Lata ji sharing her experience working with Fair Trade artisans in rural Rajasthan, India.

When Lata Kachhawan first went to visit the communities in rural  Rajasthan over twenty years ago, she had to walk or go by camel. There were no roads, no electricity, just miles of sand dunes to walk over. And when she finally got to the village, the few women she saw walking to the well ran away from her, scared about what an outsider might be doing there.

Today, the organization SURE (Society to Uplift  Rural Economy) works with over 600 villages in rural Rajasthan in the far northeastern region of India at the border with Pakistan. There are roads, buses, water catchment tanks, and  some solar lanterns–not every village has electricity yet–and there are women who are not afraid to talk to newcomers. As Lata ji shared with us last Tuesday night at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco, SURE has worked incredibly hard over the last two decades to support long-term sustainable development in Rajasthan, of which Fair Trade has played an important part.

SURE first started working with women refugees from Pakistan who fled to Rajasthan to escape the violence and persecution of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 . The area where SURE works is very arid and drought-prone, with scarce local water resources. Historically marked by a lack of communication and transportation infrastructure, making a living in rural Rajasthan is difficult to say the least.

But when SURE decided to work with local villages to address poverty there, they knew there already existed an incredible wealth amidst the people–their deep knowledge of handmade textiles and applique work. The challenge was to take what was traditionally done for the family–for decoration, gifts, and especially for daughters’ dowries–and transform that skill into an income-generating business. So SURE began its livelihood program, designed to help artisans (mostly women) learn how to improve the quality of their work, negotiate better prices for products, plan out their work schedule, and through a micro-finance program, manage profits, losses, and savings. SURE also brought artisans together with designers to learn how to make new products for the international market; as Lata ji explained, “Before, they didn’t know bedsheets, or pillow  covers, none of that.” SURE also has worked to teach artisans how to simplify their traditionally intricate designs so that they are able to use their labor time more effectively.

The Austin-based Fair Trade company Handmade Expressions was started by an immigrant from Rajasthan himself, and works closely with SURE artisans to produce designs customers will like. And as a Fair Trade business with a vision to change the world, Handmade Expressions wants to pay more for high quality products which support rural livelihoods. They have even helped provide villages with solar lanterns, making it easier for artisans to have more flexible work schedules, as well as give their children the ability to study in the evenings. Alison Hanson, the Production Coordinator and Sustainability Advisor from Handmade Expressions traveling with Lata ji, told us that part of the current challenge for small Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions is that larger non-Fair Trade companies often come into villages, copy their company’s designs, and place huge orders at a lower overall cost, undercutting Fair Trade prices.

This Fair Trade 'Tree of Life' applique made from organic cotton takes about a week to make.

Lata ji explained that the role of SURE, beyond capacity building and skills training, is to be a facilitator, connecting artisans to Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions and other organizations who see the value of the handmade production and want to support it at a fair price. One of the long-standing challenges for artisan producers in the region has been exactly that. The applique work done for wall hangings, pillow covers, and other textiles can take from 3 days to a whole week to finish; without the support of the Fair Trade market and the business and confidence training provided by SURE, women were making 3 to 5 rupees per piece–about 5 cents. Today, the price  is over ten times as much or higher, and families can earn a much better living. Still, the 2000 to 2500 rupees a month artisans are making now remains right under $2 a day.

Nevertheless, the self-sustaining livelihood program has meant more than increased income and solar lanterns. It has meant increased democratic participation at a local level. As the women artisans have learned to value their skills and their voices, they have begun to speak up and speak out. The small artisan groups present in local villages, about 15-20 women, have evolve into “pressure groups” for improved local governance. Lata ji shared with us that when the women have shown up to local government meetings to advocate for rights and services, the officials ask them, “Why are you here? This is not your SURE meeting.” But the women know better than to get discouraged–they know the government should work for them so they stay and, Lata ji told us with a sly smile, “they argue.”

The holistic approach to sustainable economic and social development is not an easy one, and definitely not about quick fixes. This is true of both the Fair Trade movement in general as well as within the scope of SURE’s work. Just as Lata ji emphasized at her talk yesterday, learning takes time and change is a slow process–the key is to sustain. Visit the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores to check out a variety of the beautiful applique wall hangings and purses handmade by the artisans of SURE.

The meet and greet with Lata ji was part of a 10 day artisan tour sponsored by Handmade Expressions and Fair Trade Towns USA. Lata ji’s visit to Global Exchange was just one stop during her trip on the way to the Fair Trade Federation Conference in Seattle, WA on May 22, 2012.

