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In March, Fair Trade Towns USA sent 12 volunteer organizers on a 7 day learning tour of Fair Trade farms in Dominican Republic. The travelers came from town and city campaigns all over the country to see the effects of their hard work visiting cocoa, coffee and banana farms, as well as a sweat-free apparel factory. This series chronicles the trip through the eyes of a different organizer each day.
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On our first day with FEDECARES, the Fair Trade Towns USA Delegation walked in on the monthly general assembly meeting of LA ESPERANZA, a coffee association that is a member of FEDECARES. FEDECARES is a one of 4 National coffee federations in the Dominican Republic and the only one who sells Fair Trade coffee. FEDECARES has 134 member associations like ESPERANZA.
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EVERY MONTH LA ESPERANZA holds a meeting hearing its members’ voices, updating recent news and making decisions. The monthly meeting ensures representation from 134 towns, Fair Trade operational transparency and builds a mechanism that allows its members to own the cooperative and account for their community development.
At the general assembly meeting, committee members and farmer representatives introduced to us how the social premium is managed, a question most Fair Trade Town delegates sought to investigate first hand on this trip. Every 100 pounds of coffee sold generates a $20 social premium. $15 of the $20 goes to fund community development projects, while $5 supports quality improvement. Each year, the committee votes to decide what programs proposed by the communities to support each year, evaluating the importance and urgency |
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Since farmers have long been struggling to fight for better education, health care, housing and other public services, the Fair Trade social premium fund has mainly been spent on those areas. Up to today, 25 students from the cooperative have been supported to get bachelor degree. The community was able to improve the school buildings and build classrooms for night schools. The social funds has also provided health services to local community and covering their health care expenses. They also created a number of ‘multipliers’ who are trained by technicians on trash control, crop protection, etc. and are responsible to spread the knowledge and technique among farmers.
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Angel Arbar and his father are both at the meeting today. While his father is a representative of his community, Angel is among the Youth Relays Association, a sub-association composed of younger generation of coffee farmers. Angel was supported by Fair Trade social funds and was able to finish his college in Cuba. He came back to the Dominican Republic and became a Physical Education teacher at a middle school in Santo Domingo. “Years ago, people in my village had to travel 3 hours to gather water, now with support of social fund, every single house has their own water tab.” Said Angel’s father proudly, “and, my son was able to finish his college in Cuba, thanks to Fair Trade social funds’ support.”
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Fair Trade Towns USA Delegation with the ESPERANZA general assembly members. FEDECARES was born out of the necessity to rebuild the coffee regions after the devastating Cyclone David hit the Dominican Republic in 1979. The producers understood that by joining forces, they would become stronger. They began by creating an individual community association. Then in 1983, 60 |
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different community associations came together to form the regional structure known as “Federacion de Caficultores de la Region Sur” (FEDECARES). This non-for profit organization was legally recognized in August 1991. Since then, it has grown to include 134 associations in 13 different provinces. The main office of FEDECARES is located in the city of San Cristóbal. In 1989 FEDECARES joined fair trade as one of the first suppliers to the Max Havelaar Foundation (FLO’s original precursor).
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Day 4 at FEDECARES: Discovering the Social Premium at a General Assembly Meeting
21 04 2012
This blog post comes to us from Ruixi Hao of Fair Trade Boston. Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: 2012, cannibal flower, earlez grille, fair, fair trade, fair trade la, hoplar, joan harper, long beach, los angeles, manhattan beach, pam fong, pasadena, phil fehrle, santa monica, shahid brown, shahidbrown, women, world fair trade day
Categories : 63547, Action, Events
Day 3 at Alta Gracia Apparel Factory:
19 04 2012Kendra Frink of Fair Trade Overland Park, Kansas shares how a living
wage has led to improved lives of workers and their families.
“This is a dream. I am able to buy my kids uniforms and pay for health
insurance.? – Clari, Alta Gracia Employee
link: http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org/news/day-3-alta-gracia-apparel-factory/
APRIL 13, 2012
As we arrive in the community of Villa Altagracia, we make our way to the free trade zone (zona franca) where will visit the apparel factory ofAlta Gracia. Alta Gracia, a brand of Knight’s Apparel, produces collegiate clothing sold in university bookstores. The project focuses on unionized labor and mutual respect between the company and its employees, paying a living wage.
