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.

This week marks the official beginning of summer, and for many people, that means a favorite childhood campfire treat — the s’more. But as child labor, forced labor and trafficking continue to fuel the cocoa industry, traditional s’mores might leave a bitter aftertaste. That’s why chocolate lovers across the country are calling on some of America’s favorite celebrity chefs — Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse — to post Fair Trade s’mores recipes and additional information on their websites to help raise awareness about potential solutions to the problems that plague the cocoa industry. Sadly, none of these chefs have made a Fair Trade.
To read more, click here.

Twenty years ago, Fair Trade was a concept many people thought was for a niche market.

Now, Fair Trade products make more than $7 billion a year, helping more than 1 million workers around the world.

So how does buying a fair trade banana help people in developing countries?

To Find out more click here.