The Global Exchange Fair Trade store in San Francisco loved hosting Lata ji from SURE, Alison from Handmade Expressions, and Courtney from Fair Trade Towns!

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!

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!
•    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!

Berkeley bikers on Fair Trade tour

Here’s your roundup of Fair Trade news and updates:

BERKELEY, CA SHARES ITS WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY CELEBRATION

Thanks to Lauren, Fair Trade Berkeley’s steering committee Chair, for sharing news about Berkeley’s World Fair Trade Day happenings. Berkeley hosted/co-hosted 3 events to celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 14, 2011. Here’s her report:

The event of our own making was Tour de FAIR. Tour de FAIR was co-sponsored by the East Bay Bike Coalition and was an 11 mile ride, touring 6 of Berkeley’s 7 commerce districts, stopping at select stores (including the Global Exchange store on College Ave!) and restaurants where Fair Trade products are served/sold. About 20 cyclists spent three hours seeing Berkeley by bike, learning about Fair Trade and sampling Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, skin care products, tea, ice cream, quinoa, and visiting with Sonia, a Fair Trade jeweler, on tour from Peru. It was a great, great day!

You can see pictures of Tour de FAIR here.

Here’s more on the other two World Fair Trade Day events they held in Berkeley:

Berkeley kids hear about Fair Trade

The Fair Trade tour visited The Berkeley School, grades K-8th. Sonia, a visiting Fair Trade artist from Peru, demonstrated jewelry-making and spoke with the bi-lingual students about her life and work in Peru.

Fair Trade artisan demonstrates her craft at Berkeley HUB

Fair Trade Wine Down: The group celebrated, along with Sonia, at the Berkeley HUB’s weekly “wine down.”

SIGN PETITION: “FAIR CHOCOLATE AT PENN STATE”

There’s a new petition launched called Fair Chocolate at Penn State that is aimed at getting Pennsylvania State University to offer Fair Trade chocolate.
You can read and sign the petition here or here.

Even if you don’t go to Penn State, you can sign the petition to show your solidarity.

Here’s an excerpt from the Fair Chocolate at Penn State petition:

Penn State is a major purchaser of chocolate. If Penn State were to switch to buying fairly made chocolate, more farmers in the developing world will be free from modern day slavery and be guaranteed a fair price for their labor. The undersigned agree to purchase fairly made chocolate as it is available on campus.

We request that Penn State:

• Commit to buying slavery-free chocolate
• Prioritize companies that are doing more toward tracking the welfare of cocoa farmers
• Making slavery-free practices a priority when picking new candy vendors

The signature goal is 10,000 and they’ve got a long way to go, so take 1 minute to sign your name. (I did and it literally took me 58 seconds, I timed it.)

Sign the Fair Chocolate at Penn State petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/fair-chocolate-at-penn-state/

FREE POWERPOINT ABOUT FAIR TRADE JUST UPDATED

Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) has updated its free PowerPoint show, Overview of Fair Trade in North America. Thousands of people download and use the show each year.

This PowerPoint presentation provides an introduction to Fair Trade in North America. The file is free to download and view. 39 slides are shown in an 8-minute show. Get your copy by visiting FTRN’s website.

REMINDER: HERSHEY RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY IS HAPPENING JUNE 8th

Spread the word about Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign’s upcoming rally in NYC’s Times Square, Wednesday June 8th at 10:30 AM.  Join folks in front of the Hershey Store and ask Hershey to make the switch to Fair Trade.

Who will be there: Local NYC social justice groups, students, schools and faith groups that care about this issue. Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign groups (Green America, Global Exchange, International Labor Rights Forum) and other allies will be there as well.

For more information about the rally visit: www.raisethebarhershey.org/rally.

—

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Article: Fairtrade sales in South Africa reach over R18 million
Statement: Novel Joint Statement Issued by FLO, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ
Blog Post: Does Fair Trade have a future?

—

Check back here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!

BEN & JERRY TO EMCEE UPCOMING HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS GALA

Global Exchange is ramping up for our ninth annual Human Rights Awards Gala happening on June 1st at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. Ben & Jerry’s Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield attended the gala last year, but this is the first year they will emcee the event, so those who attend are in for an extra sweet treat (including Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream and Ben & Jerry sporting tuxedos!)

