen the scores of beautiful photos now competing in the 4th annual Fair Trade Photo Contest yet? Only 12 will be chosen by you, the voters, to be featured in the 2013 Fair Trade Calendar. The top vote-getter lands the cover.

Each person can vote for up to 5 photos through July 16.

I voted and it was super easy. Well, the online voting system was. Choosing just 5 wasn’t!

Vote ballot here.

Last year over 2500 people voted for the 78 photos submitted in the contest, co-produced by Fair Trade Resource Network and Fair Trade Federation. This year there are over 80 photo submissions.

So check them out, vote for your favorite five through July 16^th, then look forward to the 4^th annual Fair Trade Calendar. Calendar shipping begins August 1th.

Oh, and by the way, if you want to purchase the 2013 Fair Trade Calendars and get the earlybird discount of 10-15%, order now through August 12.

S’MORES EATERS CALL ON HERSHEY TO GO FAIR TRADE

Global Exchange is joining activists nationwide in calling on Hershey and the rest of the cocoa industry to END grinding poverty and abusive child labor in the cocoa fields…by making a statement with our s’mores!

You can help share this important Fair Trade message with Hershey and contribute to Global Exchange’s goal of making at least 1,000 Fair Trade S’mores between the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend.

Check out this post to find out how YOU can get involved. And to see pictures of Fair Trade s’morctivists, visit our Facebook page.

FAIR TRADE IN THE NEWS …

• wibw.com: Obama Pushing For Fair Trade 
• Fair Trade Towns USA: Save the Date, National Conference
• Fairtrade International: New Fairtrade Chief Executive Announced
• Femalefirst.co.uk: Olympic hopeful supports Fairtrade food at London 2012 Games
• Fair World Project: Open Letter to Fair Trade USA CEO Paul Rice
• The Washington Post: Groups advocate fair trade in dairy industry, ask consumers to pay more for milk to save farms
• Co-Operative News: Trade Standard Draft of FTUSA Open for Public Comment Through August 3

THE FAIR TRADE ROUNDUP AND YOU!
•    Subscribe to our Fair Trade blog to receive new Fair Trade blog posts automatically.
•    News to share? If you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me.
•    Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Share and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

Together our delicious s’mores will help raise awareness and hold Hershey accountable for failing to eliminate child and forced labor from its supply chain and encourage the company to achieve Fair Trade certification.

As part of this unique nationwide action, we’ve decided our goal is to register 1,000+ Fair Trade s’mores this summer. You can help, see below for details.

Fair Trade S’mores at SF Mime Troupe

Last week on the 4^th of July Global Exchange held a s’mores event at the opening show of the famous San Francisco Mime Troupe, a theatre of political satire which performs free shows in parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The Mime Troupe estimates 3000-4000 people attended the 4^th of July show this year.

Over at the Global Exchange table, staff and volunteers were visited by about 50 adults and kids who stopped by to roast vegan marshmallows and make s’mores using Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate and organic graham crackers, and have their photos taken with signs urging Hershey to go Fair Trade and end forced child labor.

Global Exchange staff and interns working the SF Mime Troupe table

Definitely a tasty tactic to bring this very important message to Hershey’s headquarters! The pictures say it all; check them out on our Facebook page.

“Mime Troupe audiences are a great group to inform about Hershey’s use of child labor,” said Jenny White, Global Exchange volunteer. “We couldn’t handle people fast enough in the hour and a half before the show started.  A number of people signed our petition too.”

Jenny White, Global Exchange volunteer, at the SF Mime Troupe 4th of July S’mores Action

Those are the best s’mores I ever ate,” said 7 year Guillermo Krebs-Alonzo of San Francisco. “That’s because the chocolate wasn’t made by children who should be in school, not working,” added his grandmother, Gloria Alonzo.

The best part, aside from enjoying tasty Fair Trade s’mores is that photos from the action will be posted on Hershey’s Facebook page, (which is currently promoting s’mores made with Hershey’s chocolate), flooding the fan page with messages demanding that Hershey once and for all go Fair Trade in its cocoa harvesting and production.

Want to make your voice heard and your sweet tooth sing?  You still have time to catch us at 2 more Mime Troupe Performances, this Sunday, July 15th at Cedar Wood Park in Berkeley; and Sunday, August 5th, at Live Oak Park in Berkeley.

GET YOUR S’MORES ON!

You can help share this important Fair Trade message with Hershey and contribute to Global Exchange’s goal of making at least 1,000 Fair Trade S’mores between the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend.

How to participate:

1. Include Fair Trade s’mores in your barbeques and campfires this summer. Or plan a We Want More from Our S’mores picnic in the park (or in the kitchen) or other event with friends, family, coworkers, or the neighborhood.
2. Let the s’mores be counted! Count the s’mores you eat and register them online.
3. Collect petition signatures asking Hershey to step up and become Fair Trade Certified during your s’mores gatherings.
4. Share a photo on Hershey’s Facebook page. Whether you take and upload your own or share one of Global Exchange’s photos, don’t forget to share it, along with your message, on Hershey’s Facebook page. A picture is worth a thousand words.