Organic & Fair Trade News

After learning about the growing movement of communities in Europe seeking certification as "fair trade towns" or even, in Scotland, "fair trade nations," I have recently discovered that a town in the United States, Brattleboro, Vermont, is seeking its own recognition for its widespread participation in the fair trade movement.  A Brattleboro fair trade group, Ayllu, Inc ("Ayllu" is an Incan word referring to the society's basic form of political and social organization) is leading this effort due to the predominant availability of fair trade products in many of its town's shops and cafes.

I initially thought this would be the first fair trade town in the United States, but I was wrong.  Apparently it would be the second.  Another town, Media, Pennsylvania (pop 5,600) attained this designation last year after meeting criteria set by the European based Fair Trade Foundation.  Specifically:

1) The Media Borough Council passed a resolution supporting Fair Trade, and committing to serve Fair Trade coffee and tea at its functions.
2) A range of Fair Trade products are readily available in Media’s shops and restaurants.
3) Fair Trade products are used by a number of local work places (such as law offices) and community organizations (such as churches).
4) Media coverage is provided and there is popular support for the campaign.
5) A local Fair Trade steering group from a diverse representation of institutions is working to ensure continued commitment to Fair Trade Town status.

The rising tide of fair trade towns (there are over 300 in Europe) and the recent emergence of the concept of a "fair trade nation" raises the question: is a "fair trade world" possible?

We truly believe that this is a goal worth striving for.  Our greatest desire is for the word "fair trade" to become meaningless, when the production of every product meets this simple criteria.  Imagine going to Home Depot and having to specifically ask for "Asbestos-free" ceiling tiles, or having to specifically search around for "non-slave labor" cotton!  The fair trade movement is not an end in itself, but a drive for a world in which these common sense principles are no longer the exception, but the rule.

Lately, I have heard a lot of buzz about the situation surrounding artist Bono's clothing line, Edun, that was discontinued ,and its association with "false advertisement "of fair trade certification.  Many people are dissapointed in Bono, have lost faith in fair trade concepts...but really these people are simply miseducated.   From what I read, neither Bono nor any of his affilates actually claimed the clothing to be Fair Trade Certified, they simply stated that it was produced in accordance with the principles of fair trade.  The fact is that there is absolutely no "certification" this clothing line could have received in order for such a claim to be true.

Here in the United States, the concept of Fair Trade is still relatively new.  In 1998, the very first Fair Trade certified product, coffee, was put on the market.   In the years to follow several agricultural items have been added such as cocoa, tea and rice.  Although there are 19 certifying agents for fair trade here in America, we mostly hear of the organization TransFair USA, providing much of what we see is certified.  You will know a product is certified Fair Trade if you see the black and white label with the person carrying a bowl in each hand.  All of these products however, are agricultural products because these, as well as some fruits, are the only items that TransFair USA will ensure are produced according to fair trade guidelines. 

So, even if Bono wanted his clothing line to be "certified" as Fair Trade under this logo, he had no ability to do so.  This is the misconception.  Nonetheless, there are those antagonists against Fair Trade who will find anything to latch onto in order to sway the public opinion.
 
Being in this business I have learned a lot.  I have learned about the politics of trade.  I have learned about the type of people who support causes such as Fair Trade and organically produced products.  I have learned about the people who do not.  I have learned about the importance of educating myself on these issues in order to understand what is really going on. 

I can honestly say that I feel there are too few who step outside of the box to really know what is going on around them and they are contributing to some of the major causes of our countries debt and moral destruction.  Too many people rely on articles such as those written to criticize Bono and his unfortunately failed attempt to expose Fair Trade principles and not enough on their own findings of how this game works. 

The sad part is, the only reason it is a game is because of how little effort our American public puts into understanding the rules.  Our purchases drive this economy and this economy drives the value of our work and our dollar.  If we could truly come together and apply practical life lessons to the way we respond to our pocketbooks such as, "what goes around comes around," or "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," we would in time see the true power of freedom in this country.  We need to create our own destiny, for our children and their children and not let it lie in the hands of politicians who have no clue who we are as individuals or corporations that are driven by growing profits.  We have to come together to be the system that we want...not fight the one that is already in place.  Let the folks who are driven by fear and power learn their own lessons as we come together as a community with consiousness about our land, our bodies and all people being created equally. 

I make a proposal to anyone who reads this.  It is so simple.  Take five minutes to sign yourself up for Google News Alerts or Yahoo News Alerts for the terms Fair Trade and Organic.  Dedicate yourself to at least one article in each category once a week and broaden your knowledge of these issues.  Form your own opinion and then weigh it against others who are educated.  Be your own conscious voice, whether you hear it from your heart or your head at least it belongs to you.

