I often think about how we are changing the world through trade - with relationships and the belief that everyone has rights, no matter where they are from. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the complex issues spanning the globe, from myriad protests to governmental conflicts to human right abuses. Look at a place like the Democratic Republic of Congo - a war-torn country in Central Africa with a devastated economy and massive sexual violence against women and girls of all ages. Did you know that the D.R. Congo has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a woman?
Tags: fair trade
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Phyllis RobinsonOctober 8, 2009The road heading south between Guayaquil and Machala, on the coast of Ecuador, is lined with banana plantations. Endless rows of green banana plants stretch as far as the eye can see. Economic activity in this tropical region revolves almost exclusively around banana production and export. In fact, Ecuador is one of the world's largest banana exporting countries.
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Susan SklarMarch 27, 2009
At the Tierra Nueva coffee and honey co-operative, some new initiatives are helping women to improve their economic standing. Gender roles in Latin America, as in most parts of the world, are inequitable. -
Ashley SymonsFebruary 5, 2009San Fernando Co-op is very young but has a lot of members - around 400. I was one of the first members in 2001. I've always been loyal to my co-op. It has grown little by little. What I like most is the organization. Before we were selling organic, but now the price is raised because it is Fair Trade. [People in the U.S.] should appreciate our coffee and that's important for us because we feel proud.
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Ashley SymonsMarch 20, 2008
Eulalia Palomino made a choice early in her life not to follow in her mother's footsteps. "I had a father who drank a lot and mistreated my mother. I said I wasn't going to be like her," Palomino said. "So, I decided to work for women in rural areas - women who are very put down."
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Rodney NorthFebruary 5, 2008For many, Halloween is all about candy, and A LOT of that will be chocolate. In fact, in the U.S. alone adults will spend over a billion dollars on millions of pounds of candy to be handed out on Halloween.
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Rink DickinsonMarch 9, 2006Over the past decade the Fair Trade movement has experienced an unimaginable level of success. As Fair Trade grows and mainstreams over the next few years, there will be an increasing struggle to control its definition. Some changes have already taken place that are influencing its future direction. Several years ago, in a controversial move, one of the two Fair Trade certifiers changed a key requirement when they constructed the Fair Trade model for tea.