SF_StoreUPDATE (May 5, 2014): Thank you to everyone for your 25 years of support. Our San Francisco Noe Valley Store is now closed. Please be sure to visit us in Berkeley, CA where we will continue to offer a wide selection of beautiful, functional Fair Trade product.

This spring, we will be closing the doors of our 24th Street store due to the skyrocketing costs of running a small business in San Francisco. We stand in solidarity with the growing number of families and local businesses who have also been affected by this surge in rental rates. This closure is not a reflection on the state of Fair Trade business, but rather a reflection on the shifting face of a city that is no longer able to foster the growth of small, local businesses.

As a founding member of the Fair Trade Federation, we stand for full transparency in the global marketplace. We want you to know your purchasing power: who, where, and how your purchases affect real change. We want you to be sure that your purchases go towards supporting economic justice through Fair Trade, NOT towards covering the violently inflated cost of rent in San Francisco.

Jocelyn and weaving partners in Guatemala Photo Credit: Global Exchange, September 2012

Jocelyn and weaving partners in Guatemala Photo Credit: Global Exchange, September 2012

When I sit down with Brenda Chacach, Mayan businesswoman and Director of Maya Works, our responsibility at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores to our artisan partners remains clear. While she works hard to empower over 125 indigenous women in rural Guatemala in the production of the highest quality hand loomed cotton, we must work hard to run strong, sustainable Fair Trade stores that house their beautiful wares that provide you, the conscious consumer, the opportunity to invest in them.

For over 25 years, the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores have taken this clear commitment to the artisan seriously and have worked hard to create thriving stores as community spaces where we can come together to celebrate and support the work of artisans around the world. Our stores are alive with the stories of prosperous cultivation, craftsmanship, and community support.

We have been in business at our San Francisco Noe Valley location (4018 24th Street) since 1989, constantly adjusting our footing in a changing marketplace. We are not immune to the forces changing the face of our San Francisco community, and the most recent wave of rent increases have also affected us, and we are taking action so that it does not affect our artisan partners around the world.

SF Fair Trade storeSo where do we go from here? For years we have been building local partnerships and securing promising opportunities through a united creation of marketplaces that support people-over-profit.

  • Our Berkeley store, open since 1991 (2840 College Ave @ Russell) will continue to offer a wide selection of beautiful, functional Fair Trade product.
  • We plan to reopen the Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store this Fall 2014
  • We are exploring options to open a new brick-and-mortar store as part of a progressive, community-based project. More details to come soon!

Thank you to the San Francisco Noe Valley community for 25-years of support. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Berkeley store and other Global Exchange events around the Bay Area. Please keep our community vibrant by continuing to support your local businesses and organizations.

Take-ActionTAKE ACTION

Fair Trade is bootifulFair Trade month is coming up fast, so this Fair Trade Roundup has lots of info to help folks plug into this exciting time, plus fresh Fair Trade news picks in the “News to Peruse” section. Hope you enjoy!

Roundup Sections:

  1. Featured Fair Trade Update: Prepare for October/Fair Trade Month
  2. Global Exchange Fair Trade Update: Fair Trade Your Halloween
  3. Fair Trade News to Peruse

FairtradeAmerica-fairtrademonth-logo1) October is Fair Trade Month. Think Fair. Be Fair!
Join Fairtrade America and Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) in celebrating National Fair Trade Month. The theme for this year’s festivities is: “Be Fair.”

Here are details from FTRN’s Executive Director Jeff Goldman:

We invite you to join us in celebrating National Fair Trade Month this October, as we raise awareness and encourage more people to enjoy Fair Trade products in their daily lives – and in doing so support so many families to have better living standards.
 
We encourage you to participate in any or all of the following ways:
1.    Attend an existing event – follow the growing list of planned events at Events Calendar.
2.    Let us know about your Fair Trade Month plans – and send photos! – so we can help promote your good work via our social media channels and Events Calendar.
3.    Request Fair Trade product samples and educational materials from Fairtrade America
4.    Enter a Prize Drawing for one of five Fairtrade gift baskets — find out how to enter starting October 1st.

