Holiday tree at the Global Exchange Fair Trade store in San Francisco

I walked into the Global Exchange Fair Trade store in San Francisco last week to cross off the last of the names on my gift list. This holiday season I made a promise to myself; to only give socially responsible gifts. I made some, I purchased some from local artists and craftspeople, and I purchased Fair Trade gifts.

For many years now, I’ve purchased some of my holiday gifts from our San Francisco store. It is one my holiday traditions. I love seeing the giant tree with Fair Trade ornaments from around the world hanging proudly.

Jocelyn, Kara and Alex from the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco

The staff are always welcoming and friendly. Festive even! When I tell them who is left on my holiday gift list, they are always eager to suggest gift ideas. And when I leave, I feel good about my purchases. Because I know my gifts are great AND that my money was well spent because Fair Trade purchases help support hard-working artisans from around the world.

For those who are curious, here are a few of the holiday gift finds I’ve purchased from our San Francisco store:

• Set of vetiver placemats– (which smell great and come rolled up for easy shipping.) Surprisingly they are machine washable which is great, because my brother is a messy eater!
• Cruelty-free leather bracelets–These multi-strand leather band bracelets are really hip looking. Jewelry can be hard to pick out for someone else, but not these bracelets. Rockers, fashionistas, even hippies…they work for lots of styles. I’ve gotten a few of these for both friends and family. (Ok, and one for me too, I couldn’t help it!)
• 

  Tunisian pottery

  Tunisian pottery–there are lots of pieces in the collection, and they’re gorgeous! If you have a small budget, there are smaller pieces under $20. Even the larger pieces are responsibly priced.

• Soapstone heart-shaped rocks–you have to see these to appreciate their beauty. Amazingly, they are made without the use of any electricity. The artisans use only human-power to create these one-of-a-kind stones. They are super smooth, some are red, black, with various designs. Giving someone a smooth heart stone just feels right. I’ve given the same person one of these stones two years in a row, because you can’t have enough love in your life.
• Winter wear–Uber hip fingerless gloves, matching scarves and hats, there’s lots to choose from, and they’ve got sizes for kids and adults.
• Chocolate–You can never go wrong with Fair Trade chocolate bars, unless of course your gift recipient is a dog, since chocolate is not good for them:) I grab bars and attach them to the outside of some of my presents for that extra pop. I also help Santa out by putting some in stockings.
• Journals–This is an easy gift to give someone, because having a fresh new book to write in is never a bad thing.
• What About Peace? gift card sets–this is the first year Global Exchange put these out, and I love them. They feature artwork from our What About Peace? youth art contest. Call me old-school, but I still believe a nice hand written note beats email any day.
  

  What About Peace gift card set

• Stocking stuffers galore–our stores have tons of stocking stuffers under $10, too many to name! One of my faves is the little organza baggies filled with Equal Exchange chocolate minis.

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That’s just a few of the many gifts I’ve scored at our San Francisco Fair Trade store!

So if you live near one of our Fair Trade stores, (Berkeley, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Virginia) I encourage you to stop by and say hello, and find gifts for those still on YOUR list. You won’t regret it!

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Whether you’re celebrating your own commencement or a recent graduate’s accomplishment, the Global Exchange Fair Trade stores are making your Fair Trade gift double its impact. In honor of recent graduates and their proud families, we are kicking things off with The Leakey Collection’s Beads for Learning.

Beads for Learning bracelets come in a variety of bright colors.

With the purchase of $20 or more on our diverse selection of beautiful jewelry during Saturday June 2^nd or Sunday June 3^rd, you’ll receive a FREE Beads for Learning bracelet from The Leakey Collection. Simply mention this blog post and choose from a selection of our Beads for Learning bracelets.

These uniquely crafted, 26 inch bracelets can serve as a reward for your hard work (as either a graduate or a family member), plus the proceeds help fund rural Kenyan teachers’ salaries. Five strands of one Beads for Learning bracelet is worth the equivalent of a rural Kenyan teacher’s full-day salary, and being able to employ hard working teachers means that there are more opportunities for Kenyan children to be educated.

