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uwosh.edu News Bureau
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is the first university in the U.S. to become a Fair Trade University by making a commitment to do its part toward ending trade injustices that result in millions of people living in poverty.
Fair trade products have been produced providing artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work and humane working conditions, while also protecting the environment. About 70 universities in Europe have Fair Trade University status, including the University of Birmingham and the University of Edinburgh, but UW Oshkosh is the first American university to do so. (more…)
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cnet.com Stefanie Olsen
eBay on Wednesday plans to unveil a new e-commerce site for shoppers of environmentally friendly and fair-trade goods, as expected.
In a bid to win over eco- and socially conscious shoppers, the online auctioneer will add a new retail component to its fairly new community site WorldofGood.com, which targets people who care about healthy living and the ethical treatment of workers. The site, which eBay built in partnership with fair-trade company World of Good, will sell products ranging from fair-trade coffee from Costa Rica to toxin-free skin cream from London. (more…)
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canadianpress.com Judy Creighton
TORONTO - Olive oil from some of the oldest groves in the world is garnering interest in Canada.
For more than 2,000 years, Palestinian farmers have grown olives, producing an aromatic organic oil with a flavour evocative of fresh fruit. Five years ago, through the efforts of Toronto businessman Robert Massoud, the non-profit organization Zatoun was founded to import fair-trade olive oil from Palestine. (more…)
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www.ipsnews.net Lauren Vopni
KIGALI, Aug 31 (IPS) - In the courtyard of a red brick home in the district of Gitarama outside Kigali, three women sit together on a bench, laughing and gossiping as they wrap lengths of crimson twine around a curl of bunched straw. While it may seem like little more then Rwandan tradition, these weavers represent an economic success the tiny landlocked country has earned by the hands of its women. (more…)
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www.southtownstar.com Rena Fulka
Colleen Laino spends her weekends outdoors peddling baskets, jewelry and reusable totes crafted by artisans in Third World countries.
Though she started the Thoughtful World Shop as an online business, Laino sells her wares at farmers markets in Frankfort and Tinley Park to raise awareness about the growing fair trade movement. (more…)
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brazzilmag.com Bill Barrett
Based in Petrópolis, a city in the Brazilian southeastern state of Rio de Janeiro, textile mill Razão Social (Social Reason) has found in fair and ethical trade the opportunity to grow and reach out to markets beyond the borders of Brazil. With only two years of existence, the manufacturer has already opened its own store and exports to France on a regular basis. Now, the aim is to reach new destinations. (more…)
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guelphmercury.com Bill Barrett
The fair trade certified coffee market is not only fairer to farmers than the conventional coffee market, it is a uniquely remarkable way to stimulate economic growth in some of the poorest communities on the Earth.
My perspective is in direct contrast to an opinion column by Gene Callahan that appeared on this page Aug. 14. (more…)
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Reuters Dana Ford
LA MERCED, Peru, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Coffee production in Peru, the world’s largest exporter of organic coffee, is booming as growers focus on quality, develop niche markets and find ways around walls that can block growth.
After starting his farm four years ago, Peruvian coffee farmer Oscar Chavez, 32, has transformed his organic project into a viable business. He stood on the top ridge of his fair-trade field recently, gazing at plants bursting with fire red and yellow berries, and saw a bright future. (more…)
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news.bbc.co.uk Peter Baker
Reforming the economics of food production and supply would be beneficial for a number of environmental and social problems, argues Peter Baker. A key issue, he says, is understanding the energy involved in putting food on your plate.
Global development, global debt, global warming, food miles, food security, food riots, peak oil, peak water…
What’s this got to do with small farmers and global food chains?
The answer is that all the issues mentioned above intersect over small farmers. (more…)
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www.indybay.org Fair Trade Now
Meet with other fair trade supporters
and then go mess with the free trade bus tomorrow 9am
REMINDER: FAIR TRADE S’MORES HAPPY HOUR! Wednesday, August 13 at 6:00 PM - Picnic Tables at Dolores Park in San Francisco
Bring Your Own: Graham crackers, marshmallows, something to roast marshmallows on (ie sticks, wire hangers), Fair Trade chocolate (which you can find near Dolores Park at stores like Global Exchange, Bi-rite, Rainbow, etc)* (more…)