Fair-Trade-Action-KIt-Poste

Fair Trade Halloween window poster

2) Global Exchange and Equal Exchange are teaming up to Fair Trade Your Halloween.

Global Exchange will soon be launching 31 fun ideas and activities that will have you drinking Fair Trade coffee, taking a Fair Trade pledge, hosting movie screenings, baking delicious Fair Trade goodies, and giving out Fair Trade chocolates to trick-or-treaters.

Fair-Trade-Action-KIt

Halloween Action Kit

Halloween Action Kit!

You’ll also be able to order a Halloween Action Kit to help spread the Fair Trade word. (Look right for your first glimpse at this action-oriented kit!)

Each kit will include postcards, an Equal Exchange coupon, decorative papel picado, a Halloween window poster, a DVD copy of The Dark Side of Chocolate, and a dozen Equal Exchange mini chocolates.

So get ready to Fair Trade Your Halloween! Bookmark FairTradeHalloween.org so you are in the know when the campaign and kits launch. (There’s a limited supply of action kits available.)

3) Fair Trade News to Peruse

Fair-Trade-NewsTHE 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 Tex Dworkin.

• Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Like and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

Beilul Naizghi protesting to end sweatshops June 2013 Photo Credit: Global Exchange

Beilul Naizghi protesting to end sweatshops June 2013 Photo Credit: Global Exchange

The following Fair Trade Roundup was written by Global Exchange Fair Trade Summer intern Beilul Naizghi.

 This issue reminds you to spread the word about a new Fair Trade internship at Global Exchange and proposed changes to Fairtrade International’s hired labor standards, plus the vetted list of Fair Trade related articles below in the “News to Peruse” section.

Roundup Sections:

1. Featured Fair Trade Update

2. Global Exchange Fair Trade Update

3. Fair Trade News to Peruse

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901ebb4b-3a2c-4e82-b1f9-cbe7a3ca4400 1. Featured Fair Trade Update: FLO’s proposed changes to hired labor standards

Fairtrade International just finished soliciting feedback for proposed changes to their hired labor standards.

Among the proposed changes are modifying the distribution of the premium so that up to 30% would be given directly to workers, protecting worker’s rights to organize by creating a freedom of association protocol all companies affiliated with FLO must sign and raising hired labor salaries from the current regional minimum wage.

“Hired labor standards have been one of the weakpoints in certification systems so it’s critical that they review and update the standard to provide more protections for all workers in the supply chain,” Adeline Lambert of the International Labor Rights Forum said.

The consultation period ended on August 5, 2013. Stay tuned!

Global Exchange 2013 Summer interns protesting to stop the TPP

Global Exchange 2013 Summer interns protesting to stop the TPP

2. Global Exchange Fair Trade Update: We’re Seeking a new Fall Fair Trade Intern

As summer comes to a close, here at the Global Exchange office we’re already preparing for the mass exodus of summer interns. Their presence and contributions make saying goodbye bittersweet.

The good news is, we get to welcome new interns in the Fall. So if you or someone you know is looking to gain firsthand experience in the Fair Trade movement, please check out our new internship opportunity below. You’ll get to do things like write this monthly Fair Trade Roundup (written by Fair Trade summer intern Beilul Naizghi!)

Global Exchange Fair Trade Internship

Join the Global Exchange Fair Trade team! If you are in the Ca Bay Area this Fall and looking for an internship in the Fair Trade movement, read on…

Global Exchange is looking for a self-motivated intern to join our Fair Trade team to gain hands-on experience with our Fair Trade campaign AND Fair Trade stores. We are looking for an enthusiastic, organized individual with strong writing skills to learn, grow and work with us.

To see the complete internship description, including qualifications and responsibilities, please visit Global Exchange’s Internship Web page.

Fair-Trade-News3. Fair Trade News to Peruse:

 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 Tex Dworkin.

• Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Like and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

 

 

Indika bells at SF store

Bells at Global Exchange Store in San Francisco store.

 Global Exchange brings surprise treasures into my life. Most recently I had the privilege of being introduced to installation artist Tiffany Singh (Auckland, New Zealand).

About a year ago Tiffany contacted Global Exchange’s SF Store looking for 1000 Fair Trade Bells. We sell beautiful bells from India, in all sizes but she needed more bells than we have in stock; so I connected Tiffany with our bell source, Indika.

In June of this year Tiffany and her camera crew showed up at our SF store. I was fortunate to spend time with this wonderful artist, as she explained how she was going to incorporate the bells into her installation at the Montalvo Arts Centre in Saratoga CA.

Indika Bells

Bells of Mindfulness

The Bells of Mindfulness, proposes to deeply examine the idea of sacred spaces. Drawing on the Buddhist tradition of using temple bells as an aid for mindfulness, Tiffany suspended 1000 Indika bells and 1000 handmade paper cranes attached to brightly colored ribbons, color blocked, from a persimmon tree in Montalvo’s Italianate Garden, creating a tranquil space for rest and reflection. Sourcing the bells from rural artisans in western India, Singh hopes The Bells of Mindfulness will inspire conversations about the importance of better equity in international trade.

 

 The Bells of Mindfulness is a participatory sculpture. To participate:

  • Go to the persimmon tree in the Italianate garden in Montalvo Arts Center
  • Listen to the bells on the tree.
  • With intention choose your bell.
  • Take the bell to your sacred place.
  • Attach your bell.
  • Send us an audio recording, film clip, or image along with the location of the bell to bellsofmindfulness@gmail.com
  • Follow the journey of the bells at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bells_of_mindfulness/map/
  • Keep your eye out for bells. If you find one, marking someone’s sacred place, you may remove the bell and go back to step 3.

I had never been to the Montalvo Arts Center. It is a large walking meditation of beautiful paths incorporated in nature with witty, simple and beautiful installations scattered throughout.

I had to look for Tiffany’s persimmon tree, and I was so excited when I finally found the tree with colored string, colored paper cranes and bells hanging from it’s branches.

 I spent a couple hours under the tree, watching, ringing and listening to the bells. I took two fallen bells from the ground and gave one to my friend and the other is hanging in my kitchen, for now.

Seeing my bell reminds me that I value and strive to incorporate art and mindfulness in my daily life.

me and bells

Me looking at the bells.

Bells of Mindfulness   will be up thru October, I encourage you to spend a day at the Montalvo Arts Centre and

enjoy the sights and sounds of nature and art!

Mindfulness is the root of all methods that tame the mind. First it focuses the mind. Then it eases the mind. Finally it is the luminous nature, beyond thoughts.

 – Paul Rinpoche

bell in my home

My mindful bell at home.

Beilul protesting to end sweatshops June 2013 Photo Credit: Global Exchange

Beilul Naizghi protesting to end sweatshops June 2013 Photo Credit: Global Exchange

The following Fair Trade Roundup was written by Global Exchange Fair Trade Summer intern Beilul Naizghi.

This issue focuses on Global Exchange’s World’s Finest Campaign and reminding you to vote in the Fair Trade Resource Network’s photo contest, plus the vetted list of Fair Trade related articles below in the “News to Peruse” section.

Roundup Sections:

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

Fair-Trade-Calendar1. Featured Fair Trade Update:

You have one week left to vote in the Fair Trade Resource Center’s Photo Contest! The 12 winning photos will be featured in the 2014 Fair Trade Calendar, with the most voted photo on the cover. The contest ends Tuesday July 9.

WorldFinest_color-in450px2. Global Exchange Fair Trade Update: World’s Finest Campaign

For the past few years Global Exchange has been working with schools, churches and community groups from around the country to pressure World’s Finest to stay true to its fundraising legacy by purchasing at least five percent of its cocoa from fair trade cooperatives.