The factory where Alta Gracia is currently located is in a free trade zone. The building was once home to a Korean-based company which produced baseball hats and employed approximately 3000 people. A group of workers at the former factory contacted the Worker’s Rights Consortium (WRC) and United Students Against Sweatshops to create a coalition in order to pressure the company for better wages. They achieved the first bargaining agreement in a Dominican free trade zone. The process of creating the coalition and achieving the bargaining agreement was a great feat and learning experience for the employees; however because of competition with other factories, the company began to lay off workers. Eventually, the plant was shut down in 2007 as the production shifted overseas.
When the facilities shut down, five women sought help and started to build a movement with support from the Worker’s Rights Consortium. The WRC worked with Knight’s Apparel, to initiate the Alta Gracia project. In order to establish a living wage, in contrast to the country’s legal minimum wage in a free trade zone, they conducted studies of the wages necessary for a worker to support a family of five. The group established a wage that was three times higher than the minimum. Knight’s Apparel engaged in open discussions with the workers and collective bargaining rights were respected throughout the process. The Alta Gracia factory opened in the existing free trade zone in April 2010. Currently, Alta Gracia has 135 employees and the monthly wage is approximately RD$20,800/month ($548USD), compared to the legal minimum wage of approximately RD$5900/month ($155USD) and the wages are evaluated every October. The factory completes the sewing, tagging and application of the certification emblem for the clothing.
We had the opportunity to hear stories from Alta Gracia employees describing how working at the factory has positively transformed their lives. Ricardo shared, “I used to work at an electric company. I had to cut power to those who did not pay their bills. I made 7000 pesos (approx. $185USD) per month. I applied to Alta Gracia since I had worked in some free trade zones as a machine operator.” Clari said, “This is a dream. I am able to buy my kids uniforms and pay for health insurance.” Alberto shared, “I have a lot of experience in textiles. I had worked in another free trade zone and heard I could make four times more. Everybody thought it wasn’t true.” Carlotta said, “I used to work at a bakery. I now make more in a week than I used to make in a month. I have bought an acre of land to build a house.” All of the employees shared that they have a much better life working at Alta Gracia.
It was very uplifting to hear how working on this project has impacted the lives of the employees. Being members of a union, they are able to bargain collectively and are respected in their workplace. In Spanish, the term for “living wage” is “salario digno”, and the wages received at Alta Gracia are just that – a dignified salary.
http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org/news/day-3-alta-gracia-apparel-factory/
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Categories : 63547, Action, Events
Fair Trade Speaker Tonite Feb 15th
15 02 2012
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Support Fair Trade Buy Fair Trade Tote Bags
17 01 2012FTLA supports women in Kolkata, India, who live and work in the Red Light district. They now have gainful employment with a fair wage, health benefits and education. Support these women and FTLA’s education efforts by purchasing one of their beautiful Fair Trade reusable shopping bags. Send an email to fairtradela@gmail.com and let us know of your interest. We are not set up for credit cards so payment will need to be by check. The cost is $20 plus.
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Categories : 63547, Action, Fair Trade products
6th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Bazaar
6 12 2011Don’t spend your hard earned dollars at the mall, buying overpriced gifts made in countries with no labor or environmental protections!
Shop with a clear conscience at our 6th Annual Fair Trade and Conscious Gifts Holiday Bazaar.
Browse through a wide selection of hand-made goods made either internationally with fair-trade standards, or locally by LA-based artists.
There will be jewelry, purses, pillow covers, and more from Afghanistan, as well as books, T-shirts, candles, soaps, oils, handicrafts, and much much more!
Click here to view our new inventory of hand-made gifts from Afghanistan: http://tinyurl.com/6ruauvq.
These items are made in RAWA’s income generation projects. They include gorgeous necklaces with inlaid semi-precious stones, earrings, bracelets, purses, keychains, mirrored keepsake boxes, novelty keychains, and more!
