How Do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to Our Shared Principles

8/6/2019 How Do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to Our Shared Principles

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Mitch Teberg, MAAssociate Member

Journey for Fair Trade:How do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere

to our Shared Principles?

July 27, 2011

In June, I added a blog post, "Our Values, Our Fair Trade Principles", and from this postI have had several comments from multiple perspectives. With the goal of making

issues faced in Fair Trade transparent, I have decided to make room for commentariesfrom producers, retailers, networks, and advocates by providing space for continuing adiscussion that I believe desperately needs to occur. As you read this and feel you havesomething to contribute, I fully encourage your contribution in the comments below.

When we look at Fair Trade as a global system, on one end you have Producers of FairTrade products that are closely scrutinized in their adherence to the principles of FairTrade in the various certification systems. However, there remains a question of FairTrade retailers - how are they adhering to our principles? In particular is the questionabout the large Fair Trade chains, are they in the words of one Fair Trader, simplybecoming "an outlet for exclusive WFTO products"? Several times the question came

up about Fair Trade retailers and importers not necessarily being held accountable toFair Trade Producers.

http://www.indochinenatural.com/


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Indochine Natural, an all-natural soap producer, established by Dr. Mike Thair and his

wife, Linh are in the process of becoming a WFTO-Asia member. I met with them onthis Journey and witnessed firsthand how they put Fair Trade principles into theireveryday practices. In the post on Values and Principles he made a few observationsworth noting here:

While there is a lot of focus on Producers and their adoption of these principles, whatabout the retailers themselves? Are they offering employment opportunities for thedisadvantaged in their own communities and capacity building? Is there adequatetransparency with customers on retail pricing?

I would like to see these Principles applied across the entire Fair Trade supply chain.

OK, the retailers are providing outlets for Fair Trade products, but I think it needs to bemore than this.

http://playingfair.com.au/

Retailer, Playing Fair, added to this comment concerning their role as a retailer and therole of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ):

I'll second what Indochine Natural said. As a retailer there is more to the business thanjust being an outlet for exclusive WFTO endorsed products. What about the role I playin the local collective, or the info I send out about FTAANZ with each order? I reallyneed to sit down and make these part of a mission statement, so that they are properlyaccounted for and in the forefront of my mind as I go about the daily business.

Jose, a Fair Trade advocate in Spain, wrote his perception on this issue:

I must say that I would also LOVE to see these Principles applied across the ENTIREFair Trade supply chain.

I believe the whole Fair Trade chain and consumers should be more aware of ALLconditions and demand more transparency and commitment to FT principles "here andthere".


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Fair Trade Retailers have an obligationto follow the same principles as the

producers.

With that said, I went in search of an example of a local Fair Trade shop and member ofa Fair Trade chain dedicated to expanding Fair Trade locally by providing opportunitiesfor a disadvantaged group in their community to enter Fair Trade. I owe a special thanksto Maryann Wohlwend, a Board Member of the Ten Thousand Villages store in

Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA, for her contribution to this long overdue blog post.Maryann is truly a Catalyst for Social Change in her community, bringing various socialinterests and businesses together for a common purpose! Her's is an inspirational storyof commitment, devotion, insight and reflection. For this reason I have reprinted heremail in its entirety, and the emphasis placed throughout are her own:

Hello Mitch~great to hear from you. Excellent posting, as usual, and I am encouragedto read the comments of those who sincerely seek to make a difference and discussthese issues... My work for both, Lydia's Purse International & as a regional BoardMember for a TTV store in Cleveland Hts, Ohio allows me to see both sides of thesecoins.

I had considered shipping myself, working with groups in the Philippines and India (forLPI), and have concluded that it is best for small producers to start by selling within theirlocal markets. When I considered the impact of these small groups being truly self-sustaining, I discovered how powerfully they can take the lead in strengtheningtheir communities!Their retail presence introduces customers to the need ~ they havethe opportunity to communicate & educate consumers on FT principles ~ when theconsumer has been engaged, they can be invited to participate in the solution as a


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customeror a volunteerof the producing organization, or as a donorto supply needs,

network on their behalf & meet long term goals for the organization.