Ben and Jerry have been active participants in the Fair Trade movement; they recently launched a Fair Trade Certified ice-cream on Late Night With Jimmy Falon.

Since 2001, the Human Rights Awards Gala has brought together activists, supporters, and friends to recognize the efforts of exceptional individuals and organizations working for human rights from around the country and around the world. Find out who we are honoring this year by visiting www.humanrightsaward.org.

To purchase tickets: Order online (Early bird pricing ends May 17 11:59pm PST)

General event info: Visit www.humanrightsaward.org

CRS CELEBRATES WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY WITH GRANT AWARDS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Fair Trade Fund announced $33,000 in grant awards to build the Fair Trade movement. These Fair Trade Fund awards are designed to identify “break through” approaches to strengthening the Fair Trade movement.

Here’s how a few of these grants are being used:

• Cooperative Coffees will use grant support to generate from Fair Trade coffee leaders the key practices needed to build sustainable companies.
• A joint award to Cabrini College and St. Joseph’s University in the Philadelphia area will lead to the development of a consortium of change-maker universities in the region.

These Fair Trade Fund grants were made possible through the contributions of CRS partners and U.S. Catholics.

Fair Trade Federation Conference 2011 Photo Credit: Fair Trade Federation

FAIR TRADE FEDERATION (FTF) NEWS

Prospective FTF Member Webinar: On May 19th, FTF is hosting a webinar for prospective members to learn more about the application process. So if you know a Retailer, Cafe or Wholesaler you think would be interested, invite them to join this discussion of the FTF application process with Mary Parrish, FTF’s Membership and Program Manager.

FTF Conference Report Back: Fair Trade Federation hosted a conference in Milwaukee on May 6-8, 2011. Mary Parrish shared:

Congratulations to all of our award winners from the conference, and thanks to everyone who participated in the sessions and marketplace. It was truly an event where ideas were shared and we built relationships! Stay tuned to www.fairtradefederation.org/conference for copies of conference presentations, tips on getting involved, and photos!

WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY FAIR TRADE RESOURCE NETWORK (FTRN) REPORT BACK

FTRN reports:

Hundreds of World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) events took place in the US & Canada from May 1-15, as Fair Trade advocates celebrated the benefits of Fair Trade and built awareness of this hopeful way of doing business. With the largest number of events and participants taking place on May 14, actual World Fair Trade Day, N. America has already involved over 50,000 people – and we’re still counting! As reports are emailed to wftday@ftrn.org, the attendance tracker will be updated through the end of May.

So visit FTRN’s website to check the attendance tracker, plus see and add to the latest WFTD photos, videos and stories on their Facebook page.

This year, the Fair Trade Resource Network has set a goal to gather 100,000 participants for World Fair Trade Day to take a Fair Trade Coffee Break. Interested in participating? It’s as simple as gathering with friends, co-workers, or community members to pause, enjoy each other’s company with some Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, tea, fruit, or various other Fair Trade products and  showcase, and/or discuss the benefits of Fair Trade. Have something planned? Register your event with Global Exchange and we will add it to the Fair Trade Resource Network tally.

Don’t have anything planned yet? Those of you in or near the Chicago area this weekend can spend World Fair Trade Day with Global Exchange at the Green Festival taking place this weekend, May 14-15 at McCormick Place. The Fair Trade Pavilion is filled with great speakers, including a talk by Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign Director, Adrienne Fitch-Frankel who will be hosting a screening of the film, Dark Side of Chocolate on Saturday at 4:30pm.

It’s a particularly great time for the Chicago Fair Trade community, as the city was just named an official Fair Trade Town, making it the largest Fair Trade city in the U.S. and the second largest globally, just behind London. Nancy Jones and Ervin Lopez from the Chicago Fair Trade Steering Committee will be speaking at the Green Festival on Saturday at 2:30pm. Join us in congratulating Chicago on their amazing achievement on becoming a Fair Trade Town. As Nancy Jones of Chicago Fair Trade stated on why promoting Fair Trade is important,

Though the task of global peace and sustainability seems overwhelming, we know that Fair Trade provides us with a doable step that we can take each day. Asking for it, gifting it, mentioning it.

While at the Chicago Green Festival, be sure to visit the Global Exchange booth to learn about all of our programs, and to see all the wonderful Fair Trade products we have for sale. We’ll raise a cup of Fair Trade coffee together!