Download the flyer here: http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/graphics/local/holiday_bazaar_2011.pdf
Entrance is Free. There will be complementary hot coffee and tea plus delectable cookies and pastries!
Visit www.afghanwomensmission.org for more information.
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Tags: 2011, California, fair trade, fair trade la, ftla, Holidays, joan harper, los angeles, pasadena, phil fehrle, shahid brown, shahidbrown, women, xmas
Categories : 63547, Action, Events, Present & Past Events
Fair Trade Federation Newsletter
6 12 2011| Great Products From our Newest FTF Members
A warm welcome to our newest members:
Connected Goods www.connectedgoods.com
Dsenyo www.dsenyo.com
Africa Schools of Kenya www.askenya.org
Earth Lover www.earthlovershopping.com
Just in time for your holiday shopping, here are some of their products! Fair + Fashionable. Accessorize in style: festive hairbands, a luxurious gold pendantor brightly beaded Maasai necklaces are on trend.
Get cozy. With colder weather arriving, lounge around the house in cute pajama pantsand a shawl. Curl up with a cup of tea and a warm lambswool throw to complete the experience!
Give the gift of relaxation during the hectic holiday season, with smoothing body oils or a charming
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| 2012 Annual Conference Call for Speakers
Our 2012 annual conference will be held May 21-23 in Bellevue, WA. We are seeking proposals for conference sessions that will speak to the needs and interests of FTF members and others involved in fair trade. Click here for more information about the conference and to download the speaker proposal. Submit proposals to info@fairtradefederation.org by December 1. Please also pass this along to others in your network who may be dynamic speakers – particularly those in the Seattle area. Thank you for helping us to build a dynamic and informative conference program! |
| Sincerely,
Fair Trade Federation |
 Give the gift of hope this holiday season by empowering women in the developing world.
Purchase fair trade gifts for your loved ones!
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Tags: 2011, California, culture, fair, fair trade, fair trade la, ftla, hollywood, joan harper, phil fehrle, shahid brown, shahidbrown, women, world fair trade day
Categories : 63547, Fair Trade LA Links
Support Clarity In Fair Trade
6 12 2011Together we can make a difference in our own communities and in the lives of marginalized farmers, workers and artisans around the world. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to FTRN, the only national, Fair Trade organization that educates about all certifications, organizational recognitions, brands and producers in the Fair Trade movement.
Your year-end donation helps Fair Trade producers and advocates get clarity during these confusing times of monumental change:
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Photo courtesy of Project Have HopeFTRN produces the only national, ongoing, live public discussions of key issues in Fair Trade through webinars, seen by over 1000 people in 2011. Our inclusive approach has enabled advocates to interact with diverse panelists such as: the Director of the Small Producers Symbol and Latin America Producer rep on FLO Standards Committee (Jerónimo Pruijn van Engelen); the CEO of Fair Trade USA (Paul Rice); a leading researcher of the impacts of Fair Trade (Danielle Giovannucci); a certification officer of a Dominican Republic banana business (Helen Nicolas); the Fair Trade Organic Coffee Buyer of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Ed Canty); co-founder of Equal Exchange (Jonathan Rosenthal); and, Director of Canaan Fair Trade & Founder of Palestinian Fair Trade Association (Nasser Abufarha). All webinar recordings and notes are free to access.
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Photo courtesy of Fibres of LifeOver 2500 people voted in our 3rd annualFair Trade Photo Contest, in which producers and advocates submitted photos and told stories about Fair Trade. The 12 winning photos became the featured images in our 2012 Fair Trade Calendar, the only wall calendar focused on Fair Trade in N. America.
Your donation will help FTRN to make these new programs successful:
Co-organizing a Fair Trade Leadership Summit, through which stakeholders in N. America’s movement can clarify direction for Fair Trade and collaborate on urgent issues.- Launching N. America’s only inclusive, grassroots membership program for the Fair Trade movement, Fair Trade Society, through which any person can access in-depth analysis of news, receive free advocacy resources, and qualify for specials on Fair Trade products.
