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Issues: Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing
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How I Learned to Live Below the Line
 
I'll be living below the line this year for the Somaly Mam Foundation - an organization that rescues girls from commercial sex work and provides a safe haven for victims of abuse or those at high-risk for trafficking. The foundation's namesake Somaly Mam survived a past of sex slavery and now dedicates her life to activism in her native Cambodia and the world.
 
I am particularly drawn to the work of this organization after my sister and I had the chance to visit Cambodia last December. We rented bicycles and spent three, hot, sweaty, glorious days exploring the vast rocky temples of Angkor Wat. According to UNICEF, over a quarter of all Cambodians live under the extreme poverty line and because of that, hordes flock to Angkor to hawk souvenirs - ranging from postcards to toenail clippers to wide-brimmed hats - fresh fruit and cold drinks. Tourists arriving at any temple could be guaranteed to be greeted by about 50 vendors, mostly children, who wouldn't take no for an answer. The theme song for the temples could easily be "Everyday I'm Hustling."
 
 
By day three, my sister and I were exhausted and we had become somewhat apathetic to such situations. So we asked a waitress how we could convince the peddlers to leave us be. She taught us the local phrase (phonetically) "Auk Men Loi" - basically "I have no money."
 
Auk Men Loi became our shield. Whenever we went, we needed only to utter it and vendors would part like oil on water, occasionally wide-eyed or giggling at our apparen 
fluency. We were gods.
 
Then we biked to a somewhat secluded temple and a handful of very young children dashed forward with offers of cocoanuts and key chains. "Auk Men Loi," I said, casting it out like a force-field. One girl - no more than seven years old - placed tiny fists on her hips. She cocked her head. "You have money and you don't spend on me. It's okay."
 
Her words broke through my Auk Men Loi barrier. With her clumsy constructed English sentences, she had managed to sum up our existences perfectly. I had money. I had things. I had a bicycle and a backpack full of snacks and a key for a hotel room with A/C and a shower. She had some key chains to sell and tattered clothes.
 
However, that was okay. She recognized that although unfair, this was how things were. It's okay that we have the privileges and luxuries that we have. Living with my own entitlement has been a struggle I've dealt with for years, and here this small girl who had so little was trying to absolve me of my guilt. We in America are so lucky to have the things we have, and yet it's okay that we enjoy them.
 
But, it's also okay if - for just a little while - we put such things aside and try in a small way to understand the lives of others. It's okay that search out alternatives to the unjust systems that keep such poverty in our world. It's okay that we share this message with whoever will hear it, so someday all Cambodians will see Angkor as a place to celebrate their history and not a marketplace from which to eke out an existence.
 
Because 1.4 billion people live on under a 1.50 a day. Because 22,000 children die from hunger or other preventable diseases every day. Because 1 out of 3 women will be abused, beat or coerced into sex in her lifetime.
 
And that is not okay.
 
That little girl from Angkor may never be a victim of trafficking or sexual abuse, but I am grateful that organizations like Somaly Mam will be there to protect her and others throughout Cambodia. I'll be living below the line for Somaly Mam because it's not okay for girls to be denied those basic safeties of childhood.
 
I hope you'll be joining me. Chose a charity that captures your heart, share this journey with those you live and work with, and tell the world you have no appetite for apathy.
Posted by Brittany Aubin in Poverty, Hunger, Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing, Women & Gender for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Apr 2nd, 07:43
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All's Fair(trade) in Love and War
 

This Valentine's Day we plan to “share the love.” Not just with our close friends and family, but with disadvantaged communities across the world. We don’t plan on making opulent donations or holding fiery protests. We’re putting down the petitions and simply picking up a different kind of present - a Fairtrade present, to be precise.

Purchasing Fairtrade products is one very simple and effective way for people to take action against poverty. In Australia, Fairtrade is still an emerging concept with consumer recognition of the Fairtrade label at only 44% in 2011. The good news though is that retail sales of Fairtrade products have steadily been growing since 2010, with a $35m increase within a year indicating that as time passes, more people are starting to catch on to the benefits associated with Fairtrade.

To try and shed some light on this important and growing movement, the Global Poverty Project sat down with two passionate Fairtrade advocates to help explain.

Changing people’s lives, one chocolate at a time
Karen Ngoh, founder of Fairtrade chocolate brand Heart of Chocolate says she was compelled to sell ethically sourced and produced chocolate bars after discovering that in many instances, the forced labor of children played a big role in producing the commercial chocolate that so many of us unwittingly enjoy today.  CNN’s documentary ‘Chocolate Child Slaves’ focuses on the chocolate production industry in the Ivory-Coast. In the investigation, children as young as seven have often been trafficked over borders to harvest cocoa, even though some have never even tasted chocolate.

Although Fairtrade is a top priority to Karen, her consumers’ needs are equally important. 

“People feel that they’re somehow being asked to do farmers a favor [when purchasing Fairtrade] and that they are compromising the selection, the packaging or the ultimate quality of the product they are receiving,” says Karen. 