As we celebrate educational accomplishments in our respective communities, let’s not forget that according to UNICEF estimates, nearly half of the world’s children do not have access to basic education. Access to education allows for the development of important knowledge, values, and critical thinking skills.

Massai woman with Zulu grass beads. Photo courtesy of the Leakey Collection.

The Beads for Learning Bracelets are handmade of 100% environmentally sustainable materials. The Maasai women of rural Kenya create each vibrantly colored bracelet using remaining fragments of Zulu grass. These locally-sourced, stunning grass beads signify the hopeful future of their educated children. Women are able to make the beads under acacia trees in the Rift Valley, which allows for accessible work sites and ideal working conditions.

The Zulu grass beads from The Leakey Collection were created after a devastating 2001 drought in Kenya, when co-founder Philip Leakey spearheaded the idea of making jewelry from grass. The grass is strong, durable and naturally grows with a hollow stem, making it easy to turn into beads. The grass is harvested by hand, strand by strand. Afterwards, the grass beads are dyed with textile dyes, combined with both Czech and Japanese glass beads and then strung together to make an extraordinary product.

Oh the places you'll go!

Zulu grass is waterproof, the dye is colorfast and the elastic strand is very resilient (it can last up to 6 years—after all, it is the same elastic that was created for the Spider-man movie). Moreover, the harvest of grass is environmentally sustainable because the communities no longer have to burn the grass that their cattle do not eat.

Pick up your FREE Beads for Learning bracelet June 2nd or 3rd!

We hope to see you on June 2^nd or June 3^rd to congratulate you and your family members on your achievements. Don’t forget to come by any of our stores–in San Francisco, Berkeley, Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA–to get a FREE Beads For Learning bracelet with your purchase of $20 or more on our jewelry. Congrats!

Fair Trade advocates are working hard to inspire as many folks as possible to participate in a Fair Trade event from May 6-20, so check out the Fair Trade Resource Network calendar to find an event in your area. Alongside more than 100,000 people across North America, we’re proud to take part.

Free Global Exchange eco-shopping totes

At the Global Exchange Fair Trade stores we’re excited to celebrate World Fair Trade Day two ways:

1) With every Fair Trade purchase of $20 or more May 19th & 20th we will give you a FREE Fair Trade eco-shopping tote.

These best selling totes are perfect for shopping your Fair Trade store or local farmers market.  Made from 100% cotton, hand-block printed, vegetable-dyed fabric scraps in India, the totes are colorful, functional and sustainable. Just mention this blog post at any of our stores in SF, Berkeley, D.C., or Arlington to receive your FREE gift! Offer available while supplies last.

2) For those in the Bay Area, join us at our San Francisco Fair Trade Store Tuesday May 15th from 5:30-6:30pm to hear Lata Kachhawan, founder of the artisan group SURE, the Society to Uplift Rural Economy, speak about her experience organizing artisans in northern India and the complications of Fair Trade today. Free Fair Trade coffee and chocolate will be served!

This event is part of a 10 day artisan tour sponsored by Handmade Expressions and Fair Trade Towns USA. Lata Ji’s visit to Global Exchange is just one stop during her trip on the way to the Fair Trade Federation Conference in Seattle, WA on May 22, 2012. (If you don’t live in the Bay Area but want to see her speak, check out the other cities she’ll be visiting here.)

Lata Kachhawan is a social activist with a passion for improving health, economy, education, drought relief and governance within her home region of Barmer, India.

The Fair Trade cooperative SURE, comprised of more than 600 women artisans, produces beautiful applique wall hangings, pillows and more available at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores. The income from the sales of these products has gone towards the installation of 100 solar lamps in remote Indian villages. SURE is a great organization that showcases the work of Fair Trade as a model of long-term economic development and Lata Ji is very in tune with the impact of trade and the challenges that exist in the process. So come out May 15th to hear first hand how Fair Trade impacts artisans and how we all can continue to improve the Fair Trade system.

