Chicago Cubs Land Seven Players on the All-Star Team

Chicago Cubs Land Seven Players on the All-Star Team

Fair Trade, Indian Block Print and Jaipuri Razai

Want to read more about fair trade or some fair trade products? I have some new articles up since I posted last. Read more here:

Indian Block Print: 5000 Years of Colorful Beauty at http://www.squidoo.com/indianblockprint

Many of the fair trade handicrafts that are made in India use block print in their decoration. This article gives you a flavor of the painstaking work and skill that go into the block printing process.

Jaipuri Razai: A Traditional Indian Quilt at http://www.squidoo.com/jaipurirazai.
Jaipuri razai are lightweight, warm, comfortable quilts. They are available in the US (including on my site) as fair trade products.

Fair Trade at http://www.squidoo.com/fairtradestuff
A beginning summary of what fair trade is, what fair trade products are available, and why a consumer would be interested in knowing more.

If you like the articles, please don't forget to rate them!

Want to Change the World? Have a Cup of Coffee

Want to change the world? Don't want to make a big commitment? Buy a cup of coffee.

You may have one or more coffee shops in your area that serves fair trade coffee buy the cup. You can do a web search to find out where. If you live in a town that is a Fair Trade Town or has a Fair Trade Town committee, their website will list businesses that offer fair trade products, such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate. See, for example, Chicago Fair Trade. Stop by a coffee shop, have a cup of fair trade coffee, see if you like it. And what's not to like? By drinking a cup of coffee, you will have supported fair trade. And you will have changed the world.

If you can't find a coffee shop that serves fair trade coffee by the cup, do another search to find whole bean or ground coffee by the bag. You can sometimes find them in Whole Foods or other food stores that pay attention to sourcing of their products. Or you can buy bags of coffee online. Bring it home. Brew a pot. Have a cup and see if you like it. Have another cup. Brew another pot. And there you have it. By drinking a cup of fair trade coffee, you are supporting fair trade. And you, my friend, will be changing the world.

Oxfam Make Trade Fair Videos

Who Made Your Jeans?

When I first encountered the fair trade movement, I thought of it as a good idea for producers. Now, however, I am more and more convinced that the real benefit is for consumers. The toy recalls first brought that home to me. Remember them? Toys were recalled because they were painted with lead paint. Then I saw a report on CNN documenting that slave labor was used in an Indian sweatshop to manufacture jeans that were sold to the Gap. In the same report, it was shown that once the information had been made known to the Gap, they pulled the jeans in question from sale and set up a program to benefit the laborers. But doesn't it make you wonder who made the clothes you're wearing now? There must be slaves working in sweatshops, even now, even right this minute, that CNN hasn't filmed yet. And then there was the report that I heard on NPR that some dumplings that had been sold in street markets in China were found to contain old cardboard.

So how does a consumer reassure herself that her toys don't contain lead paint, her jeans weren't made by slaves and her food is wholesome? Sometimes, it isn't easy. But one way to do it is to look for fair trade products. Fair trade ensures that the producers of a product receive a fair wage and work in an humane environment in which decisions are made democratically. And fair trade products are earth-friendly.

Support fair trade. Change the world.

Just What Is Fair Trade Anyway?

Fair trade is a market-based means to greater social justice. This is how it works: In many, many places in the world, farmers or artisans form themselves into cooperatives. The members govern the cooperatives democratically. The growers or artisans set about earning their livelihood. Growers, for example, grow coffee, tea, rice, grapes (from which they make wine), olives (from which they make olive oil) and so forth. Fair trade food stuffs are increasing in variety practically monthly. Artisans make musical instruments, clothing, soccer balls, home decor items, such as bedding and table linens (red-faced plug: visit www.ImportedLinens.com (my site) to view some lovely fair trade block printed bedding and tablecloths). And in any case, the growers and artisans use earth-friendly means of producing their products. A fair trade distributor then enters the picture. The distributor pays the growers or artisans a living wage for the goods and gives the products direct market access. A portion of the earnings is used by the cooperatives to improve the community. For example, some cooperatives will build health care centers, others will build child care centers and schools. The distributor imports the products into the US, Canada or Europe (or elsewhere) and markets them, often through not-for-profit organizations that are sometimes, but not always, faith-based. Note that there is no room in this process for a sweat-shop operator to exploit the workers for his or her own gain. There is no contractor to take a margin on the price of the goods (which, instead of driving the cost of the goods up, would drive the wages of the workers down). There is no mass-marketing, branding or mass-producing. The producer receives a living wage, the process shows environmental stewardship and the product is high quality.

TransFair USA certifies agricultural products as fair trade products. The Fair Trade Federation offers membership to wholesalers and retailers who sell fair trade products. So US consumers can check out the certification or membership status to ensure legitimate fair trade status.

Hello, Fellow Fair Traders!

Welcome to my new blog, Sister Kate's Fair Trade Blog! Fair trade is an important option for consumers who wish to be able to spend their money on products that lift people up rather than pulling them down. By supporting fair trade, a consumer assists an artisan or grower as he or she works to rise above poverty, and supports environmental sustainability. Visit my site at http://www.ImportedLinens.com to acquaint yourself with some high quality, beautifully made fair trade products.