But Karen’s chocolates have proved that companies can deliver products of an outstanding quality whilst still enhancing and contributing to the lives of the less fortunate. She's the exclusive Australian distributor of Seed and Bean chocolate, which has won five Great Taste Awards by the Guild of Fine Food, two from the Academy of Chocolate, and scored 100% in the UK's Ethical Company Organisation’s 2012 ranking.

Ensuring that farmers are self-sustainable all year round is another key part in being Fairtrade, and the Divine Chocolate range, which uses cocoa from the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative, Ghana’s largest Cocoa farming union, enables farmers throughout the off-season with a credit union that gives them access to credit and banking services at affordable rates. The women in particular are supported through a soap making initiative that makes use of the waste material from the burnt cocoa plants that can be sold so that they are less dependant on their husbands to provide for their families. 

Instant karma comes back to you, and it feels great!
The notion of helping producers to be independent also compelled Ric Webster who alongside his wife Jen Chaput, founded Instant Karma Roses, the first Fairtrade certified rose importer and distributor in Australia. By purchasing Fairtrade, farmers receive premiums that they can invest back into education, health care, transport and other crucial community sectors.

“It’s not just about helping people - its about helping people help themselves,” says Ric.

Instant Karma Roses come from Kenya and whilst Ric sees a lot of value in consumers buying local, he stresses the problem occurs when people mistakenly think they are buying domestic, when they’re actually buying imported flowers. 

"It's matter of knowing where [the flowers] come from,” says Ric. “Eighty percent of flowers are raised in Australia, and 20% are from overseas. But we want to give people the option to buy flowers where they always know the source is ethical."

He describes Australians as being ‘worldly’ people who he genuinely believes would make ethical purchasing decisions given the correct information. He urges other Fairtrade retailers to embrace the same optimism about their consumers. 

“You have to trust that customers do want to make a difference,” says Ric.

Making a difference
Getting people to understand the impact their purchasing decisions make is an ongoing  challenge in promoting Fairtrade. People seem to think that the concept of Fairtrade stops at workers receiving a fair wage, but there’s more to it than that. Workers receive a Fairtrade premium to invest in social, economic and environmental community development projects that promote sustainability in their communities; and farmers have the security of long-term contracts and use environmentally sustainable farming methods. Under the Fairtrade banner, forced and abusive child labour is prohibited and women receive equal pay to men.

“We can’t keep maintaining the status quo to keep going where workers and producers aren’t getting a fair share of what they produce,” says Daniel Mackey, Business Development Manager of Fair Trade Australia and New Zealand. 

He hopes that through the partnership with the Global Poverty Project, people will become more aware of the issues surrounding Fairtrade and therefore, consider the whole picture before picking up a product.

“Sharing the love is what Fairtrade is all about. When you buy a Fairtrade product you move beyond just buying a product for yourself - you’re buying a product you know has an impact on other people,” says Daniel. “It moves people away from individual consumption to conscious consumption.” 

He hopes that once people start to realise the merit in Fairtrade, ethically produced products will be the norm that will eventually push unethical products off the shelves. Dan ideally hopes that producers get to a level in which they can “develop the kind of voices that can negotiate on the world stage with industries and governments” so that over time they can be fully self-sufficient.  

Help us Share the Love!
As the name of our latest campaign suggests, we’re asking people to share the love with the people behind the products we give as gifts. Whether it's roses or chocolates, by choosing to buy Fairtrade gifts for every occasion you can ensure the presents you give to the ones you love give back to those most in need. To find out more about how you can support Fairtrade and take other actions to help end extreme poverty within our generation, go to www.sharethelovefairtrade.com. You can also share and show your support  for Faitrade this Valentine’s day by “liking” http://www.facebook.com/imbuyingFairtradethisValentinesDay
Posted by Anisha Senaratne, guest blogger in Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing for column GPP - Australia on Feb 8th, 17:18
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Gifts that Give Back
 

It is the most wonderful time of the year.  We are running from event to event, rushing to get packages to the post office, and hoping that we didn’t leave anyone off our lists.  At the very time that we are supposed to be feeling the love of family and friends, we are stomping over each other to get the last flat screen television on Black Friday.  This season should be a time for spreading joy and love. 

The holidays have become an industry valued at over $435 billion each year in the United States.  To put this figure into perspective, Bill Gates recently explained that, since efforts to end polio have thus far reduced cases by 99.9%, only $5.5 billion more would be needed to eradicate polio forever by 2018. It sounds like a lot, but we could wipe polio off the face of the earth for less than 2% of the money we’re spending on the holidays. 

The average household spends around $1,500 on holiday gifts.  As we pass our shopping baskets across the cash register we are voting on the world in which we want to live.  Fair trade or child labor?  Eco-friendly or toxic?  Labor laws or slavery?  The choices that we make at the point of sale shape the way that businesses operate.  For example, the Fair Trade Foundation has grown exponentially since its start in 1992 by providing customers with quality products and making social consciousness a key priority for many shoppers.  Consumers have said that they want the things they purchase to make a huge difference in the lives of others and businesses are responding. 

