A Brief History of the Fair Trade Movement

What is fair trade?

Is it like two kids on a playground working out for themselves what is right or wrong? Sort of.

The movement is often pitted as the antithesis of “free trade,” which believes that producers of a product or good have the right to sell without government interference, like taxes or tariffs.

Proponents of fair trade, on the other hand, believe that while the free trade system might be good for some, it leaves producers in developing nations at a disadvantage. In poorer nations, producers do not have the luxury of waiting to sell until the time is right, which results in the loss of tons of money.

Fair trade imposes some rules on the global market so developing countries have the chance at an equal playing field. As DoSomething.org points out:

“If you buy a fair trade cup of coffee, it means that the farmer who harvested the beans in a developing nation had some help getting his specific product to you. Fair trade aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and gives an extra boost to those producers who promote sustainability.”

Opponents believe this creates competition with inferior goods, and that developing nations may be selling more, but still aren’t buying. Historically, the fair trade movement takes responsibility for other factors as well, by creating standards for environmentally-friendly production, and fair wages for workers who wouldn’t otherwise achieve them. Fair trade places an emphasis on goods going from developing countries to more developed countries, like the United States. Commonly fair-traded products include but are not limited to coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, honey, cotton, chocolate, and flowers.

According to Fair Trade USA, the movement began in the 1940s “when a few small North American and European organizations reached out to poverty stricken communities to help them sell their handicrafts to well-off markets.” Max Havelaar was a fictional Dutch character created to promote the issues surrounding exploited coffee pickers. This fair-trade advocate can originally be found in the 1860 novel by Multatuli, entitled Max Havelaar, written in protest against Dutch colonial policies in the East Indies (Indonesia). In the novel, Max Havelaar battles a corrupt government system in the Dutch colony, Java. Java, coffee, trade…Get it?

What essentially spurred the novel was a series of Dutch policies called the Cultivation System. This system set a quota on Indonesian farmers, stating they had to grow a certain amount of tradable crops (tea and coffee), instead of growing staple foods, which would boost their communities. This colonial provision also established a tax collection system, where collectors received a commission, enabling abuse of power in impoverished areas, typically inhabited by farmers.

Fast forward to the 1940s, when similar instances of power abuse in trading was taking place. Religious groups and other NGOs worked to encourage fair trade, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that the current system for fair trade began to come together in Europe, often from groups of young people who were dissatisfied with traditional business models, and who were protesting multinational corporations who were perceived as neo-imperialists. In 1965, the first Alternative Trading Organization (ATO) was created. Through the 60s and 70s the movement took off, though was largely centered around handicrafts rather than agricultural goods.

By the 1980s, demand had worn off for fair trade handicrafts, and the ATO model had to undergo some strategic changes, as fair trade advocates became increasingly concerned about the impacts of changes to agriculture structures on small farmers. This, coupled with decreasing commodity prices, led to fair trade agricultural commodities working with existing ATOs. These new coalitions offered renewable income sources for farmers; the first fair trade commodities were coffee and tea, just as Max would’ve wanted.

And speaking of Max, the character began to be used in fair trade certification in 1988, when the first fair trade initiatives took off in the Netherlands, allowing goods to be sold in mainstream markets, reaching a larger consumer base and increasing sales. Labeling also ensured consumers could track which goods were fair trade, so they could know where their dollars were going. Eventually, fair trade certification caught on, and many other types of goods were included in the system.

In 1997, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) was established in North America and parts of Europe as an umbrella organization setting fair trade standards, offering support and inspecting producers to gain to certification. FLO stemmed from the need for harmony among  labelling organizations, or LIs (Labeling Initiatives). In 2002, the first International Fairtrade certification mark was created, and is now used in 50 countries and on dozens of products.

For more information on Max Havelaar, check out the free ebook.