With an estimated annual sales of over $110 million, World’s Finest ranks among the eight largest chocolate companies in the U.S. and has sold nearly six billion bars. Meanwhile, approximately 66% of children working on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast don’t attend school because they’re busy toiling in unsafe conditions.

If World’s Finest were to start buying Fair Trade cocoa, our hope is that more Fair Trade cocoa farmers would be able afford to send their children to school and pay adult workers instead of employing children.

What can you do? Help us send World’s Finest a message by signing this online petition urging World’s Finest Chocolate to go Fair Trade!

Fair-Trade-News3. Fair Trade News to Peruse:

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 Tex Dworkin.

• Enjoy this Fair Trade Roundup? Then click the Like and Tweet buttons on the top right of this post to share with others. Thanks!

 

 

Happy Springtime Everyone!

This Fair Trade Roundup has the latest on World Fair Trade Day, and news about an alter being erected to honor Fair Trade Pioneer Raúl del Águila, plus of course the usual vetted list of interesting articles to keep you updated and informed about what’s going on in the world of Fair Trade.

Roundup Sections:

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

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FEATURED UPDATE: World Fair Trade Day

WFTD2013WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY (WFTD) is the largest Fair Trade event of the year in N. America, and events take place May 4-19 in 2013. Around 100,000 people attend hundreds of celebrations to promote Fair Trade and campaign for trade justice together with farmers & artisans.

WFTD itself falls on May 11, with events taking place May 4-19, 2013.

Stickers available to WFTD organizers

Stickers available to WFTD organizers

FTRN provides many free resources to those interested in participating in World Fair Trade Day in N. America including: 

  • free postcards and stickers to promote your WFTD event;
  • free & discounted Fair Trade products to share at your WFTD event;
  • flyers, videos, booklets and other resources to learn games, recipes, event planning guide, and more to help plan your Fair Trade celebration;
  • flyers and media outreach plans.

So visit the FTRN website soon to grab what you need to take part. Oh, and while FTRN supplies these resources for FREE, donations are much needed and appreciated!

raul-del-aguilaGLOBAL EXCHANGE FAIR TRADE UPDATE: Alter  to Honor Fair Trade Pioneer Raúl del Águila

Global Exchange’s 11th annual Human Rights Awards gala is happening May 9th, and this year a Dia de los Muertos alter will be set up at the event to honor the life and work of Fair Trade Pioneer Raúl del Águila.

Raúl dedicated his life to developing alternatives to conventional trade and sustainable development for producers and communities, and in 2010, Global Exchange honored his work by awarding him with a Human Rights Award.

The alter will be adorned with recycled glass votives and paper flowers, both of which are sold in our Global Exchange Fair Trade stores.

You can join us at the Human Rights Awards gala on May 9th in San Francisco!  Grab your tickets before they sell out!

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Fair-Trade-NewsFAIR TRADE RELATED NEWS TO PERUSE

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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!

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store: San Francisco

The decision between buying Fair Trade vs. local, as far as I’m concerned, is a decision between buying better vs. better.  Both buying practices are rooted in knowing where your money is being spent and the impact on community.

As a buyer for the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores, I strongly support Fair Trade as an alternative to international trade policies that promote the exploitation of workers and degradation of environment.  I also recognize that investment in local food and craftsmanship is what keeps our communities thriving (not to mention reduces our dependency on fossil fuels).

That’s why it was such a difficult decision to drop a line of local product from our Fair Trade Store in San Francisco in order to meet the Fair Trade Federation mandate.

According to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF): “Items sourced in the Global North are not considered sourced under Fair Trade Federation Principles, because producers/artisans/farmers in the Global South face greater economic and social difficulties, as well as greater structural barriers to sustainable development – resulting in greater economic and social marginalization.”

As a founding member of the FTF, we support this standard and realize that our work as a Fair Trade retailer is most importantly to provide market access to small-scale producers in the Global South.