After the World Fair Trade Day weekend comes to a close, remember that celebrating Fair Trade can take place everyday. Starting with your morning breakfast with a Fair Trade banana, in the middle of the day at a game of soccer with your Fair Trade soccer ball, to winding down your day with a glass of Fair Trade wine. Making socially conscious choices in your daily life through Fair Trade not only helps the Fair Trade producer growing those crops, but also the whole global community by showing that there is a better and more sustainable way to do trade in the world.

With that, I wish you all a Happy World Fair Trade Day tomorrow, and everyday.

P.S. For those of you in the Bay Area, there is still time to join Fair Trade USA and the Stag Dining Group at the Wake Up the World Fair Trade Brunch. The brunch takes place at the HubSoMa, Saturday, May 14th at 10am. You’ll be searched what sounds like a delicious Fair Trade brunch by some stellar chefs. Don’t believe me? Check out the menu, and the promptly grab your last minute ticket.

Graphic Credit: www.fairtweets.com

BEN & JERRY’S INTRODUCES FAIR TWEETS
In honor of World Fair Trade Day (May 14th), Ben & Jerry’s launched www.fairtweets.com.
As described on the website:

Put your unused Twitter characters to good use and help spread the word about Fair Trade. Every day, millions of Twitter characters go unused. That’s not very fair. But now you can tweet as you normally would, and we’ll turn any leftover characters into a message about Fair Trade. Now that’s fair. Fair Tweet From Wherever You Are Online. So go here to start tweeting.

Oh, and in case you haven’t heard yet, Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield are going to be our upcoming Human Rights Awards Gala emcees!

CRAFTING CHANGE: A FAIR TRADE ARTISAN TOUR COMES TO GLOBAL EXCHANGE
Crafting Change: A Fair Trade Artisan Tour makes two stops to Global Exchange this week during its Northwest tour, on Wed. May 11th in San Francisco and Sat. May 14th in Berkeley.

Hear Peruvian artisans Yody Moran and Sonia Anahue’s compelling stories of their turbulent lives and learn how Fair Trade has helped them achieve economic and social stability. Get free Fair Trade resources and learn how you can use your purchasing power to impact the world. Plus you’ll find Fair Trade crafts available for sale. More details here.

Photo Credit: www.fairtradetownsusa.org

GREEN FEST HEADS TO THE US’ NEWEST FAIR TRADE TOWN…CHICAGO!
Congrats Chicago for becoming a Fair Trade town. And just in time…this weekend the Green Festival is in Chicago! This great green event is a project of Global Exchange and Green America, now in its 10th year.

Blogger Nancy Jones, Executive Director of Chicago Fair Trade & member of the Fair Trade Towns USA National Steering Committee blogs:

“Imagine Chicago as a Fair Trade City!” That was the theme of a meeting three years ago when we first charted a course to reaching this goal. Now, we are realizing this achievement on Friday, May 6th, in Daley Plaza and much of our imagining has become a reality: a city council resolution, 300 outlets selling Fair Trade products, 260 institutions using Fair Trade. Read the complete blog post here.

Graphic Credit: www.justmeans.com

AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENING OF THOUGHT-LEADERS AND PRACTITIONERS WORKING ON ETHICAL CERTIFICATION
This event brings together 150 thought leaders from social enterprises, leading brands and certifying bodies for a day of thought-provoking panel discussions concerning the future of certification.

Attendees will discover trends that are reshaping the face of certification, engage in lively debate with academics and practitioners, examine innovative case studies and contribute to the discussion that will define certification in the 21st Century.
More info and registration here.

Consultant Colvin English -- Photo Credit: ArtisanWorks

ARTISANWORK TRADE SHOW ONLINE FORUM HAPPENING NOW
For those of you business people out there, ArtisanWork’s “Trade Show” On-line forum discussion runs from May 5th through May 19th, and will have the expert opinion of Mr. Colvin English from ByHand Consulting.

Mr. English will provide an overview on how trade shows can help grow your business and increase market access- two key elements in how Fair Trade organizations can achieve better market exposure.

Elizabeth O’Connell and former Global Exchange Fair Trade intern, Shelley Alingas

FAIR TRADE ACTIVISTS REPORT BACK ABOUT HERSHEY SHAREHOLDER MEETING

• Liz O’Connell from Green America blogs about her experience at the Hershey shareholder meeting.
• Global Exchange’s Zarah Patriana reports on the meeting as well.

CHECK OUT THE WINNERS OF THE HERSHEY BRAND JAMMING CONTEST
Contest entries mock Hershey’s refusal to crackdown on controversial labor practices.