We look forward to celebrating World Fair Trade Day with you!

Global Exchange Fair Trade stores in San Francisco, Berkeley, and the D.C. area will be having a special promotion on Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13 to make your Mother’s Day shopping easy.  You get a FREE set of 6 cotton threaded bangles to match any selected scarf purchase of $20 or more. (Offer available while supplies last.)

To take advantage of our special Mother’s Day promotion–just mention “Mom’s Rule!”

Mayan weaver making San Antonio scarves

One example of the unique scarves available in our stores are the ones made in the village of San Antonio; located on the cliffs above Lake Antigua, Guatemala, where Mayan women weavers Marta Lopez, Nicolasa Sicay Sicajan and Florisanta Diaz Sicajan work with their community in the production of these colorful, 100% cotton scarves.

The women’s children run in and out of the open-air workshop, located in the center of their small town.  Wide windows open to grand views of the silver lake surrounded by volcanoes, where the indigenous Kakchiqueles people have practiced their traditional weaving for generations.

To make the scarves, first the women work together to spin and sort the cotton threads into careful color selections using a large handmade standing wheel.  With the help of the wooden wheel, the women can prepare thread for seventy scarves per rotation! Then they weave the prepared threads on majestic wooden foot looms (traditionally the work of men) into colorful scarves.

Each scarf takes about one hour to make once the thread reaches the loom. Since they are well-known in the area for their quality of weaving, the women are busy filling not only international orders but also local demand for specialty huipiles (the elaborate indigenous dress).

Cotton thread bangle bracelets from India--perfect for Mother's Day!

Also in celebration of Mother’s Day, Global Exchange brings you a beautiful selection of colorful thread bangle bracelets.  In the small village of Rajasthan, India, the craft of thread jewelry-making thrives.  One family, recognized for their thread craft, has carried on the tradition for more than 1,000 years. This extended family does the work of past generations, meticulously wrapping cotton and silk threads into necklaces, earrings, and bangles. Chai is poured as family members work in the comfort of each other’s homes. The women in the family make most of the business decisions, and the income from the family’s work supports a growing network of extended relatives and friends. The family takes great pride in their craft and being able to do what they have done best for centuries.

Global Exchange’s brightly colored cotton bangle bracelets keep alive this long family history of thread craftsmanship. In seasonal warm oranges, electric blues and a full spectrum of other colors, the soft cotton bangles are an easy, fun way to accessorize. Pair them with any of our wonderful scarves to take advantage of our special Mother’s Day promotion–just mention “Mom’s Rule!”

And have a Happy Mother’s Day!

Fair Trade Mothers Day Gift Package

Mother’s Day Fair Trade Gift Membership Package

Mother’s Day is Sunday May 13th and the folks here at Global Exchange are making it super easy for you to shower your Mom with Fair Trade love. Our development team has put together a sweet gift idea called the Mother’s Day Fair Trade Gift Membership Package. It’s a unique gift package with Fair Trade selections made by women for women.

The package comes with Fair Trade items from across the globe, and includes a one-year membership to Global Exchange. The membership alone is usually $35 bucks, but you get the whole package for just $50 bucks.

Here’s what’s in the package; a customized Global Exchange tote bag from Handmade Expressions women’s cooperative in India, a box of Fair Trade earl grey tea from Rishi Tea, a handcrafted necklace from Ember Arts Jewelry made by women artisans from Ugandan refugee camps, a yummy 3.5 oz. Fair Trade chocolate bar from Divine Chocolate, a Women of the World CD from Putumayo Music, plus the 1 year membership to Global Exchange which comes with lots of additional benefits.

Ordering is a breeze; you just go online here. The last day to order for guaranteed Mother’s Day delivery is May 7th.