 

 

 

Lists: Top 5 Fair Trade Items

Socially conscious consumers are aware they should buy as much as possible from fair trade retailers. But, that can be hard to do across the board. Here are five things to absolutely buy fair trade, including strawberries, coffee and chocolate.

1. Coffee/Tea: Coffee was one of the first products to enter fair trade certification. Prior to fair trade, a few decades ago, coffee growers in developing countries were unable to negotiate trade conditions, and there was little awareness regarding sustainable production, let alone fair wages or child labor laws. Fair trade tea can be found loose leaf style, in tea bags or bottled, and is pretty prevalent in this day and age. Fair trade tea ensures fair prices and decision-making is in the hands of farmers.

2. Fruit: Fair trade fruits and veggies incorporate social responsibility into produce purchases, helping bring fresh and healthy offerings to our tables, while protecting the communities which grow them. Just look for the fair trade seal on any fruit or vegetable. The more we purchase fair trade produce, the more types of fruits and vegetables join in.

3. Sugar and Spice: Spice trading sounds more representative of 1492 than now, but more and more common pantry spices are becoming available in a new and improved fair trade format. Sugar can be found in many local variants, but for regular table sugar, fair trade brands help combat the ecological devastation that non-fair trade brands may be contributing to. Sugar farmers are some of the most impoverished in the world. Check out Frontier spices for certified offerings.

4. Chocolate: Fair trade chocolate was a topic of discussion on Feed Your Eco last week. It’s one of the most common fair trade products, next to coffee and tea, but here’s another way to make the switch to fair trade goodness.

5. Flowers: Appease your significant other in multiple ways, by purchasing fair trade flower arrangements! Fair trade flowers are pesticide-free, and support the communities who grow them, while also promoting women’s equality on flower farms by providing opportunities like leadership roles and free maternity leave.

Here are some other great sources to find fair trade products near you:

Fair Trade USA’s website and Fair Trade finder app!

National Green Pages, like a sustainable Yellow Pages.

Wisebread.com’s article, “Where and Why to Buy Fair Trade Goods”

HOW TO: Buy Fair Trade Chocolate

It’s that time of year again. Chocolate season, a.k.a the month which hosts Valentine’s Day. Somewhere before February 14th, starting roughly around January 2nd, retailers start gearing up for the holiday where chocolate says “I Love You,” and the more heart-shaped the box, the better.

But what if you didn’t have to settle for the generic candies inside pink and read sheaths? What if your chocolate could be sourced and accounted for? Fair trade chocolate says “I Love You…more.”

According to FairTradeUSA.org:

Cocoa farmers are often forced to sell their harvest to middlemen who rig scales or misrepresent prices, and media reports of child slavery show the stark contrast between the delicious treat and the difficult conditions of the people who produce it. Fair trade certification ensures that farmers receive a fair price, allows farmers to invest in techniques that bring out the flavors of the region, and strictly prohibits slave and child labor.

However, a lot more goes into shopping for fair trade other than simply looking for the logo. Care2.com posits some other considerations when looking for your fair trade chocolate. First, the task of policing where certain items come from is a difficult one, and absolute oversight is hard to implement. “Because of the difficulty in policing farming practices, items marked as ‘fair trade’ may still contain cocoa that was produced using slave and child labor or under unsafe working conditions with inadequate or no pay,” states Care2.

The organization also says small farmers may be unable to afford the costs of becoming Fair Trade certified. Furthermore, the very definition of “fair trade” is not universally agreed upon, much like the problems animal activists face when deciding what is “free range.” Additionally, similar to agribusiness regulations, there are several fair trade organizations and each is allowed to certify products with their own levels of oversight and requirements.

So, where does one turn? Just because a product is marked “fair trade,” does not guarantee that all standards of wages and humane treatment are met. Conversely, a company that doesn’t have the seal of approval may not be using child labor or unsafe conditions at all.