The Raise the Bar, Hershey Campaign – sponsored by Global Exchange, Green America, and the International Labor Rights Forum – announced on April 28th, 2011 the winners of their “brand jamming” contest in order to bring attention to Hershey’s failure to crack down on child labor and other abuses in its cocoa supply chain.

The grand prize winner is Jason Pearson of San Clemente, CA for his mock advertisement Brand Jam, a one minute video that tells the real story of where Hershey’s cocoa comes from.

Why not watch it right now? It’s pretty awesome:

The announcement of the Hershey “brand jamming” winners coincided with Hershey’s Annual General Meeting for shareholders in Hershey, PA. Thousands of people nationwide voted to choose their favorite entries for best slogan, best video and best poster.

Here are the other winners:
Best Video: Behind the Hershey Smiles submitted by Aaron Thurman: Indianapolis, IN

Best Slogan: “Hershey: Sweet Chocolate. Bitter Story” submitted by Tyson Weems of Portland, ME
Best Poster: Children Behind Bars submitted by Jason Pearson of San Clemente, CA

Find out what the winners received and what the Raise the Bar Hershey campaign folks plan to do with the mock ads on the campaign website.

Oh, and by the way, there’s going to be a Raise the Bar Hershey Rally in NYC’s Times Square on June 8, 2011 at 10:30 am. More details to come.

TAKE A FAIR TRADE COFFEE BREAK ON WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY
World Fair Trade Day coordinating organization Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) and sponsors (including us!) are reaching out to inspire 100,000 people to take a break from our busy lives to increase awareness of Fair Trade, by taking a Fair Trade coffee (or chocolate or tea or music, etc) break.
Here are three ways you can participate:

1. Enjoy a Fair Trade coffee break in the comfort of your own home or office, and register it on Global Exchange’s World Fair Trade Day Coffee Break page, so your participation can be counted.
2. It’s even more fun if you organize a small or large coffee break in your workplace, school, or community. If you do, register your event on Global Exchange’s World Fair Trade Day Coffee Break page. If it’s open to the public please register on Fair Trade Resource Network’s webpage too.
3. Attend a World Fair Trade Day event in your area. Dozens of Fair Tradetastic events nationwide are listed on FTRN’s website. Celebrate with Global Exchange at events in Berkeley, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Shirlington, VA, and Washington, DC, listed at the end of this email.

MOTHERS DAY EVENT ON SUNDAY, MAY 8TH IN SAN FRANCISCO
If you’re in the Bay Area this weekend, stop by our San Francisco Store for an in-store event. Fair Trade treats, live music, and a wide selection of Fair Trade gifts made by mothers for mothers. Find out more details here.

CRAFTING CHANGE: A FAIR TRADE TOUR
Hear Peruvian artisans Yody Moran and Sonia Anahue’s compelling stories of their turbulent lives and learn how Fair Trade has helped them achieve economic and social stability.
Get free Fair Trade resources and learn how you can use your purchasing power to impact the world.
When: Wednesday, May 11, 7 pm
Where: Global Exchange, 2973 16th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA
When: Saturday, May 14, 12:30-2:30pm
Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade store, 2840 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA
Brought to you by: Fair Trade Towns USA, Global Exchange, Green America, Partners for Just Trade
Also: Fair Trade crafts available for sale!
For more information CALL: 415 255 7296

100% FAIR TRADE STORE GOES 100% SOLAR!
How cool is this? Kimberly and Marco of Made By Hand International Cooperative sent out an exciting message earlier this week. The news? That their 100% Fair Trade retail store, Made By Hand International Cooperative located in South Bethany, Delaware, now runs 100% on solar energy! Thanks and congrats Kimberly and Marco for leading by example.

—-

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE MOCK HERSHEY’S AD

The Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign brand jamming contest entries are in, and wait till you see them! The mock Hershey ads, slogans and videos call on Hershey to eliminate child and forced labor from its cocoa supply chain, and shift sourcing to Fair Trade. For one week only campaign coordinators Green America, International Labor Rights Forum and Global Exchange invite you to vote for your favorite contest entry finalist.

Graphic Credit: Green America

The deadline for voting is Tuesday, April 26th, so vote soon. The winners of each category will receive a Fair Trade chocolate gift basket, and the overall winner will receive a $1000 grand prize. Winners will be announced April 28th, the day of Hershey’s annual shareholder’s meeting.

