Here’s your healthy dose of Fair Trade news. But first, a warm n cozy fair trade giveaway announcement!

FAIR TRADE HANDMADE ALPACA WINTER WEAR GIVEAWAY

Stop by any Global Exchange store now through December 24th, and we’ll give you one FREE gift when you buy any three gifts from our selection of alpaca knit gloves, hats, and scarves.

Here’s a sample shopping list:

Mom: Choose from a wide selection of beautiful hand-woven scarves. Whether she loves 100% alpaca, alpaca-acrylic blends, bright colors, soft colors, traditional or modern styles, we have the perfect scarf for her.

Dad: Keep that head warm this winter! Dad will love our alpaca hats – choose from classic beanies or colorful styles with earlaps and tassels!

Sister: Fingerless gloves are the perfect winter gift for sis. We have a beautiful and extensive selection this year; everything from colorful patterns to tasteful, simple gloves. Be sure to check out our slouchy arm warmers too.

Brother: FREE gloves or hat. Choose from a variety of Nepalese wool gloves or hats, FREE with the purchase of any winter knit items.

This offer is good at any Global Exchange store through December 24th or while supplies last.

Photo Credit: Hoop Fund

HOOP FUND COMBINES MICROLOANS & ETHICAL SHOPPING

Have you heard of Hoop Fund yet? Self-described as “a unique crowd-funding platform that enables you to enjoy ethically produced products and to invest in the farmers and artisans behind these goods.” Basically, when you purchase with the Hoop Fund, you’re buying a product, plus you’re also providing a loan to the person/people who make the product.

For those of you still in need of holiday gifts, check out their site!

For you fair trade businesses out there, I noticed on their site they welcome partnerships with brands that practice fair trade principles, so might be worth checking out for potential future collaboration. There are some recognizable fair trade names already involved, including Alter Eco and Indigenous Designs.

Sustainable Food Summit 2011

SUMMIT IN SAN FRANCISCO JAN 17-18 ADDRESSES FUTURE ROLE OF FAIR TRADE AND ECO-LABELS

What is the future role of Fair Trade and other eco-labels in a food industry that is increasingly looking at the ‘triple bottom line’? This summit aims to address this question.

From the Sustainable Foods Summit website: Learn, debate and discuss the major developments in eco-labels and sustainability at the Sustainable Foods Summit. The fifth edition of this international series of summits takes place in San Francisco on 17-18 January 2012. Like previous events organized by Organic Monitor, it  will bring together key stake-holders to debate and discuss key sustainability issues.

To get a taste of what to expect, here’s a video from the Summit last year:

FAIR TRADE IN THE NEWS…

San Francisco Chronicle: Victoria’s Secret cotton unravels kids’ lives

Cotton from her first went from her hands onto the trucks of a Burkina Faso program that deals in cotton certified as fair trade. The fiber from that harvest then went to factories in India and Sri Lanka, where it was fashioned into Victoria’s Secret… Read article, or listen to this story on NPR.

MarketWatch: Callebaut(R) Launches Fairtrade Certified Chocolate

Callebaut(R) Finest Belgian Chocolate(TM) announced the launch of Fairtrade certified versions of its popular 811NV (55.3% Cacao Dark), 823NV (35.1% Milk) and 70-30-38NV (70% Cacao Dark) references to confectioners, bakers and pastry chefs. Read article.

NOW Toronto: Fair trade war brewing NOW Toronto

Split in movement signals a new tolerance for corporate farming and retailing: Here’s a bit of bad news that emerges, ironically, from a generally good-news situation. The meteoric rise of ethical consuming over the past decade has given rise to forces causing the first serious split in fair trade ranks in over 25 years. Read article.

Journalist’s Resource: Does Fair Trade Deliver on Its Core Value Proposition? Effects on Income, Educational Attainment, and Health in Three Countries

A 2009 study by researchers at the University of Wyoming, the University of Nebraska and the International Cotton Advisory Committee published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, “Does Fair Trade Deliver on Its Core Value Proposition? Effects on Income, Educational Attainment, and Health in Three Countries,” examined how participation in an alternative trade organization (ATO) focused on fair trade affected the family income, education and health of producers. Read article.