Finalists for “Best in Fair Trade” Awards 

Fair Trade Resource Network Executive Director Jeff Goldman shares news about the Best in Fair Trade Awards:

Congratulations to the 14 finalists of “Best in Fair Trade” Awards! Finalists were selected from 46 organizations suggested by 60 public nominations. Public voting to pick 1 winner for each category runs through today (April 30.) By May 5, we’ll announce the winners on our website.

FTRN created the contest since no awards existed to honor organizations across all major Fair Trade recognitions. Winners will be celebrated during World Fair Trade Day in May.

The 2012 Fair Trade Spring Gift Guide is Out

Thanks to Brittany Smith, Fair Trade Federation’s Administrative Assistant for sharing this one:

An exciting publication has been just released by the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).  Our 2012 Fair Trade Spring Gift Guide is a collection of Fair Trade gifts especially for Mother’s and Father’s Day.  These stylish gifts are handmade by craftspeople and farmers in developing countries and produced under fair trade principles.

All of the gifts in this guide are sold by fully committed Fair Trade Organizations — members of the Fair Trade Federation — so you can feel confident that they make a difference in lives of artisans and farmers around the world.  These gifts are a great way to show appreciation for parents, grandparents, and other loved ones this spring, while making a positive impact on mothers, fathers, and families across the globe.

FTF’s gift guide can be found here.  So all you Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gift Shoppers check out the 2012 Fair Trade Spring Gift Guide, a handy resource for spotting ethically produced gift ideas that rock.

World Fair Trade Day is Coming up Fast

World Fair Trade Day is the largest Fair Trade event of the year in N. America. So when is it?

World Fair Trade Day falls on May 12th this year, but events will be taking place from May 6-20th. According to FTRN, a record # of events and participants are expected for World Fair Trade Day 2012.

Here’s a great place to go if you’re looking to get involved in WFTD 2012.

FAIR TRADE IN THE NEWS …

• Co-operative News:  Starbucks first in Fairtrade fund to help farmer co-operatives
• DW (Deutsche Welle): Fair trade isn’t meant as a donation
• Easy Bay Express: Fair Trade USA’s Coffee Policy Comes Under Fire
• Ecologist: Ethical jewelry: what to ask and what to buy
• Entreprenuer.com: Fair Trade’s Growing Pains: Pivoting a Successful Model
• Fair Trade Judaica: Next Year – Fair Trade Kosher for Passover Chocolate
• Fresh Plaza: Fairtrade growing in Germany 
• Glam.com: Club Monaco’s Fair Trade Beach Boutique
• Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Blog: MADE IN CHINA…Or Is It? The Outsourcing Rabbit Hole
• Just Means: FLO, Fair Trade USA, and Starbucks: A Critique (Part 4)
• MarketWatch:  Fairtrade Access Fund To Provide Long-Term Loans To Smallholder Farmers
• MarketWatch: Hershey’s Second CSR Report Shows Substantial Progress on Sustainability Initiatives
  
• The Packer: Fair Trade USA produce imports post huge increase
• Treehugger: Fair Trade Chocolate, Tea, Spice and Coffee Sales Jump 75 Percent, Study Says

THE FAIR TRADE ROUNDUP AND YOU!
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Colored-in Valentine for Hershey

Valentine’s Day is a major chocolate buying holiday, but gifts for your sweetheart should not come at the expense of worker rights. Forced labor, child labor and trafficking continue in the cocoa industry in West Africa.

Here’s how YOU can make a difference:

Tell Hershey to Have a Heart

Make Valentines for members of the Hershey trust calling on Hershey to end child labor, forced labor and human trafficking in its cocoa supply.

• Create your own personalized Valentine telling Hershey to use Fair Trade cocoa for its products, like the iconic chocolate Kiss. Address your valentine to Hershey Trust at 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. Please mail your Valentines to Hershey by February 17, 2012.
• You can also download a Valentine to color and send here.
• If you make your own Valentine, please scan it and send the image to the Fair Trade Project at fairtrade@globalexchange.org. We’ll post some of our favorites online.