CAMPAIGN MAKES IT EASY FOR SHOPPERS TO TELL SUPERMARKETS TO GO FAIR TRADE

Green America is making it easy for you to help Supermarkets go Fair Trade. From Green America’s website:

Many Fair Trade products – from coffee to cocoa to tea to fruits – belong on supermarket shelves. Yet, most supermarkets are only offering a fraction of the Fair Trade products that are available, and are not actively promoting the products they do offer. Please join us in encouraging supermarkets to sell more Fair Trade products and to educate their customers about the importance of purchasing them.

Here’s how it works: Simply go online to select from a list of supermarkets that you shop at and send them a message asking them to offer more Fair Trade products and promote them.

EASTER COLOR-IN LETTER FOR KIDS

More chocolate is sold in the US at Easter than any other time of the year except Halloween. And Hershey manufactures Cadbury Crème Eggs and other products sold in the US.

This downloadable/printable Easter color-in letter encourages Hershey CEO David West to shift towards Fair Trade cocoa. So print it out, color it in, and mail it in to add your voice to the Fair Trade mix.

WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST

Want your Tee Design on an AP T-shirt? Submit your custom designs: April 1 – May 8!

Autonomie’s Project’s commemoration of World Fair Trade Day (May 14th), in partnership with the Fair Trade Resource Network and Fair Trade Boston, is a World Fair Trade Day Tee Design Contest. They’re looking for folks to come up with a new, unique design for one of their adult tees to be sold on AutonomieProject.com. Visit Autonomie’s Project’s website for details.

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Article: US market has ‘barely scratched the surface’ of Fair Trade market potential
Article: Cooperative Coffees Products Get “Fair for Life” Certification
Blog Post: Artisans in India Share Examples of Fair Trade Impact
Article: More Australians look to fair trade eggs

Check back here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!

—

Graphic Credit: www.benjerry.com

BEN & JERRY’S FREE ICE CREAM CONE DAY
Today is the day. Tuesday, April 12, 2011 from Noon-8pm it’s free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cones for everyone! As their way of thanking customers for their support and to celebrate 33 years of scooping  deliciousness, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are giving away free ice cream cones.

Why am I mentioning this in our weekly Fair Trade Roundup? Because of Ben & Jerry’s growing commitment to Fair Trade, which you can learn more about here.

Graphic Credit: http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com

CNN’S FREEDOM PROJECT INTERVIEW WITH THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE FILM MAKER

CNN’s Freedom Project posted an interview with U. Roberto Romano about The Dark Side of Chocolate which you can watch here. This riveting documentary goes undercover to reveal the bitter truth about child slavery in the cocoa industry. To host your own screening, visit our website.

Graphic Credit: Partners for Just Trade

2011 ARTISAN TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
Partners for Just Trade announced their 2011 artisan tour that will visit the Pacific Northwest. Sonia Anahue Uscamayta from the Munay Rumi jewelry cooperative in Lima and Yody Gladys Moran Trillo from the El Mercurio knitting cooperative in Huancavelica, Peru will be traveling to the United States to share how Fair Trade has impacted their lives. The tentative artisan tour schedule can be found here, though date changes are possible, so you might want to double check the dates before making plans.

If you’re around Berkeley on Sat. May 14th (World Fair Trade Day!), this exciting artisan tour will be at our own Fair Trade Store!

NEW CHANGE.ORG ACTION CALLS ON HERSHEY TO FAIR TRADE THEIR EGGS
Change.org just launched a new action calling on Hershey to extend Cadbury’s commitment to Fair Trade cocoa to Cadbury Crème Eggs in the US. Go here to learn more and to sign the petition.

Teakwood Platter from Global Exchange Fair Trade Store

CURRENT AND FUTURE EFFORTS TO FAIR TRADE YOUR PASSOVER:
Passover is almost here. You can find Passover Fair Trade Ideas here. Already looking to next year, Fair Trade Judaica is launching a new initiative called Next Year – Fair Trade Kosher for Passover Chocolate to encourage Kosher manufacturers to source Fair Trade cocoa beans for Passover products.

(To purchase the beautiful teakwood piece pictured visit our Online Fair Trade Store.)

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Article: Sustainability of West African cocoa growing questioned
Article: A ‘divine’ fair trade policy for chocolate
LinkedIn Group Discussion: Is Criticism of Fair Trade Justified?
Events: World Fair Trade Day Event Listings (find events or post your own)
Resource: Easter and Passover Fair Trade Ideas

—

Check back here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!