Grist: Fair trade lite: Fair Trade USA Moves Away From Worker Co-ops 

Compared to so many other purchasing decisions — the “Certified Fair Trade” logo has made buying ethically produced coffee a relatively simple choice. Most of us either buy fair trade or we don’t. But that’s all about to change. Read article.

The Guatemalan Times: Mexican Small Farmer Fair Trade Producers Speak Out: we can only move forward with authentic fair trade

On December 7th, Francisco VanDerhoff Boersma, co-founder of the first fair trade certifying body, Max Havelaar, and the renowned small farmer co-operative in Mexico, UCIRI (Union of Indigenous Communities of the Region of Isthmus)  submitted the following extremely important proclamation from the Mexican Coordinator of Small Fair Trade Producers as a comment on our earlier blog post. Due to its importance, I’ve taken the liberty to have it translated from Spanish and am posting it here. Read translation.

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Check back here in January on our Fair Trade blog for the next Fair Trade News Round-Up…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me. Happy Holidays and New Year to you!

Buy 3 gifts from our selection of Andes Gifts alpaca knit gloves, hats, and scarves and get one free gift! Offer lasts in-stores only until December 24th!

Andes Gifts, a Fair Trade Federation member, represents over 20 knitting cooperatives and 40 family-based knitting groups in the highlands of Bolivia and Peru, where few employment opportunities are available. Each piece of the alpaca knits is unique, and uses local raw material and traditional techniques.

Almost every Andes Gifts’ knitting co-operative and family-based knitting group work in their own homes, which reinforces and respects the local traditions of the area. Instead of flocking to a crowded city for work, families can stay intact and work at their own pace, in spacious and safe environments.

Andes Gifts provides Aymara and Quechua women with free instruction in knitting, computer and bookkeeping skills, and product design. Andes Gifts also provides micro loans to both individuals and groups of artisans. Over the last seven years, Andes Gifts has given over 150 no-interest loans, with a 98% payback rate. While other credit is available in rural Bolivia and Peru – some of the poorest regions in the Western hemisphere – the high interest rates often keep borrowers in continual debt.

The Aymara and Quechua women would like to say “gracias por darnos trabajo y esperanza,” which translated means “thank you for giving us work and hope.”

For that special woman in your life…

Butterfly jewelry! Real butterfly wings are encased in sterling silver to make this eye-catching, unique jewelry. Made in Peru, the butterfly wings are collected from naturally deceased butterflies, which are raised in a species rehabilitation center.

Scarves! We have cotton scarves, organic cotton scarves, 100% silk scarves, cotton-silk blended scarves, alpaca wool scarves, scarves with hoods… the list goes on! Whether you’re shopping for someone 16 or 65, a scarf is a  gift that’s both practical and beautiful!

More Ideas:

Le Souk Dishware

Tablecloth/Napkin Sets

For that special man in your life…

Recycled Inner Tube Wallet! We all know someone with a wallet issue. Credit cards and cash constantly falling out, maybe a rubber band or two holding it all together. Making someone’s wallet woes a bit easier with a new (recycled) wallet! Made out of recycled truck inner tubes tires in El Salvador, this wallet is vegan and functional!

Hand Made Scissors! Hand made by a family India who has been making scissors for generations, these scissors are actually used by the Indian tailors who make some of Global Exchange’s Fair Trade tablecloths! The hand-forged carbonized steel blades and brass handles are durable, and each pair is even signed by its maker!

More Ideas:

Recycled Magazine Frames

For your teen daughter/son/niece/nephew…

Alpaca Winterwear! Fingerless gloves, beanies, scarves, berets! All 100% alpaca wool! And, when you buy 3 of any alpaca wool gift item, you’ll get one free gift!

Tagua Jewelry! Lightweight, affordable, colorful and eco-friendly, jewelry made out of Tagua Seeds are an excellent choice for any teenage girl.