Why Hershey? Almost all major chocolate companies have begun to commit to using independent, third-party programs to certify that their cocoa suppliers comply with international labor standards, but Hershey continues to lag behind the industry.

Collect signatures on the Raise the Bar Hershey petition calling on Hershey to eliminate the child labor, forced labor and trafficking in their cocoa supply. Download a petition here.

Make your Valentine chocolate Fair Trade!

Fair Trade provides a solution to global economic injustice! Fair Trade principles include a fair price for producers, the prohibition of child labor, community development, environmental sustainability and direct relationships between consumers and producers. See Green America’s chocolate scorecard.

Host a Screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate

You can raise awareness by hosting a screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate in your school or community. This important documentary exposes the ongoing use of trafficked child labor in the cocoa industry. Visit our Dark Side of Chocolate page to obtain a copy and toolkit, including discussion guide and background information. Visit Fair Trade Towns USA to download a list of more films about Fair Trade.

Educate students about Fair Trade in the classroom with these Fair Trade curricula resources. These classroom activities are great for audiences of ALL ages.

Give a Global Exchange Valentine Gift Membership.

Show your love of social justice by giving those you love a Global Exchange Valentine’s Day gift of membership. (Hurry, these are available only while supplies last, and they’re going quickly!)

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Happy Valentine’s Day, from all of us here at Global Exchange!

The holiday season always seems to take over like a train barreling down the tracks faster than you can control. You want to live up to your values, appreciate your friends and family and have fun during this season.  Here are five ways you can accomplish all three:

Equal Exchange Singing a Fair Trade Carol

1) Fair Trade Caroling is a great way to share the message of Fair Trade with your neighbors and community, so put on your Santa hat and have some fun!

To get you in the spirit, here are some clips of carolers making music and sharing the ideals of Fair Trade:

• Equal Exchange Carolers
  
• Teen Carolers in the News
• Fair Trade USA Carolers
• Granny Carolers
• Global Exchange Carolers

Ready to Start Caroling? Great, here’s all you need to know: First, download lyrics from our web site or make up your own. Next gather your carolers and start singing. Don’t forget to film it and send us the short video clip link of your Fair Trade Caroling adventure so we can share it with the world.

Fair Trade Gift Membership Package

2) Shop Fair Trade.  Yes you probably had thought of that, but did you know there is a way to give a Fair Trade gift that won’t take up much space in your friends tiny apartment but will still make a big difference in the lives of small producers and farmers? It’s true. Simply give a Fair Trade Membership Gift Package. Your gift supports Global Exchange’s Fair Trade program and commitment to growing the Fair Trade movement and includes all sorts of cool perks. Check it out online here!

Of course, if you are looking for unique Fair Trade products, pop by one of our Bay Area or DC stores to find a wide selection of Fair Trade products. Or use the Fair Trade Federation product locator http://www.fairtradefederation.org/ to search for Fair Trade products throughout the US.

3) Petition Hershey– With all those bowls of chocolates at holiday parties wouldn’t  it be nice to be able to nibble without worrying about whether a child’s forced labor was used to produce it?  Over 50,000 signatures have been collected encouraging Hershey’s to “Raise the Bar” by making the switch and they have heard us. We’d like to reach 100,000 by Valentine’s Day. Add your name here.

4) Bake Something Delicious – Instead of Hershey’s kisses or guilty gelt in your stocking, try making your own delicious Fair trade treat – Here is a recipe for Zarah’s own mud pie as featured in our sister organization CodePink’s cookbook Peace Never Tasted So Sweet:

Fair Trade Mud Pie

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup Fair Trade cocoa powder
1/3 cup Fair Trade powdered sugar
6 tablespoons melted margarine

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and press it into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes. Cool.