Many organizations offer products that allow you to give a gift while fighting extreme poverty.  The Somaly Mam Foundation’s Empowerment Store offers jewellery, scarves, and cards that have been made by survivors of sex trafficking.  Each purchase provides increased educational and vocational opportunities for young women.  Made By Survivors sells jewellry and clothing that have been made by landmine victims.  Global Goods Partners sells fair trade products made by artisan groups in 20 different countries.   


This best gift this holiday season is the gift of knowing that, in some small way, you helped bring an end to poverty.  Heifer International allows you to purchase livestock such as goats or chickens for a family in need.  Adopt a Minefield accepts donations to help clear minefields in countries like Cambodia.  The options for socially conscious gifts abound. 

In his story of how the holiday spirit transformed the life of one individual, Dr. Seuss explains, “He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!”


 
Posted by Judith Rowland in Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing for column GPP - United States on Dec 8th 2012, 06:28
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A million people fighting extreme poverty?
 
Every day around the country, people are supporting pathways out of extreme poverty by buying Fairtrade products.
 
With this simple action, they’re ensuring the producers behind their food, drink and clothing get paid a minimum, fair price for their goods, are guaranteed decent working conditions and have money to invest in things like education and healthcare. 
 
Imagine if the one million staff and students at Universities around Australia got behind Fairtrade...
 
Well, right now our partners at Fairly Educated are working to make this happen, by campaigning to make every Australian University Fairtrade by 2015. 
 
For the past few years the team at Fairly Educated have been building the University Fairtrade movement in Australia. They've been working to get Fairtrade into every University campus, to ensure students have the chance to support fairer trade systems. But they've discovered that it can be hard to influence University sourcing practices without the support of two key groups - the Tertiary Access Group (TAG) and Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS). That’s why they’ve launched a campaign calling on these two organisations to champion Fairtrade in Universities.
 
These two groups oversee wholesale procurement and sustainability policy for hundreds of Universities around the country, and are gatekeepers to the University markets. Their support could help get more Fairtrade products on University campuses, and provide a million people with the chance to fight poverty every day.
 
That's why Fairly Educated are petitioning TAG and ACTS to commit to support Fairtrade. Already more than 1,000 people have gotten behind the campaign. Now, before these two groups meet at the end of the month, we're asking Global Poverty Project supporters to help us show them just how many people support Fairtrade.
 
Help us support this important campaign: sign the Change.Org petition and then share it with your friends.
 
Posted by Renee Carr - Australian Communications Manager in Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing for column GPP - Australia on Sep 13th 2012, 01:57
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Kiwi Children Take the Lead
 

For the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to share the Fair Trade message with children from three schools in Wellington: Clifton Terrace School, St Francis de Sales School and Thorndon School.

I was very excited by the fact that six-year-old kids received the Fair Trade message with great passion. Older children (11 to 13 year-olds) were also very involved and shared their insights about making ethical choices. They shared their experiences of growers from their own countries and their knowledge of local businesses committed to becoming Fairtrade certified.

Although Fair trade originally began with coffee in 1988, you can now buy sugar, chocolate, bananas and olive oil, and elsewhere you can even buy Fairtrade grapes, mangoes, and jams! Now more than 4,500 products are licensed to carry the Fairtrade mark. Products originate from 58 countries all over the world including countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

In New Zealand, children are taking the lead. They have taken the first steps to motivate our society to become Fair Trade consumers. These children in New Zealand believe in Fair Trade and have made a clear decision to make ethical choices. They have successfully submitted their request to local and international chocolate companies to encourage them to become Fair Trade certified. My question is, ‘why are children so much more open to the Fair Trade message?’

As we become busy with our daily life and economic responsibilities, we tend to forget that what we consider a low-price for us as consumers, won’t be a fair price for most of the producers around the world. As a mum of a six-year-old boy and having been born in a country where most producers get paid (most of the time) less than a living wage which is what they need to lead a sustainable life; I must reinforce the importance of Fair Trade.

In my country, I have observed that it is possible for a family with an average income to feed themselves in a healthy way, educate their children, pay the rent, and go out for fun. However, this quality of life does not apply to most producers’ families, who are pushed to lower their prices by local and international markets. These families are included amongst the very poor in my country. Their children are not able to eat healthy food and they live in a substandard home environment.

Fair Trade prices are fairer because they always cover the cost of production and allow for sustainable livelihoods. Also, often a Fair Trade premium is added on. Local communities decide how to spend this premium which is often used to improve living and working conditions or for community projects. In 2008, NZ$68million was distributed for use in community development projects.

For this reason, Fair Trade Fortnight in New Zealand was a time for adults and children to reflect on the idea that buying Fair Trade products helps producers, businesses and familes. Over 1.2 million farmers and workers are now in the fair trade system. If you include families and dependants, Fairtrade International estimates six million people directly benefit from Fair Trade.

Fair Trade is about ensuring that communities are able to decide a fair price for their products. This allows them to feed their families, educate their children and work in safe conditions. At the end of the day, Fair Trade is about making more families happy.

Posted by Daniela Ramos Castillejos in Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing for column Action Stories on Jul 13th 2012, 12:53
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