For your co-worker…

Tea Infuser Mug with Rishi Tea! Made in Vietnam, these tea mugs have their own tea infuser for loose-leaf tea! You no longer need tea strainers or bags with this dishwasher and microwave-safe mug! Complete the gift with loose-leaf tea, also available at Global Exchange Stores.

Palestinian Olive Oil! Made from hand-picked, tree-ripened organic olives, this olive oil has a rich taste traditional to Palestinian olive oil, and comes in a variety of flavors. Choose between Rumi Tree or Nabali Tree Olive Oils if you’re looking for something more conventional, or try the garlic, pepper, or chili-infused olive oil!

For someone who has everything…

Recycled Bike Chain Coat Hooks! (Pictured at top) Hand crafted in Moradabad, India, these post-industrial bike chains have been recycled into creative coat hooks! Be sure to also check out the Recycled Bike Chain Picture Frames, available at San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store in Noe Valley (map).

Pumice Feet! Carved out of volcanic rock in Indonesia, these Pumice Feet are a perfect gift for everyone who loves pampering themselves! Lightweight and affordable, mix and match Pumice Feet with soaps, vetiver sachets or fleece-lined booties for a thoughtfully put-together gift!

Need more ideas?

Come into your local Global Exchange Fair Trade Store and we will help you find the perfect Fair Trade gift for everyone on your holiday gift list!

The value of shopping Fair Trade extends beyond supporting artisans – every recipient of a Fair Trade gift must ask the question, what is Fair Trade?  By educating others about Fair Trade, you are extending a message of conscientious consumption. Giving a gift that is hand-made, sustainably-produced, and socially-empowering  (instead of mass-produced, environmentally-degrading, and socially-destructive) will allow others to learn why Fair Trade is important.

Stop in your local Global Exchange Fair Trade Store and check out the Online Store for hundreds of beautifully crafted gifts for everyone on your holiday list!

A few ideas…

Fair Trade Ornaments!

These recycled magazine ornaments are a perfect touch of color to any Christmas Tree! Fashioned out of long strips of recycled magazines, the ornaments are soaked in glue, dried, and then assembled piece by piece into the desired shape. Made in Vietnam, these recycled magazine ornaments are part of a social program in Ho Chi Minh City, aimed at helping street children, generating income for the poor, and promoting self-reliance for disadvantaged families and people of ethnic minorities.

Fair Trade Hats, Scarves, and Gloves!

Warm winter wear is surely the classic holiday gift. Perfect for everyone on your holiday list, you can’t go wrong with Alpaca wool, knit into beanies, fingerless gloves, earwarmers, berets, scarves, mittens, … the list goes on! Andes Gifts, a Fair Trade Federation Member, represents over 20 knitting cooperatives and 40 family-based knitting groups in the highlands of Bolivia and Peru. With limited employment opportunities in the area, Andes Gifts provides Aymara and Quechua women with free knitting instruction, computer and bookkeeping skills, and product design and development within their own communities!

Tagua Seed Jewelry!

Tagua seeds come from the Tagua Palm Tree, which grows in the rain forests between Colombia and Ecuador. Also known as eco “ivory” because of it’s strength, beauty, and adaptable qualities, the tagua seed is a renewable resource that is harvested sustainably. The seeds are dyed with natural dyes and crafted into necklaces, braces, and rings, or sliced into thin, flat pieces for earrings. The Vermont-based mother-daughter company Belart produces incredible Fair Trade tagua seed jewelry from Colombia while aiding many grassroots efforts in the region; for example, Belart supports the preservation of elephants, tropical rain forests, and indigenous cultures, as well as supporting groups who have been displaced by Colombia’s civil war.

As consumers, we must consider the impact of our purchases, which is especially relevant during the holidays. This holiday season, make the choice to consume ethically and give Fair Trade gifts.

Be sure to check out the Fair Trade Federation’s holiday gift guide, with a different Fair Trade gift idea every day!

You can check out our entire line of Fair Trade Animal Pals at http://www.globalexchangestore.org/Soft-and-Cozy-Animal-Pals-p/peap1.htm.