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.

Fair Trade Successes in Rural India: From Cycles of Drought to Cycles of Reuse

There was no water filtration plant in Barmer, Rajasthan when the Austin-based Fair Trade business Handmade Expressions started in 2005, with the goal of improving the economic livelihoods and social standing of artisan communities in rural India. In fact, there was and still is very little water at all there.

Rich art traditions run deep in Rajasthan, unlike the wells, and access to capital for infrastructure and technology improvements is limited. Geographically isolated and characterized by a harsh, arid climate, many people in Rajasthan struggle to make more than $1 a day. But from the start, Manish Gupta, the founder of Handmade Expressions, was interested in doing more than simply getting local people to sell him their products at a better price—for him and the local NGOs he has partnered with, Fair Trade has always been about holistic development.

The traditional block-print fabric bags the artisans in Barmer began to produce for Handmade Expressions quickly became one of their best-selling items. However, hand block-printing requires an immense volume of water to dye and print the fabric. This issue of resource management in the face of environmental and economic adversity is one that many underprivileged communities face—use water to support an income generating project at the expense of other survival needs, or suffer economic hardship?

Instead of leaving this question alone, Handmade Expressions has sought to make it obsolete by paying attention to local practices and needs, and putting the increased income made possible by Fair Trade to task.

This year, in partnership with a local NGO called SETU, the Society for Empowerment & Trade Uplift of Artisans, Handmade Expressions sponsored and helped install a water treatment plant in Barmer that allows for the recapture and reuse of the water used in block-printing and dyeing. The plant, inaugurated August 28^th, has the capacity to filter 2,000 liters of water each hour and each batch of water can be filtered and reused 15 times!

In addition, what is truly rewarding about this news is learning that Global Exchange has been able to have a direct impact on the success of Fair Trade and sustainable development in Rajasthan through our ongoing support of Handmade Expressions. Over the years, we have ordered hundreds of those very same block-print bags to give out to new members as our way of saying thank you. How inspiring then, for us at the Fair Trade stores to see the real changes we are supporting, and for our grassroots supporters to be able to look at the bag they got maybe even years ago, when they first became a member, and know they’ve been a part of such a successful movement for social and economic justice. It takes time and a lot of effort, but the accomplishments prove to us why we want to continue our work around Fair Trade—we all benefit and get to grow together, in solidarity.

TAKE ACTION!

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!

This Mother’s Day weekend – May 7th and  8th – buy 1 scarf, get the 2nd 50% off!

Halo and Swan’s colorful cotton scarves are the perfect accessory for spring. These luxurious and delicate scarves are produced as naturally as possible, by using low-impact dyes and sun-bleaching, so that very little water is used in the process. The scarves are handmade in India, using a traditional hand-blocking technique. Contrary to screen printing, which is often done using a machine, hand block-printing begins with a wooden block that is intricately hand-carved into various designs, and then carefully printed onto a fabric.

These one-of-a-kind sari scarves are hand-sewn from recycled sari material, and each scarf is uniquely its own. By partnering with an organization that employs people out of the slums of Calcutta, India, Asha Imports provides a voice for people who have no voice. The Hindi word “asha” means “hope,” and Asha is giving women the chance to rise above their circumstances and create a better livelihood for these women and their families.

For mothers who love silk, try these hand-spun silk scarves from India! Fair Trade Federation member Sevya works with non-profits, cooperatives, and artisan families throughout India to enhance their production capacity through better working conditions and equipment.  Sevya supports training programs for low-caste women through teaching foot pedal-operated spinning machines, organizing self-help groups, and developing micro-credit operations for the cultivators, spinners, and weavers.

JOIN US for an In-Store Event to Celebrate a Fair Trade Mothers Day!

When: Saturday, May 7, 2011. 11am-6pm

Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade Store. 4018 24th St San Francisco, CA. (map)

What: Celebrate Fair Trade and Mother’s Day with FREE Fair Trade chocolate and coffee at our San Francisco store

Come taste and learn the difference Fair Trade makes for mothers worldwide and in your community!

Wide selection of unique jewelry, hand woven cotton and silk scarves, colorful comforts of home, and more.

Fair Trade Treats! Live Music! And a Wide Selection of Gifts Made by Mothers for Mothers!

A selection of Global Exchange 100% cotton table linens originate from Southeast Rajasthan, India, where an income-generating program has enabled women to make four times the average wage of the area. The program began in response to the Ranthambhore National Park,  which was created to enable tigers to live and move freely in their habitat. However, the establishment of the park displaced villagers, who were resettled in areas without access to wood, water, and traditional farming lands.

The Dastkar Ranthambhore Income Generating program was created in 1989 so that displaced villagers did not lose their livelihoods. Today, 360 women from four villages are part of the Dastkar Project, which is completely self-sustaining through the sales of their craftwork. The women even have developed a unique own microloan system, in which they act as their own bank, providing loans to each other.

You can support this incredible project with every tablecloth-napkin purchase at your local Global Exchange store. The tablecloths, which are block-printed with natural dyes, are available in two sizes – 60″ x 60″ and 60″ x 90.” Purchase a tablecloth and four napkins, and we’ll throw in four more napkins, for free. Offer lasts through November 25, 2010.

Want more ideas to help Fair Trade your Harvest Table?

Sustainable teakwood cutting boards from Guatemala for preparing and serving your Fair Trade foods.

Hand-painted dishware from Tunisia.

Vetiver placemats from Bali.

One way to reduce your carbon footprint is as simple as switching from paper to cloth napkins. Choosing cloth napkins reduces waste, saves trees, and adds color and beauty to your dinner table!

Come visit your local Global Exchange store this fall and check out our 100% cotton block print tablecloths and napkins. When you buy one set (one tablecloth and four napkins), we’ll throw in four additional napkins for FREE!

Handmade in India, our Fair Trade table linens are created with the ancient technique of “block printing.” The time-consuming process begins with a piece of teak wood, which is intricately carved by a block maker into elaborate designs. The block is dipped into natural dyes of indigo, pomegranate, palm sugar, and other minerals, and pressed firmly onto stretched fabric. Many designs and colors are layered onto the fabric, until the final piece is complete.
Go green this season by switching to cloth napkins!