FTRN will also strengthen our widely respected existing programs, such as:
3. Several popular and definitive publications about Fair Trade: the 2012 Fair Trade wall calendar, a kid’s book Think Fair Trade First!,and a leading introductory booklet that has over 65,000 copies distributed, An Overview of Fair Trade in North America.We ask for your support of the Fair Trade Resource Network to strengthen educational resources and discussion about all interests within the fragmented Fair Trade movement. Your donation also creates life changing opportunities for marginalized people around the world.
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Tags: 2011, California, fair trade, fair trade la, ftla, hollywood, joan harper, los angeles, phil fehrle, world fair trade day
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Fair Trade VS. Free Trade
6 12 2011Like this:
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Categories : 63547, Fair Trade LA Links, Public Policy
Women Hold Up Half The Sky – Skirball Cultural Center
6 11 2011
 The Skirball Cultural Center is pleased to present Women Hold Up Half the Sky, on view October 27, 2011-March 11, 2012.In conjunction with Women Hold Up Half the Sky and commemorating the United Nations 2012 International Year of Cooperatives, Audrey’s Museum Store at the Skirball offers a pop-up shop of handcrafted items representing women’s cooperatives and female artisans from around the world through the end of December. Each organization represents the transformative power of women working together to provide for their families, educate their children, pass on deep-rooted traditions, and promote gender equality.Included here is just a selection of the many affordable gift items that are available in the pop-up shop. Check back for new additions. View our interactive listing of participating organizations for additional information.http://shop.skirball.org/Women-Hold-Up-Half-the-Sky/3166/dept |
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Categories : 63547, Action, Events, Fun stuff, Present & Past Events, Quality of Life
FAIR TRADE PASADENA BENEFIT A SUCCESS!
6 11 2011
Fair Trade Pasadena (FT Pasadena) held its first ever benefit on Friday, October 21, 2011 at Lineage Dance Company in Pasadena. FT Pasadena is raising funds to better educate the people of Pasadena and others about the important benefits of Fair Trade and to promote their Fair Trade efforts in Pasadena. Their larger goal is to have Pasadena become the first Fair Trade Town in Southern California.
Mayor Bill Bogaard attended the event to welcome the guests and to share the work of Pasadena in promoting sustainability, a key element of Fair Trade. He also presented the “Fair Trade Pasadena Supports Women” Teen Poster Contest Award to Madeleine Cameron, a student at the Peace and Justice Academy in Pasadena. Her poster, highlighting the empowerment of women through Fair Trade, was selected from a number of entrants. Mayor Bogaard has been approached by the FT Pasadena committee to consider a resolution, declaring Pasadena a Fair Trade Town, and has expressed interest in further dialogue. Pasadena would be the first Fair Trade Town in Southern California and the 25th in the U.S.
Guests were treated to powerful dance performances by Lineage Dance, highlighting Farmer, Artisan and World. FT Pasadena members set the context for these dances by reading quotes from farmers, artisans and the Nine Principles of Fair Trade from the Fair Trade Federation. Those who attended left with a deeper understanding of Fair Trade, many with wonderful silent auction items they had “won,” and gratitude for having had the opportunity to appreciate this wonderful dance company.
As you may know, Fair Trade is an alternative to conventional trade and is based on relationships. Fair Trade products ensure that the producer receives a fair wage and that there are healthy working conditions. An underpinning of Fair Trade is sustainability- from coffee to handmade clothing. With each Fair Trade purchase, you get quality products that improve lives, strengthen communities, and protect the environment.
FT Pasadena is a campaign of Fair Trade LA and is in its second year and already they have many successful accomplishments. Since it began, FT Pasadena has held a number of events, including being part of “A Taste of Fair Trade” Bike Ride held during Bike Week Pasadena, an event that brought cyclists to stores in Pasadena that sell Fair Trade.
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Tags: 2011, bill boggard, California, cannibal flower, cannibalflower, earlez grille, fair, fair trade, fair trade la, ftla, golden state, joan harper, Madeleine Cameron, pasadena, phil fehrle, shahid brown, shahidbrown, Third World, trade, world, world fair trade day
Categories : 63547, Action, Events, Fun stuff, Present & Past Events
