We are delighted to announce that a new and exciting adventure for Blue people Fair Trade, Ltd. We will no longer be selling on eBay/World of Good, but are now the exclusive US distributors for London based, tagua jewelry designer Claudia Suarez and her company, Artisan Life. Here is a little bit about the company:

Artisan Life was established in 2004 with the purpose of
promoting Colombian artisans and their craft by
commercialising unique handcrafted jewellery and fashion
accessories. All of our products are sourced on a Fair
Trade basis using natural and sustainable materials.
Our mission is to provide Colombian artisans with
opportunities to expand beyond their local markets while
striving for the sustained development of the environment
and the progress of artisan communities. Our efforts focus
on improving the artisans’ quality of life by fostering
professional development, while promoting artisan crafts
as a profitable income generation alternative. In Colombia,
handcrafts continue to provide an important source of
income, especially for women who have limited options
for productive employment. Many of our suppliers have
established employment programmes exclusively for
women who are also the main providers of their households.

Artisan Life is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization

In the next weeks and months we will be changing our website to reflect our new status. We will also be selling off all of our merchandise on auction from eBay/World of Good. If you are a wholesaler and are interested in carrying this incredible jewelry, please contact me at lisa@bluepeoplefairtrade.com.

I just read an article that was very articulate about the fair trade movement and how Transfair/FairTrade USA have changed the whole essence of the fair trade movement when it comes to fair trade commodities in this country. When ever you have a small cooperative of farmers and a large conglomerate, somehow the conglomerate always wins…and the little guy gets what he always got…which is screwed. Read the article “The Theft of Fair Trade: A Producers Perspective” and see what you think. You can access it here

This article explains how the new rules affect the small farmers so we can all understand it. While you’re there, click “I Stand with Small Farmers-Take Action” and see what you can do.

I am always a little wary when it comes to big corporations “embracing” fair trade because it usually sticks of “fairwashing”; however, if it’s true that Apple is committed to being the first fair trade technology company, then this will set the bar higher for other technology companies and their labor practices. And, since Apple is one of the biggest companies on the planet, this could have an incredible affect on the fair trade movement. “Think Fair” will join “Think Different”. Somehow, I think Steve Jobs would approve of this….

We’ll wait and see, but I hope this is a sincere attempt on Apple’s part to make the world a fairer place to work. To read more, CLICK HERE.

Happy 2012! Thanks to all those who helped make 2011 a good year for Blue People Fair Trade! There are new things coming and we’ll be sharing those things with you soon.

There is a new Fair Trade calendar available from the Fair Trade Resource Network at a 50% discount(that’s only $4.95 plus shipping). For those of you who aren’t familiar with the FTRN their Mission Statement is:

The Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) seeks to improve people’s lives through Fair Trade alternatives by providing information, leadership, and inspiration. FTRN gathers, develops, and disseminates educational resources to people and organizations interested in the movement to build a more just and sustainable world through Fair Trade.

You can order the calender here. And, yes, they take PayPal.

Start the new year off right by helping the FTRC educate more people about fair trade. You can also donate, if you’d like.

This is one of the reasons that it is so important to BUY FAIR TRADE this Holiday Season and all of 2012. Please BUY FAIR TRADE…because it matters.

I’m sure most of you have heard that Fair Trade USA, the certifying body for fair trade commodities in the USA, has split from the Bonn-based Fairtrade International, the body that regulates international fair trade commodities. Many people, including myself, believe that this move has diluted the fair trade brand and only confuses folks, who don’t understand what all these labels mean.

Paul Rice, the chief executive of Fair Trade USA says that “We are after results,” he said. “We want to get things done.” But it seems that he has just fallen in with big corporations that want to “fairwash” their other unfair trade practices. Fair Trade USA’s new standards will be more lax, so that only a small percentage of the ingredients of a product has to be “fair trade”. This raises the question whether or not the small farmer co-operatives who are 100% fair trade will be at an unsustainable disadvantage because they are using a different set of rules that are more stringent and expensive to earn fair trade certification. The companies who Fairtrade USA has worked with include Wal-Mart and Starbucks, although you can go in most any Starbucks and find no brewed fair trade coffee. And Wal-Mart is erratic with it’s fair trade offerings.

Some people in the movement are talking about boycotting the new certifying mark and I am inclined to do that, too. So, if you care about the people in developing countries who are just trying to have the basics in life, you might want to consider boycotting…we have power with our pocketbooks, so let Fairtrade USA know what you think.

If you want to read more, click here.

Remember when buying fair trade meant something revolutionary? These days, purchasing fair trade products is about as subversive as wearing a Rage Against the Machine t-shirt. Heck, you’ll even be able to add “one-of-a-kind handicrafts made by artisans in developing countries” to your online shopping cart on WalMart’s website, according to Huffington Post.

Coffee was one of the first—and most effectively marketed—fair trade products. As I write this, I’m finishing my fourth cup of fair trade coffee this morning—we usually brew two massive pots every day at the Utne Reader office. But fair trade coffee, a certified product meant to supplant the neo-colonial exploitation of farmers in the global South, has done little to impress free trade skeptics and anti-capitalists.

To read more click here.

The Hershey Co. has been given an “F” by several non-profit groups for allegedly failing to remove child labor from its chocolate production.

A year ago, fair trade organizations Green America, Global Exchange and the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) challenged Hershey, claiming the company used forced, child, and trafficked labor in its chocolate products. The groups published a report, “Time to Raise the Bar: The Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company.” The report was released around the same time as Hershey’s first Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

According to ILRF, an estimated 211 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are compelled to work around the world. These children produce rubber, cotton, coffee and work in mines to produce goods that are traded to the United States and other developed countries.

To read more click here.

When you go out to buy coffee, bananas, tea or gifts for your friends or family, do you ever think about the human being that grew and harvested that coffee (It wasn’t Juan Valdez) or the person who made that beautiful pair of earrings? Do you think about their living conditions? If their children are getting enough to eat or are able to pay the fees to go to school? Do you ever wonder about their dreams and aspirations? What they want to do with their lives?

The reality is that a lot of the people who provide you with the food and crafts you take for granted live in squalid conditions, with not enough to eat and unable to send their children to school.And this affects mostly women and children. But, with fair trade, they get a fair deal. They are paid a living wage in the context of their country and are able to do the things that we take for granted here in the Western world, like feed and educate their children

And here’s another factoid: the US consumes 25% of all the world’s resources and only has 5% of the world’s population. Don’t you think it’s time to step back and get a clue? Buy fair trade as much as you can…because it really DOES matter.

So many special women help make Fair Trade successful here in the United States and around the world. These women farmers and workers are leading their families and communities out of poverty by selling their goods on Fair Trade terms. They are running profitable Fair Trade cooperatives, creating community programs and sending new generations of children to school. Without their unwavering perseverance and dedication, Fair Trade could never be what it is today. Please take a moment to help us recognize the inspiring women of our African Fair Trade cooperatives who are the champions of change within their communities and across the globe. To find out more go here.