Pie:
1 cup Fair Trade powdered sugar
1 cup (6oz) Fair Trade semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped nuts (Fair Trade almonds)
1 1/2-2 pints Fair Trade coffee ice cream (Ben & Jerrys!) make sure it is slightly softened. [If you want, can make one pint FT chocolate, one pint FT coffee ice cream. !! yum]
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Heat up the FT sugar, FT chocolate chips, butter, cream & corn syrup in a small heavy duty saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. (Can look online for good tips on how to melt chocolate and get to a good consistency.)
Once smooth, remove it from heat and stir in the organic vanilla. Cool it down until it is slightly warm.

Drizzle 1/3 cup of chocolate mixture in bottom of crust, sprinkle FT chopped almonds. Layer 1/2-1 pint of FT coffee ice cream, using thin scoops. Freeze for one hour to one hour and a half.
Repeat layering with remaining mixture, nuts and ice cream until ingredients gone or no more room in pie crust.

Freeze for two more hours or until pie is firm then enjoy! You have yourself and Fair Trade mud pie. Yum.

5) Be Generous – It’s been a rough year, many of us don’t have a lot of money to spare, but generosity of spirit enriches. Donate what you can afford to your favorite Fair Trade organization or if you can’t do that, share your time, your attention and your good energy.

What else haven’t we thought of? Share your Fair Trade holiday ideas that we’ve left out.

(Hey, pssst! Mention the secret password listed on the Facebook invite to get 20% off everything in the store during the party!)

Corinne at the GX SF fair trade store snuggling with one her faves; handstitched floral pillows from India.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Staff Picks
To help our socially responsible guests shop the party, I asked the San Francisco store staff to share some of their gift suggestions. Here’s what Anna, Corinne, Jocelyn and the rest of the SF Store folks came up with:

DAD: A new wallet for his back pocket, handmade to last from recycled big rig tires in El Salvador. Slip in a picture of yourself for that personal touch.
MOM: Wrap her up in a 100% cotton handloom scarf from Guatemala or colorful cruelty free silk scarf handmade in India….all artisan-made by women for women.

BROTHER: O brother where art though messenger bag? Right here, our recycled tire messenger bags from El Salvador and alpaca knit hat & gloves handmade in Bolivia are perfect for city street cruising or outdoor adventuring!

SISTER: Alpaca knit fingerless gloves are practical and high fashion. Match them with some cotton threaded bangle bracelets in your sister’s favorite colors.

BABY/KIDS: Alpaca knit ponchos and glittens (not a misspelling, glittens is just a fancy way to describe those hip glove/mitten combos.) They come in a wide range of sizes (including baby sizes!) to keep younguns toasty warm and ready for winter.

HOST/HOSTESS: Fair Trade Organic Olive Oil from Palestine. Tasty & practical, this gift will delight any party thrower this season. Paired with a set of Olivewood salad servers hand carved in Kenya, even better!

CO-WORKER: Fair Trade coffee & tea paired with a beautiful mug hand painted in Tunisia is a practical gift for the home or office. Tie it up with an ornament made from recycled magazine paper for that extra special touch.

BOSS: Let’s build her or him a gift basket! Lavender eye pillows handmade by a women’s cooperative in San Francisco, a beeswax candle hand dipped in Washington State, soap and soothing vetiver root sachets from Bali make a wonderful combination.

BOYFRIEND/HUSBAND/PARTNER: Picture frames handmade from tightly wound recycled magazine paper in Vietnam make for a thoughtful and unique gift.  Our frames made from sustainably harvested wood in India are also a good bet. Include a personal photo and you’ve got a smile inducing gift on your hands.

GIRLFRIEND/WIFE/PARTNER: Jewelry! Jewelry! Jewelry! Earrings made from found butterfly wings in Peru, traditional gemstones from Bali, and innovation in upcycled plastics turned into fine modern jewelry designs meet any woman’s style needs!

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Let’s Party!!!

Anna modeling one of her staff picks, an alpaca wrap handmade in the highlands of Bolivia

Hope to see you at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Holiday Party on December 15th in Berkeley, DC or San Francisco. Remember to check out the Facebook invite to RSVP and find out the secret password so you can get your 20% OFF!