Some general consensus is that cocoa produced along the Ivory Coast is the first place to avoid. Organic chocolate grown in Central and South America, overall, is not faced with the issue of  slavery, and since organic chocolate is limited, many farmers receive a fair price. Additionally, some farms in West Africa are slave and child labor free.

For the most all-inclusive list fair trade chocolate-advocates can muster, take a look at FoodIsPower.org’s chocolate list. Don’t see your favorite fair trade chocolate’s name? Make sure you are browsing by what brand of cocoa they are using, not necessarily the name of the retailer.

Also, take a look at FairTradeUSA.org, a leading third-party certifier in the United States. Now, go enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

Attention Fair Trade Fans and/or Chocolate Lovers: stayed tuned for an interview with Nicobella Chocolates and a giveaway in our next posts!

President of Slow Food Speaks About Movement

Bright and early this week were the social networks and foodie bloggers abuzz with a story on The Atlantic. Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA, wrote a guest post for the magazine regarding the difference between the farmers and those who have to eat. It seems there might be a disconnect between what we should eat and what is accessible. Seems like a palatable enough argument.

Viertel in the opening paragraphs described a Catch-22 where he would sell his home grown food to high-income neighborhoods and sell out. He would offer a discounted 2-for-1 when a person approached paying by food stamps. Either way, Viertel’s family made $12,000 per year, putting them in that same household income range as many low-income families.

Viertel wondered how to keep from only being able to sell to the rich, but also not go bankrupt himself. How could the food go where it needed to be?

Fairness for the eater seemed to mean injustice for the farmer. How could we simply choose to fight for one, with the knowledge that it undercut the other?

And that’s a very interesting question, one not out of line with the issues socially-conscious eaters face. Later, Viertel went on to become Slow Food’s president, and was inspired by a commitment to share meals, but also spread social change so that our food system overall could reflect this community-based eating style.

Later, as the organization evolved, some infighting took place, with members wondering:

Should we be a movement that meets the interests of those who are naturally drawn to us and who can afford to take part, or should we be a movement that meets the needs of those who are most dependent on our being successful — and who are most vulnerable if we fail?

Viertel believes Slow Food can do both. He said, “That to love and support the farmer necessitates loving and supporting the person who should be able to be her customer.” They intend to focus on those who can currently afford to be in the club, but also reach out to those who can’t. If not, they would be no different than the existing elite power-structures in place. The closing sentence says it all: “good protest can start with a pot of good pasta.” Hopefully that pasta doesn’t cost too much.

What do you think about Slow Food’s clashing of ideals?

Slow Food is an organization working to create a world in which people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who produce it, and good for the planet. In the U.S., Slow Food USA has more than 60,000 members represented in every state. Follow Josh on Twitter at @JoshViertel.

The McDonald’s Fiasco

A short piece of news last week, one with a lasting effect on the web, was an attempted  social media campaign by McDonald’s, which has now been dubbed the #McFail. McDonald’s took advantage of the social network Twitter’s promoted tweet program, where companies can pay to have branded blurbs running amongst organic content.

Seems like an easy thing for marketers to adopt. However, McDonald’s program didn’t exactly go as planned. when their hashtag, #McDStories, were used against them. The fast-food conglomerate had intended to tell happy, wholesome stories about how their food is made, but Twitter users had other ideas in mind, posting comments about heart attacks and well, the benefits of McDonald’s while under the influence. For example, a tweet from @PETA encouraged McDonald’s to come back with:

That posting is absolutely FALSE McNuggets are NOT made from mechanically separated chicken. Only USDA inspected white meat.

Whoops. McDonald’s original tweet, “When u make something w/pride, people can taste it,” can still be seen at the top of the hashtag results page, however, that position is a benefit of being a “Top Tweet,” which may not be a title McDonald’s necessarily wants anymore. Top Tweets become so based on an algorithm created by Twitter based on extremely high engagement when people do a search for a term, in this case #McDStories, most likely to see the humorous non-sponsored Tweets circulating.