Working within my own local community, Lydia's Purse International's presence inNorthEast Ohio is accomplishing just this! Our mission is to Empower Women ofExcellence ~ "Sewing Handbags & Sowing Hearts". We believe that when a womancomes to know her True Worth & Great Value as a child of God, and is provided anopportunity WITHIN COMMUNITYto quickly learn a new confidence-building skill~andthis is most important ~ ENCOURAGED & having FUN alongside a volunteer who issharing the process WITH her, not lording authority over her, a woman passing througha rescue mission has a chance to break the cycle of generational poverty! It is truly amustard seed of Global Change!!

You see, within the past 18 months, since sharing the Vision of Lydia's PurseInternational (via word of mouth, blog, a simple marketing trifold & selling handbags),we have received mountains of donated fabrics from the Ohio Design CenterShowrooms, as well as other area fabric & furniture stores, seamstresses & ZEROLandfillorganization. The ladies who work in these interior design showrooms will go sofar as to rescue discarded swatches from their dumpsters ~ to provide for the localLydia's Purse class & keep them from mounding area landfills!!

Along this supply chain, we have educated and engaged retired sewing teachers & area philanthropists to beFRIEND and encourage the Participants, as Volunteers in theclassroom ~ and beyond! These volunteers are so inspired by the Vision that somecontinue the friendships when the Participants have graduated from the rescue mission,or they have brought donors to our door, providing brand new sewing machines andresources to operate the class and send Level III graduates off with brand new sewingmachines of their very own!!


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Participants who are in the long term care of the rescue mission offer to make handbags(from the rescued & rePURPOSEd design swatch fabrics) for inventory sales (whichraises extra operating funds) while they continue to make friends and receive deeperdiscipleship training. Volunteers, rescue mission staff, even I am still making handbagsto contribute to sales.

Our collections have found a niche in area independent FT stores, produce markets,home parties & coffee shop sales events. Even the rescue mission is able to host salesevents for staff & the public, as all sales are handled by my company, MaryannDesigns,ltd. My company then retains a small percentage of profits (toward operating costs &expenses), while donating the greater portion back to the non-profit rescue mission,

which hosts the class and provides the inventory. One local, well-established market,even donates the space we use to sell handbags and share the Vision, without requiringany repayment in return, its owner simply wanted to use his business in a generous &responsible way!!

In the past 18 months, the branches of our little tree have sprouted and Lydia's PurseInternational has sold hundreds of bags ~ each reflecting the story of a Woman whowas discarded by society & discovered a new purpose and HOPE ~ the perfectmetaphor for the handbags they are creating! Even the pattern's 4 panel design reflectsthe Vision of Empowerment within community: 4 unique fabrics, representing womenfrom different facets of Life, coming together to form a beautiful & functional

commUNITY!!

In my former business, MaryannBags, ltd, I created one of a kind silk handbags, pricedto compete with other brand-recognized items of "quality". When we first started sellingthe collections of Lydia's Purse International, I priced the handbags a little higher thanthe market for competing FT items... only to realize that the Vision, which the bagsrepresent, is Priceless (and frankly, we weren't selling too many)!! My own way ofthinking about quality vs quantity was transformed, and we established a new retail

price (which was a bit lower than the original wholesale cost). The new retail prices,$12 for an extra large MarketBAG and $10 for a medium ShopTOTE, now attractcustomers who, when they learn about the Vision, will often purchase for themselves,

family, friends & as meaningful gifts ~ and also, because we have not "dictated" theitems' great Value by overpricing, some customers donate monies above and beyondtheir receipt, to support the Vision, Mission & Women of Lydia's Purse International!!


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As a current Board Member of our local Ten Thousand Villages store, also, I have nomisgiving about their Mission to only support & sell the products of select Global artisangroups, sharing their stories in North American markets. Yes, they are a large, well-established FT retailer now, and were a leader 60 years ago, when founded, simply, bya woman on a missions trip with a Vision.

There's a place for all of us who have a desire to "Be the Change we want to See".

As a little girl who dreamed of seeing the world, I could never have imagined that mypath would lead through a meadow on the French Alps, overlooking the City of Geneva~ praying for the nations of the World... to dusty, rural villages in southeast India ~listening to stories of young widowed mothers hoping for a better Life...to the 1st Lydia'sPurse class a half hour away from home ~ seeing smiles begin to form on the faces ofwomen who have just learned to sew...and replying to an email request for a new classin Morogoro, Tanzania ~ to empower Swahili women who are quite literally dying forlack of HOPE!

One of the foundational verses for Lydia's Purse International is found in the Heart ofGod, written by Paul in a letter to Corinth, and handed down for generations of thosewho support the value of all. 1Corinthians 1:26-29 "Brothers & Sisters, think of whatyou were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; notmany were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things ofthe world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the


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strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things

that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."

