The floors are bamboo. The island in the kitchen is IceStone, made of recycled glass and concrete. The brick encasing the structural columns was salvaged from a Baltimore construction site.Welcome to Honest Tea’s new headquarters, in downtown Bethesda, where company co-founder Seth Goldman is expanding his company’s fair-trade, organic, healthy beverage business by moving into a 4,800-square-foot office with as little impact on the environment as possible. (more…)
Fair Trade Headlines
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To Burundi and Beyond for Coffee’s Holy Grail September 12, 2007 -
The New York Times
DUANE SORENSON had planned to fly to Yemen, rattle up dirt roads in dusty four-by-fours and dart through the Arabian sky in prop planes as he toured the country searching for open-minded coffee growers. Mr. Sorenson, who is the owner of Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland, Ore., intended to offer the farmers more money than anyone ever had before in return for a promise to improve their crops.But a mix-up with his passport left him stuck in Washington. Disappointed but undeterred, he boarded a plane for Guatemala City instead. When he arrived, he ate tortillas, beans and tilapia with the owner of Finca El Injerto in the western Huehuetenango department, one of the most celebrated coffee farms in Central America. (more…) Greening the Gear: Bamboo Bikes and Sustainable Skateboards Put a New Spin on Sports September 11, 2007 -
The Washington Post
From natural cleaning products to hemp clothing, the Green Revolution has transformed the contents of our kitchen cabinets and closets. Now, sporting and fitness goods manufacturers are taking the trend outdoors, marketing upscale products that boast a new sensitivity to the environments in which they are used. (more…) 41 Percent Increase in Global Fair Trade Certified Sales Benefits 1.4 Million Farmers Worldwide July 31, 2007 -
Business Wire
Consumers worldwide spent a record $2.21 billion dollars (U.S.) on Fair Trade Certified(TM) products in 2006, according to Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). This is a 41 percent increase from 2005, and directly benefits more than 1.4 million producers and workers globally. (more…) Fair Trade Hits Home July 18, 2007 -
Washington Post
Admit it. You feel pretty good when you drink your fair-trade coffee. Smug, even. As you inhale the rich aroma from that bag of beans, you know that your $12 helped to pay the farmers a fair price for their labor — and helped build a school in El Salvador, create a women’s leadership program in Guatemala or provide tsunami relief to Sumatrans. Which is why Massachusetts-based Equal Exchange, a pioneer of the fair-trade concept, is betting you’ll feel good — maybe even better — (more…) Starbucks, Ethiopia settle licensing dispute June 21, 2007 -
Reuters
Starbucks Corp. and the Ethiopian government reached an agreement that settles a dispute over the country’s bid to trademark its coffee beans, according a joint statement released on Wednesday. The U.S. coffee chain had been accused by Ethiopia and aid agency Oxfam of attempting to block Ethiopia from obtaining trademarks for its best-known beans — Sidamo and Harrar. (more…) Cost still big obstacle for organic, fair-trade foods, survey finds; But there’s major demand for locally grown produce June 21, 2007 -
The Gazette (Montreal)
Would you describe someone who buys only organic food as: a) granola b) trendy c) vegetarian d) rich? In the first cross-Canada study of factors that lead consumers to purchase organic, fair trade or locally produced foods, the Montreal organization Equiterre asked that question, and others, in an attempt to identify the major obstacles to what it calls “responsible food consumerism.” (more…) New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Recognizes 2007 Fair Trade Day May 12, 2007 -
Targeted News Service
LOS ANGELES, CA - Governor Bill Richardson today recognized the importance of fair trade at an event with the Service Employees International Union - Long Term Workers Local 6434. “Our next President must shape an economy in which everyone has access to the American dream” said Governor Richardson. “Our next President must be able to make our economy work for all of our working families, protect our good paying jobs here at home, and take action on health care.” (more…) Is Organic Coffee Doomed? April 19, 2007 -
Treehugger.com
Will organic-coffee lovers need a different kind of fix, soon? Earlier this month, Salon published a story decrying the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent tightening of organic-certification requirements. The main sticking point: These revised standards could drastically cut back on the ability of small grower co-ops to produce organic coffee. (more…) World of Good Launches Fair Trade Wage Guide March 24, 2007 -
WorldChanging.com
When you buy a basket, pot, weaving or jewelry from an artisan in the emerging world, you are helping them earn a living, but are you paying them fairly for their work? While you can look for a TransFair Fair Trade Certified label on things like coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla, fruit, sugar and rice, how do you know if the art and craftwork you are buying is Fair Trade? (more…) |