I guess next time, if you’re a company which is a “lightening rod in the first place,” it might be best to just make a commercial next time.

Passive Houses Come to America

Upon first hearing the term “passive house,” one might think, “Aren’t all houses passive?” I mean, they do just kind of sit there. They don’t really make a scene or step on any toes. In reality, the homes we live in are often inflicting some kind of footprint onto the environment with high energy consumption. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states buildings are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions each year and that 76% of all electricity generated by power plants in the United States goes towards the building sector.

A passive house, on the other hand, seeks to conserve energy, while also functioning as a livable home. PassiveHouse.us says:

“A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.”

Or, in other words, it’s a building which follows the German Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency, one which focuses on reducing its ecological footprint resulting in ultra-low energy for heating and cooling. The U.S. is taking interest in this standard, however slowly. As of 2010, there were under 20 houses in the U.S., but across the global map there are around 25,000.

Inhabitat reposted an article on their Facebook and Twitter pages of an amazing Williamsburg, NY passive house above a creative shop. The space had been transformed from a standard Brooklyn apartment to a modern, energy efficient home, and the effects are quite stunning. A family in Utah also completed the project last year, to suit their family’s needs. The family bungalow is now an open, welcoming area, perfect for entertaining. See more at OurPassiveHouse.org.

For more information on the passive house movement, visit the Passive House Institute website as well as Passipedia – there is a wiki for everything. And now, more photos!

Green Social Networking For Good in 2012

Many people now consider logging into Facebook as a normal routine, checking in at least once every day. But the last couple of years have shown a growth in social networks tailored to niche communities, like eco-friendly issues. Below are a few networks to take a look at if you’re interested in keeping up with the latest green causes.

The Care2 Network has over 17,000,000 worldwide members, so newcomers are bound to find a group or conversation thread to join matching their interests. The homepage features Care2′s latest petitions and actions, ranging from anti-fur campaigns to child trafficking. There are also daily eco-deals and frequently updated blog posts to keep informed. Members can earn credits for taking part in certain actions and connecting with other users. Definitely a prime information hub for all social causes, with an emphasis on saving the planet.

Carbon Rally is a great site for those hoping to decrease their footprint this year. Rallies are daily as well as are ongoing challenges that one can take part in either as an individual or a group. There are workshops to create your own challenges or sign up for existing ones. Keep track of your progress in-line with other users by using the Rally Map. The goal is to provide a fun and rewarding experience to impact energy consumption.

Change.org may be best known for its poignant and moving petition stream, where users can create a petition based on an issue they care about and use Change.org’s resources to spread the word to the masses. You can also browse hundreds of online petitions by subject area, from sustainability to women’s rights and help causes you care about gain more traction. Keep track of global progress by viewing Change.org’s map of signed petitions. To mobilize local support in your community, set up a meeting via Change.org’s platform as well.

Wiser Earth is an eco-focused network for sustainable organizations and individuals to find each other and share resources. Users can take advantage of a massive Job Board, solution sharing and view what those in your network are up to. By using mind-maps streaming from a list of ten interest areas, users can search and click on related interests and find information in that area. For example, by selecting interest in Urban Communication, I was led to many more subcategories including Green Cities. From there I was led to names of those in the Sustainable Communities program at the University of California, related jobs and events, as well as articles. Very neat!

Greenopolis is a Web 2.0 site helping ordinary folks recycle more easily, track conservation and reward those working towards a cleaner planet. By using a combination of their web network and kiosks, Greenopolis maximizes real-time services and updates, using blogs, video/photo uploads, podcasts, social networks, and infographics. Greenopolis uses branded imagery to help users track their recycling actions and receive rewards. You can find a kiosk at many Whole Foods Markets. Social recycling is in in 2012.