The greatest commandment we have been given to live by is to Love ourNeighborsas we Love ourselves. Each person has seeds of education & experienceto sow, resources to refresh others or the light of compassion to cheer those in need.There is UNITY in commUNITY, and a self-sustaining mission can truly strengthen a

local region...and inspire Change in the Global Economy!

Are you Blooming where you are planted?

Mitch ~ this was meant to be a simple reply that grew and grew into an overdue blog

post!!

Please feel free to contact me!!I look forward to hearing from you,Maryann Wohlwend

Maryann's commitment to localizing Fair Trade in her community is exemplary.Honestly, if Fair Trade is to be relevant in every community where a retailer exists, thereneeds to be a similar effort to provide opportunities beyond simply offering sociallyconscious purchases and feeling good about it. Fair Trade Retailers have an obligation

to follow the same principles as the producers.

What struck me most about her story was how she was able to connect interest groupssuch as Zero Landfill and local businesses that embrace social responsibility such asthe Ohio Design Center Showrooms. Furthermore, she found outlets for sales inindependent Fair Trade shops, local produce markets, home-based activities, coffeeshops, and one marketplace which donates space for selling and sharing the vision ofLydia's Purse.

Back to the Fair Trade retailers... in February I wrote a blog post, Catalysts for SocialChange. In that post I included a Fair Trade Advocacy Matrix which I have added here.

This matrix is useful for initiating or reinvigorating a Fair Trade Awareness Campaign inyour community regardless of where you reside. The purpose is to begin brainstormingon how Fair Trade can become a reality in your community by raising awarenessthrough Shop-Based Advocacy, in religious institutions, with social networks, amongststudents, on campuses and to mobilize activists.


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Fair Trade Advocacy Matrix

Types of Advocacy / Activities

Fair Trade Shop Store events such as Advocates Appreciation Day orbrainstorming sessions on ways to advocate Fair Tradein the community

Sponsored activities such as a Fair Trade Run

Brochures on Fair Trade

Provide a handout of websites and online resourcesrelated to the various issues Fair Trade addresses

Books and publications national and international

Facebook and Twitter accounts, blogs and websites. Usethese to link and network locally, nationally and globally

Religious institutions Many address social issues such as poverty or socialinjustice. Align with them!

Gatherings of the Faithful often include drinking andeating. Fair Trade products could be purchased for thesegatherings make Fair Trade tangible.

Seasonal or religious holidays often entail gift-giving Imagine volunteers selling Fair Trade gifts offered onbooths in the reception area or lobby

Social networks and

organizations

Join meetings to discuss the relevance of Fair Trade withissues that concern them

Gatherings often include drinking and eating. Fair Tradeproducts could be purchased for these gatherings make Fair Trade tangible.

Show solidarity for social change movements! Participatein their campaigns for social justice and invite them to

join in Fair Trade oriented activities

University / College Students Target a specific economic activity that can be convertedto Fair Trade such as coffee, then design a campaign tobring change to your campus

Connect with like-minded faculty on campus, get theminvolved in your movement

Show solidarity for social change movements oncampus! Participate in their campaigns for social justice

and invite them to join in Fair Trade oriented activities Facebook and Twitter accounts, blogs and websites. Use

these to link and network locally, nationally and globally


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High Schools Participate in community advocacy efforts

Brainstorm on how you can bring social change to yourschool

Some schools have a drama club or theatre. Create adrama calling for social justice and Fair Trade

Involve your teachers in the movement! Many havesimilar concerns and are terrific resources

Social Justice campaigns

and activists

Networking with advocacy groups and campaigns willexpand your exposure and show solidarity with othersocial concerns

Gatherings often include drinking and eating. Fair Tradeproducts could be purchased for these gatherings

make Fair Trade tangible.

Fair Trade retailers are essential to the equation and how they integrate the principles ofFair Trade is important to the Movement as a whole. Our efforts to Make Trade Fair canbegin by reviewing the current practices and activities of our retailers and identifyingareas for improvement.

If you have a story you want to share on how your store is central to an advocacycampaign; promoting Fair Trade through ongoing creative cultural activities; or involvingcommunity organizations in the movement, feel free to share it in the commentary

below.

