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“Best in Fair Trade” Awards

Major Sponsors of
World Fair Trade Day 2012:

Dr. Bonner's Magic

Regular Sponsors:

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Over 2100 people voted to determine these outstanding winners:

Most positive change in a producer community

Ten Thousand Villages USA

 One example is how Ten Thousand Villages continues to support LEAP training in Kenya, which works with artisans on helping them to realize their value as an individual, as well as the economic value around them that can be tapped. LEAP has helped artisans to start side businesses, such as chicken rearing, which allows them to manage better economically while still allowing them to create.

Outstanding long-term commitment to producers

SERRV

 SERRV strives to eradicate poverty through its direct connections with low-income artisans and farmers. SERRV markets producers’ crafts and foods, find joint solutions to their challenges, and help them grow and embrace the future. SERRV currently works with 60 groups and has been in partnership with many of them for 20-30 years.

Best support of the Fair Trade movement

Equal Exchange

 Founded in 1986 this worker co-op imports a wide variety of Fair Trade foods from 40+ small farmer co-ops in 25 countries. With twelve faith-based partner organizations, & countless schools, they work to popularize Fair Trade. Currently they are championing a return to Fair Trade’s historic focus on small-farmer co-ops.

Most effective public education program

Ten Thousand Villages Canada

 Stories of artisans and their handcrafts, when communicated to consumers, create a connection to the artisan based on understanding and respect. The Ten Thousand Villages product information sheets are have been developed to tell the story behind almost 5,000 individual products, and are available online and in all 47 Ten Thousand Villages stores across Canada, in both English and French.

Most effective advocacy for trade policy reform

Oxfam America

 Through its Make Trade Fair campaign, targeted advocacy, and now its GROW campaign, Oxfam has worked tirelessly for over a decade alongside many allies and movements to make global trade policies work better for the poor – be they small-scale farmers, rural and urban workers, people who need essential medicines, or other vulnerable communities around the world.

Download a flyer announcing the winners

Background of the Awards:

Over 60 nominations were made for 46 organizations. Over 2100 people voted for the winners!

  • Nominate organizations – February to March 31
  • Vote for finalists – April 16 to 30
  • Winners Announced! – May 5
  • Guidelines – Contest rules and specifications
  • Contact Us – contact FTRN, the contest administrator

Honoring businesses and nonprofits in N. America demonstrating the “Best in Fair Trade” in these categories:

  1. Most positive change in a producer community
  2. Outstanding long-term commitment to producers
  3. Best support of the Fair Trade movement
  4. Most effective public education program
  5. Most effective advocacy for trade policy reform

Winners will be celebrated:

  • at hundreds of World Fair Trade Day events May 6-20
  • through social media
  • via press releases

To Nominate Organizations (February 1 – March 31, 2012)

  1. Read below for contest Guidelines/Eligibility to make sure your nominee qualifies for this contest.
  2. If you are self-nominating, get a Statement of Support from someone outside of the nominated organization. The Statement, up to 100 words, can be from any person who is neither an employee, Board member, nor official volunteer/intern of the nominated organization. The Statement should explain how the organization demonstrates strong achievement in the criteria listed for its category (see criteria below in Guidelines/Eligibility).
  3. Prepare a Nominee Description, up to 500 words, explaining how the organization demonstrates strong achievement in the criteria listed for its category.
  4. Complete the online Nomination Form by the end of March 31, 2012.

To Vote for Finalists (April 16 – 30, 2012)

  1. Learn about all the finalists at the “Best in Fair Trade” Awards Finalists page.
  2. Vote for up to 1 finalist in each category with an online ballot, reached from the Finalists page.
  3. One ballot allowed per person/email address.

Guidelines/Eligibility

  • Anybody not on staff at Fair Trade Resource Network can nominate organizations.
  • Nominees must be businesses, nonprofits or government agencies with some staff or offices based in the U.S. or Canada.
  • In order to be considered eligible for this contest, nominees must participate directly in, or advocate for, people, products or businesses/organizations using any of the following Fair Trade recognitions: Fair Trade Federation, “Fair Trade Certified” by Fair Trade USA, “FAIRTRADE” by Fairtrade Labeling International, “Fair for Life Social & Fairtrade Certified” by IMO, and World Fair Trade Organization.
  • Anyone may nominate as many organizations as s/he would like. The same organization can be nominated for more than one award category, but a separate nomination form is required for each category.
  • From April 1-15, all nominations will be screened and scored by an Awards Committee at FTRN. The top 3 scoring nominations for each category will become Finalists, announced on this page by April 16. Criteria for each category are:

Category Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Criteria 4
Most positive change in a producer community Size of benefits

Hi: improves people’s overall quality of life

Med: helps people a lot in 1 aspect of their lives

Low: helps people somewhat in 1 aspect of their lives

 Length of time benefits should last

Hi: > 20 years

Med: 3-19 years

Low: < 3 years

 # of locals benefitting

Hi: > 1000

Med: 100-1000

Low: < 100

 Other
Outstanding long-term commitment to producers Length of relationship

Hi: > 10 years

Med: 3-9 years

Low: < 3 years

 Extent of commitment # of producers benefitting

Hi: > 1000

Med: 100-1000

Low: < 100

 Other
Best support of the Fair Trade movement Degree/size of support Breadth of support (inclusiveness) Need for such support Other
Most effective public education program Scope of education Impact of education Need for such education Other
Most effective advocacy for trade policy reform Scope of advocacy

Hi: international

Med: state

Low: town

 Impact of advocacy Need for such advocacy Other

  • Voting is open to all, and each person/e-mail address can vote only 1 ballot.
  • Only 1 award can be given to each organization, so 5 organizations will become winners.
  • Winners will be announced May 5, and celebrated at many World Fair Trade Day events May 6-20.
  • All nominations should accurately represent the nominee and the category for which it is nominated. If a nomination is found to be in violation of this rule, it will result in disqualification of the nomination.
  • FTRN has final approval of any language that appears with the nominations or award announcements.
  • By entering the contest submitters grant to Fair Trade Resource Network (i) a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and publicly perform the content of the nomination, and (ii)the right to use nominee organization name and location in promotions and publications specifically related to this award contest.
  • All decisions made by voters and FTRN are final and binding.

Contact contest administrator

Email Fair Trade Resource Network at wftday@ftrn.org or phone 917-464-5558.

More Information

Visit our World Fair Trade Day Toolkit, Events Calendar and other pages for more information.