By the way, there are many people out there that are participating in supporting Fair Trade products and the producers that cannot yet get certification.  They can and are able to become a part of the Fair Trade Federation which is an organization that accepts members, after a long and detailed inspection on standards of the working relationships between producers and importers.   Basically you fill out an application and provide all of the required paperwork, you are thoroughly checked out and then are accepted or not if you fulfill their standards.  This process can take up to two years.  You will know a a Fair Trade Federation member by the tag on the product, here in the US it is a pair of hands on an eye-shaped oval. 

So, I have been enveloping myself in the past two days with recent articles and information about organic and fair trade practices, where they are at and where they are going.  I am pleased to say that it seems the concept of fair trade is more on the rise than I had imagined, I get several alerts a day about a new article.  I am not so pleased to realize that almost every article I get (say 4 out of 5) is from the UK, who yet again seem to be light years ahead of us Americans on such important issues. 

If you have ever been to Europe perhaps you got the same feeling I did.  This feeling that the world you came from in the United States was indulgent, chaotic and a bit shallow compared to the seemingly simple lifestyles of those who are living and thriving well in European cities.  There are so many little things I noticed were done differently, but most importantly what seemed to be different was the consciousness.  The lack of fear driven purchasing, swirling time entrapment and most importantly for me the emphasis on maintaining quality over quantity.  I am sure I could be considered to be stereotyping beyond borders here, however, I do feel that generally this is the overall shared perspectives of most Europeans.  This is perhaps why they giggle and gawk at us Americans, it's like watching a child respond to the world, full of nothing but desire and inexperience.  I do understand the age difference in our cultures  could play a significant role, but I don't know.

Most recently, I read a letter written by a women from the town of Torrington requesting that her town be considered a Fair Trade town.  According to the letter there are two other towns that have now recieved that label, officially and have done so by fulfilling certain requirements that Torrington has also fulfilled. Taken from the letter:

To be an official Fair Trade town, you have to meet a number of criteria. These are:

1, To have an active steering group, promoting and developing Fair Trade locally;

2, For a number of businesses, churches and organisations to be using fairly traded products in their staff rooms, offices and at events;

3, For a number of shops to be selling fairly traded goods;

4, For a number of cafes and restaurants to be serving fairly traded refreshments; and

5, For the local council to be using fairly traded tea and coffee and serving fairly traded tea and coffee and serving it at their events.

So, it seems that there are 5 standard criteria, that can very easily be met to allow a town or city consideration for Fair Trade Town status in the UK.

Research tells me that the town of Torrington or Great Torrington of Devon, has a current population of approximately  60,000 people.  The author of the letter claims that there is plenty of each one of the criteria taking place in this town.  Plenty of restaurants, businesses, churches, retailers and a council dedicated to Fair Trade and supporting themselves and their economy this way.

Here in Lafayette, Louisiana, which boasts an in-city limit population of 110, 000 people we are lucky to be finding fair trade coffee in our most popular grocery stores (including SAMS, Albertsons, SuperOne Foods) and a few health food stores which only sell organic and is often relative to fair trade.  As for finding a restaurant, cafe, clothing retailer, or group so far that has taken on fairly traded products as a mission and business, it is yet to be seen.   Although we are currently working on establishing this in our own way, our resources only go as far as our internet retail business.  Our bigger vision is to take our business "out onto the streets," so to speak and have a physical store of some sort that supports our values and mission with fair trade.

My suggestion to my husband is that we buy up a few of the unused (beautiful) buildings in our city's downtown area and create a Fair Trade Alley.  To have shops that are dedicated to fairly traded products as well as some of our organic products, in order to make the items more accessible to our community while educating them about conscious consumerism.  Problem is that this would take lots of money, at the very least...

See, I do not think that it does not exist here because people resist it, I believe it is because we are not as resourceful in nature.  I believe that if only we can create a voice in each of our towns and cities that gathers others with similar morals and values that we can learn and grow together through exposure and experience and potentially change the world.  At least in our little corner of it and hopefully be the inspiration that Torrington was for me. 

My theory is that time will tell.  Each day I am amazed at the evidence that supports our goals to live our lives in accordance with our beliefs in equality and health.  So far, in a short amount of time we have grown in knowledge, business and spirit through our endeavors and feel nothing less than awesomely motivated to keep on truckin'.  My hope is, although we may not be as quick as the UK and some other countries in developing our humanitarism within our communties that we are as successful in our own time.  And may we have faith in the time it takes.