Special thanks to Dr. Mike Thair of Indochine Natural in Malaysia, Nadiah from PlayingFair (Australia), Jose of Spain, and Maryann Wohlwend of TTV/Lydia's Purse inCleveland Heights, Ohio, USA.


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Chou, I and Little Journey thank you for joining us in our ongoing Journey for Fair Trade

now based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Feel free to leave comments, thoughts andideas below!

Mitch Teberg, MA 2011

International Consultant

Sustainable Development / Fair Trade

Researcher / Trainer / Consultant

www.journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com

Posted on:http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-do-fair-trade-retailers-adhere-to.html

Comments:Maryann Designs said...

Mitch, thank you for including the entire email. I am humbled by your commendation,and surprised by all that I have actually accomplished as a Stay at Home Mom. Everyonecan make a BIG difference~Blooming where they have been Planted!!

Blessings to you and your Precious Family, your work and our Global commUNITY!

July 28, 2011 8:00 AM

Ingrid said...

Any retailer that belongs to the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) must follow its

standardshttp://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1506&Itemid=29

3.

Ten Thousand Villages is a founding member of WFTO.

July 28, 2011 9:41 AM

Indochine Natural said...


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Thanks Mitch, this is an important topic and my wish would be to see a lot of

contributions to this discussion from retailers.

Yes, we have the WFTO standards, but in practice the compliance is at the producer end,

not with retailers. How many Fair Trade retail stores for example have provided

employment opportunities and capacity building in their stores for local disadvantagedcitizens?

I would like to see WFTO devise a set of standards that are specifically related to retailsettings, and thus complement the compliance at the producer end of the supplier chain.

July 28, 2011 8:59 PM

early raisersaid...

Thank you Mitch...and wish you best for the endeavour to promote Fair Trade. The

questions/concerns you highlighted are very important in the interest of making use of

Fair Trade as instrument/model for development and giving attention to the marginalizedsegment of society.

Yes, it is a must that all participants/links in the value chain must observe the Fair Tradeprinciples/practices faithfully. In realistic terms, though, there is need for time to

comply/meet all the standards. Based on experience, I do not mind if this will take awhile, longer for some, shorter for others. I have no worry becuase "doing Fair is doingGood"; and doing good gradually take roots in peoples hearts - I have no doubt that at

some point, people will find fulfilment in doing good, and this will sustain them to do so,

in deeper ways, in the long run.

I just had a recent interview with a very interesting Fair Trade "researcher/advocate" a

week ago, and I remember telling her that at the very least, our advocacy for Fair

Trade will result in better and more meaningful compliance to the existing laws on labor,working conditions, care and protection for the environment, protection of children, fair

wages, equal treatment for gender, paying taxes, and doing business in a just way in

general. On a personal note, I will be happy to achieve this for a start, we will go extradeep as we move on....

Cheers... and hugs to Little Journey...regards to Chou

Vic Roaring

July 28, 2011 11:45 PM


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Caspar Green said...

Thanks for this post. And you're absolutely right that the primary focus on producerstandards tends to overshadow the retailers - let alone all the other stops along the way

between producer and consumer.

And, while retailers who are members of the WFTO have standards to comply with, thereare plenty of retailers who are part of the mix who aren't WFTO members. 30 miles from

our home we have a coffee roasting outfit that uses fair trade beans, and I think more by

virtue of being an excellent business would probably comply with most of the WFTOprinciples. Then there's our big-box grocery store, that sells Equal Exchange coffee in

one aisle and Hershey's chocolate in the next aisle. Should they be required to post

information about the Equal Exchange farmers as a prerequisite for selling Fair Tradeitems? On the one hand, it would be "fair" to hold them to a higher standard. On the

other, it might be years before my mother would ever buy fair trade coffee since it's the

only place she shops and has the opportunity to be in contact with fair trade products.

You can probably tell which side of the issue I'm leaning towards. Thanks for the

excellent post and the opportunity to think it through.

July 29, 2011 5:15 AM

Heike QM said...

Mitch, I was hoping to read this article but the white and yellow color of the text on darkbrown makes it very difficult for my eye sight to see. Is there a chance to get this article

in a regular black on white format?

I work for the Oriental Rug Program out of the Ten Thousand Villages store in Ephrata,PA and the most important part for us is to tell the stories of our rug artisans through

direct dialog, photos of the artisans on the walls, information on each rug tag, seminars,

etc. Our daily goal is that every person who walks into the store walks out with at least abasic understanding that these rugs are made by fairly paid adults in Pakistan, that

children have a chance to go to school. Find us at http://rugs.tenthousandvillages.com formore in-depth information.Wish I could say great article but I was only able to read the beginning. thanks for

posting though.