Fire & Light Table Setting

Fire & Light Table Setting

What we are losing: We just got in our last shipment of Fire & Light colored glass tableware handmade in Arcata, CA.  We love Fire & Light because they are revolutionarily local, sourcing their glass from residential recycling bins and hand-pouring each piece.  The result is an incredibly unique tableware that is durable and rich in color & light…it literally glows. I’m tempted to get a set before we sell out.  Come get it at the Global Exchange Store in San Francisco while you still can!

What we continue to support: We continue to carry product sourced from economically and socially marginalized communities in the Global North, like Sweet Dreams eye-pillows handmade in San Francisco by the young women leaders of Turning Heads.

Sweet Dreams lavender eye pillows handmade in San Francisco

Sweet Dreams lavender eye pillows handmade in San Francisco

We continue as a drop site for three local Community Supported Agriculture programs: Frog Hollow Farms, Eating with the Seasons, and Mariquita Farms.  Sign up for your CSA today!

As a community member, I know it is a critical time to support local business and I choose to invest in the work of local artists, available at small businesses and craft fairs throughout our city.  Shout outs to our neighbors in Noe Valley at Isso, where you can find the best jeans made in San Francisco; Loft 1513 owned and operated by the designers it features; and Easy Breezy serving up delicious locally sourced Straus frozen yogurt.

Our decision to support Fair Trade is not a decision between good vs. bad buying practices, but a decision to focus on what we do best: providing you the opportunity to support craftsmanship and community in the Global South through Fair Trade.

Fair Trade Asha ScarvesHope is made-by-hand in Calcutta, India where the two hundred women of Asha Imports transform vintage cotton saris into one-of-a-kind  scarves and blankets.  “Asha” means “hope” in Hindi.

The Global Exchange Stores are thrilled to partner with Asha Imports to bring you this beautiful line, of which each piece holds the  hope (or “asha”) that we can make change in faraway economies and lives.

Working at the Fair Trade Store in Berkeley, I get to see beautiful crafts arriving a few times a week. My favorite part of my job is learning about the wonderful projects and producer groups we work with. Here’s what I learned this week:

How to Hand-Stitch Hope?

  • Asha’s 100% cotton scarves and blankets are made in Calcutta, India at a center where young women from the local slums are provided training in sewing and business skills.  This steady employment provides income and positive alternatives for the deeply impoverished community.
  • The one-of-a-kind scrap fabrics from vintage saris are sourced in the local marketplace, paired, and hand-stiched in the distinctive Kantha style which runs the full length of the fabric.

A Word from the Experts:

According to Asha Imports:  “In Southeast Asia, there are many people who are suffering through poverty-stricken lives. Many times, poverty and cultural demands force people to live in slums. It is estimated that 30% of people in Calcutta are living in the slums. Many people cannot find jobs because of the numerous cultural and economic hindrances. People that reside in the slums may have skills, but they are unable to market their abilities. [Our organizations teach] tailoring skills as well as various other skills that can be used to support their families.”

photo credit: Asha Imports

Where is Calcutta, anyway?

Although I’ve lived and traveled abroad, there is always more to learn when it comes to building a global awareness.

Calcutta was once the capital of India under British colonial rule, until political unrest caused it to be moved to New Delhi. Calcutta was a center of education and culture and the independence movement that led to India’s freedom from Britain in 1947.

The city sits near the border with Bangladesh and the Indian Ocean, and is now the state capital of West Bengal. Today, it is the third largest metropolitan area in India boasting a population of more than 14 million people, including the two hundred women who are employed by Asha Imports.

Upcycled Fair Trade Sari BlanketsCome See for Yourself:

Stop by a Global Exchange Store today to check out the bright spring colors and soft texture of these one-of-a-kind scarves and blankets.

 

 

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!

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

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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!

Has it been a whole month already? Actually to be honest, it’s been more than a month since our last Roundup. So there’s a lot to catch up on. In this Roundup, we’ve got a new Fair Trade Gift Guide out, a Fair Trade Mother’s Day gift suggestion, the latest on World Fair Trade Day, and lots more Fair Trade related news.

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 …

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!