Celebrities Take Notice of Animal Causes

It doesn’t take long for people to adopt a trend once their favorite celebrity joins in. Recently, an influx of pretty heavy hitters in the acting and music industries have jumped on the train of animal welfare. Folks like Alicia Silverstone and Ellen Degeneres have paved the way of course, but now it seems not a week goes by without a new report of an animal-friendly celebrity making news.

New to the vegetarian circles are hip hop royalty pair Jay-Z and Beyonce. The publicly pregnant Beyonce has decided to embark on a partially-vegan diet, and hubby Jay-Z has similarly begun a sympathy vegan diet for support. Dubbed a “hands-on Dad,” Jay is gaining energy with this new diet in order to keep up with his superstar wife, quickly shutting down the claims that pregnant women will be malnourished if forgoing meat and dairy.

Also in the blogosphere is everyone’s dream actor (and good samaritan) Ryan Gosling. Gosling, along with other celebrities like Zooey and Emily Deschanel, championed a campaign against fast-food giant McDonald’s and their use of factory farms, telling the chain ”I’m Hatin’ It.” The co-written letter states as follows:

“On behalf of compassionate people everywhere, we implore you to help end the needless suffering of these animals by adopting strict and meaningful animal welfare policies worldwide, including the commitment to prohibit the purchase of eggs produced by hens who spend their miserable lives crammed into tiny wire cages.”

And:

“While McDonald’s has already established a 100% cage-free purchasing policy in Europe, your U.S. restaurants continue to support egg factory farms that confine hens for most of their lives in cages so small they can’t even spread their wings. These poor birds never get to walk, run, perch, roost, dustbathe, build nests, see the sun, breathe fresh air, or do nearly anything that comes naturally to them. Common sense tells us that animals with legs and wings should be given the basic freedom to move.

Sadly, there is not a single federal law to protect hens from cruelty from the time they hatch to the time they are killed. While McDonald’s brags about the “billions and billions served,” millions of hens exploited for your restaurants are being grossly underserved. In fact, these animals are being abused in ways that could land your egg suppliers in jail, if dogs or cats were the victims.”

Oh, and:

“It’s a good time for some great changes at McDonald’s. As the largest egg buyer in the entire country, McDonald’s has the power — and the moral responsibility — to ensure that the eggs in its Egg McMuffins don’t come from rotten egg suppliers.”

Thanks celebrities, for using your platforms to do some good in the world, and for taking notice of animal causes.

Cafe Gratitude Closes Its Doors

Vegansaurus, popular online zine for West Coast vegans, as well as the SFIst have both reported some news that has non-meat eaters reeling. Bohemian restaurant Cafe Gratitude is closing its doors─but not without generating quite a bit of talk regarding the matter. Cafe Gratitude’s website states:

“With great sadness we are announcing the upcoming closing/sale of all Northern California Café Gratitudes [sic].

A series of aggressive lawsuits has brought us to this unfortunate choice. Although we believe that we have done nothing wrong and our policies are completely legal, it will cost us too much money to defend them in court.  Despite telling the attorneys that brought the lawsuits that the current structure and resources of Café Gratitude are insufficient to sustain and defend our community, they have refused to give up and are forcing us to close.”

But where will people get their dairy-free shakes and daily doses of love? Many higher up employees found out about the news from the SFist write-up. Since, both SFist and Vegansaurus have been following the updates and have had the opportunity to speak to some of the past and present employees, as well as those filing the lawsuits. As it turns out, the Cafe may not have been so grateful after all.

Steve Sommers of Kumin Sommers LLC, who filed the two lawsuits, told Vegansaurus the suits “mainly concern [Cafe Gratitude's] tip-pooling practice,” which is described as follows:

“Every penny generated in tips and sales goes into the same pool of money. At the end of the day, they tabulate how much they should have earned from food sales, and they remove that amount from the pool— this, says Sommers, is called ‘breakage,’ and it ‘shoulders the risk of the business onto the employees,’ and is illegal. Next, they take 20 percent from the remaining money and send it to the central kitchen. Finally, they divide the remaining money among all the employees, from the managers to the janitors. Sommers says that one of his clients, Sara Stevens, would collect $200 in tips per night and only pocket $40. She is suing for between $80,000 and $85,000 in lost tips, and missed fuel and rest breaks.”