July 29, 2011 7:56 AM


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Fair Trade Connection said...

Thank you Mitch for these thoughts and testimonies. I strongly agree that efforts have tobe made by retailers to provide more information about the producers they work with.

That is exactly what I'm trying to do with them with "Fair Trade Connection".

We too travel the world to meet fair trade producers and make videos about them toinform consumers about their reality.

Watch all the videos on: http://fairtradeconnection.org

July 29, 2011 12:58 PM

Velvet Iris said...

Thanks Mitch for creating opportunities to network on these issues!

As a retailer in a relatively low-income mountain town (population 3,600) in far-Northern

California, I can't afford to carry the FT inventory volume that 100% FT retailers in theSan Francisco Bay Area or other metro areas carry. I originally moved out here over 5

years ago intending to open an FT retail shop but quickly discovered it wouldn't survive a

few months here. In an area like this, small biz owners have to diversify the inventory toappeal to as wide a variety of local customers as possible, otherwise the business will

shut down, unable to cover overhead, much less any basic living expenses above that.

Thus, I sell art supplies combined with FT handcrafts, and in this economy (where gift-buying has significantly reduced - 3 gift shops have shut down in the last year), about 80-

90% of my sales are in art supplies. The FT portion of the business continues now as a

labor of love, and honestly contributes hardly any revenue to pay the most basic businessexpenses (rent, etc.). Basically, the art supply sales allow me to continue to carry the FT

inventory. Because it's a relatively low-income rural community, I do not go over the

importer's suggested price point for any item, and even sometimes mark it a bit lower tomake it affordable to local customers. As much as possible I hand out available literature

about the artisans and about FT in general (I have a free FT literature section),

encouraging customers to go to the websites to find out more.

As a local business owner in my community, I also put energy into supporting local

movements that promote local sustainability and environmental issues, and shop locallyas much as possible. I don't see any difference in promoting local sustainability versus

sustainability in rural/urban communities worldwide. And as a public face in my

community, it inspires me to bring awareness about this, encouraging compassion among

local clientele to bring attention to other similar, although


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geographically/politically/economically/culturally-variant, communities in other parts of

the world.

I currently cannot afford to pay any employees (so am here every day), but in the past

when I have had employees, I always paid an hourly wage above the average in this

community.

My retail situation is not typical, but there are many that are not, and especially in this

economy, it's necessary to be creative and flexible to even remain in business. A postabove mentioned that they saw FT chocolate across the aisle from Hershey's in a food

market. I would be happy that at least the option is there for those consumers who want to

support it, and feel they can afford to. It's important to create the opportunities for

consumers to buy FT, whenever a business has the power to do it. I understand the needto deliver undistorted FT info at retail locations as much as possible about

products/farmers/artisans, etc., but if we put too many conditions on who is allowed to

carry FT in their retail shops (restricting it to "undiluted" retail environments), we mightbe missing a lot of opportunities to promote FT in geographical areas who might

otherwise be deprived of it.

As always, thanks Mitch, and hope you & Chou are continually staying inspired with the

little one!

July 29, 2011 2:57 PM

Playing Fairsaid...

Velvet Iris mentions that "the FT portion of the business continues now as a labor oflove", that she "cannot afford to pay any employee", that she hands out literature, and that

she doesn't mark-up.

Velvet Iris wrote My retail situation is not typical, but I wonder if it might be moretypical than we realise.

Nearly every other active member of our Collective is in the same situation, minus onewho is big enough to hire help.

Again, I urge the retailers who are doing it right to make it explicit on their website andin their literature. And I'm going to take my own advice right now and augment my own

website accordingly!

July 29, 2011 3:24 PM


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Playing Fairsaid...

I think what Caspar said is an interesting point:

"Then there's our big-box grocery store, that sells Equal Exchange coffee in one aisle and

Hershey's chocolate in the next aisle. Should they be required to post information about

the Equal Exchange farmers as a prerequisite for selling Fair Trade items?"

FTAANZ in Australia has done amazing work getting our local Woolies and Coles

(grocery stores) to stock Fairtrade chocolate and coffee. While the grocery stores havealso helped by e.g. hosting Fairtrade info days in-store, because Fairtrade is not their

central business their advocacy role is pretty limited. On the flipside however, they are

the biggest retailers in the country, and so you just can't argue with their market power.As Caspar points out, having large retailers stocking Fair Trade or Fairtrade Certified

may be the only way that certain segments of the population will ever find out about the

concept of fair trade.

WRT holding retailers to a standard, it's worth pointing out that there *are* standards that

Fair Trade businesses can be held accountable to when they are endorsed by the regionalbodies of the WFTO. For example, there is BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade

Shops) which has the 10 principles including advocacy and information as part of their

requirements. In Australia FTAANZ has just a few months ago set up the Fair Traders of

Australia endorsement, which is similar to BAFTS and also reflects the 10 principles inits requirements... (to be cont'd)

July 29, 2011 3:34 PM

Playing Fairsaid...

(... cont'd) As a new business myself I am not yet a member of FToA (you must be more

than 1 year old to join - echoing the comment above about giving us a bit of time tocomply), however as FToA becomes established I would advise consumers to look out

for that endorsement as a way to discern if their retailer is an active participant in themovement.

Finally for fellow retailers I'd recommend that we have a little *less* humility about thework we do. I know personally I don't feel comfortable bragging about my business'

practices - I know that there are greater businesses than mind doing wonderful work -however with all the cynicism about greenwash I think it's right for those who do it right

to make that known...


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July 29, 2011 3:37 PM

Playing Fairsaid...

(... cont'd) I am surprised to see that the two other most active members of the Qld Fair

Trade Collective don't mention the (literal) thousands of hours that they have donated toorganise Fair Trade events over the years. Christmas markets, fashion evenings,

FTAANZ events - these things don't organise themselves, retailers donate their own

precious time, away from their businesses, to make them happen. Just a few months ago Iwatched a fellow collective member run herself ragged as she struggled to organise an

Ethical Fashion evening. I believe that these women (our collective is all-female for some

reason) deserve recognition for their work, and if no one else is going to give it to themthen they need to claim it for themselves.

Certainly I will be raising this at the next online meeting of the Collective.

July 29, 2011 3:38 PM

Playing Fairsaid...

(Sorry about the multiple posting, when I tried posting it as one comment it disappeared.Do you have a comment-length restriction set on this blog?)

July 29, 2011 3:40 PM

Indochine Natural said...

There is absolutely no question that FT retailers are critically important, and withoutthem many producers would not be where they are today. However from our perspectiveas a producer the Fair Trade compliance in the areas of creating opportunities for the

disadvantaged, transparency, capacity building, and sound environmental practices are

skewed towards the producers.

The examples given in the above posts such as engaging in dialogue with customers,

photos of the artisans on the walls, information on each product, seminars, advocacy andinformation activities are activities that any business, Fair Trade or not, would engage in

and these would generally grouped under marketing and networking. Therefore, many

of the activities described above are not unique to Fair Trade.


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However as a Fair Trade producer there are a number of distinct and unique practices that

clearly set us apart from other businesses..we create opportunities for thedisadvantaged, we are totally transparent in all of our dealings, we provide capacitybuilding and engage in sound environmental practices.

We would like to see more Fair Trade retailers do similar.. distinguish themselves fromother businesses not in the content of their marketing and networking, but in their actual

business practices so that these unique Fair Trade practices are consistent across the

entire supply chain.

July 30, 2011 11:55 PM

loveli and fairsaid...

I have just loved reading all of this. I get so excited about conversations that set thoughts

in motion which ultimately, given time bring about change. Change in us, Change for the

grass roots producers, change in society, change in the retail sector. Who would havethought 10 years ago that Coles or Woolies would ever stock anything fair trade? The

demand is emerging and the awareness is growing and the more it does, the more

pressure there is on producers to be transparent and for major players like Coles toprovide what we ask for. And I agree that the heroes behind the scenes making it happen

and raising the awareness at huge personal cost do deserve some recognition and thanksbecause the work you are doing is beautiful and honorable and good, Thank you!

August 1, 2011 9:40 PM

Jose said...

Great post again and lovely story from Maryann, I just love this sum-up words:

"Each person has seeds of education & experience to sow, resources to refresh others or

the light of compassion to cheer those in need. There is UNITY in commUNITY, and aself-sustaining mission can truly strengthen a local region...and inspire Change in the

Global Economy!"

Love and peace to you all !!

J.

August 2, 2011 3:44 AM


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Documents

How Do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to Our Shared Principles