Ouch. Sort of an ironic situation for a restaurant boasting menu items such as ”I Am Fulfilled” or “I Am Grounded.”

Additionally, Gracias Madre, Cafe Gratitude’s vegan Mexican food restaurant on Mission Street, will close too, SFist reported after speaking with Shandra Gilbert, Gratitude’s Director of Operations.

Follow the news as it unfolds by visiting Vegansaurus and SFist. Meanwhile, perhaps its time to do a little wholesome vegan cooking at home if you live near these feuding locales.

Climate Change Activist’s Uphill Battle

What do you do when you find yourself between a rock and a hard place when it comes to defending the defenseless? It wasn’t all that long ago when environmental activist Tim DeChristopher was convicted on two felony counts for “making $1.8 million in false oil and gas drilling bids at a federal auction,” according to the Associated Press. The 29-year old DeChristopher did so “to run up the price of 13 oil-and-gas leases near Utah’s Arches and Canyonlands national parks,” in order to save them. Tim registered under the name “Bidder 70″ and outbid the oil companies, but was then unable to pay. This same auction was later ruled as possibly illegal, and definitely poorly conducted. He was eventually sentenced to two years in prison; and many supporters are stating the obvious. DeChristopher’s conviction wasn’t about the bids; it was about preserving power (Treehugger).

DeChristopher’s defense team claimed a necessity defense, meaning he had to choose between two evils and bidding was the lesser of those evils to avoid imminent harm. Prosecutors prohibited this defense and disallowed evidence which could have supported his case for the necessity defense. Prosecutor John Huber stated, “It becomes clear that the defendant’s hopes are to have a prominent venue for his global-warming show — a platform from which he could educate the masses.” The overall stance in cases like DeChristopher’s is that it is criminal to educate the masses about the destruction of national parks and the environment in favor of oil. Additionally, Judge Benson, who presided over the case and sentenced DeChristopher to prison for two years, asserted that DeChristopher’s actions were undeserving of comparisons to historical acts of nonviolent protest or civil disobedience, essentially reiterating the hardball stance that the environment is not a valid cause worth federal protections.

The point of these heavy sentences is to deter future environmental protestors to reach out to help stave off the effects of climate change. Activists such as DeChristopher believe the path our earth is headed down will be extremely disastrous. Barriers to solving the environmental crisis are political, not technological. DeChristopher responded to the judge’s statement during his court address:

“The certainty of this statement [that his sentence will act to deter] not only ignores the history of political prisoners, it ignores the severity of the present situation. Those who are inspired to follow my actions are those who understand that we are on a path toward catastrophic consequences of climate change. They know their future, and the future of their loved ones, is on the line. And they know we are running out of time to turn things around. The closer we get to that point where it’s too late, the less people have to lose by fighting back. The power of the Justice Department is based on its ability to take things away from people. The more that people feel that they have nothing to lose, the more that power begins to shrivel. The people who are committed to fighting for a livable future will not be discouraged or intimidated by anything that happens here today.

And neither will I. I will continue to confront the system that threatens our future. Given the destruction of our democratic institutions that once gave citizens access to power, my future will likely involve civil disobedience. Nothing that happens here today will change that. I don’t mean that in any sort of disrespectful way at all, but you don’t have that authority. You have authority over my life, but not my principles. Those are mine alone.”

DeChristopher’s defense team is seeking an appeal. In the meantime, DeChristopher is writing from prison for the environmental blog Grist in order to spread the word about climate change and the urgency with which he hopes others will begin to get involved. He also cofounded the activism network, Peaceful Uprising to spread the word about a sustainable future.

What is your opinion on the Tim DeChristopher case?

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