Lead for Change Blog Congregations
From Students to Fair Trade Entrepreneurs
March 23, 2017Students have played an integral role in shaping and growing the Fair Trade movement across the country. From UCLA in California to Green Mountain College in Vermont, students work to educate their classmates, spread awareness to administrators, and make sure their campus sells products that provide better working and living conditions for those that make […]
Fair Trade: A Movement for All
February 3, 2017True fair trade is about mutually beneficial relationships rooted in trust and respect spanning geographic and cultural boundaries. As a global movement, fair trade brings attention to people around the world who work under exploitative conditions and highlights the true costs of goods in global supply chains. Organizations and activists, businesses and brands, farmers, workers […]
Coffee Is Not Produced Alone
January 12, 2017Social transformation through Fair Trade cooperatives in Peru How often do we think about the source of where our coffee comes from, if at all? Brought from thousands of miles away, do we know whether the people who farm and harvest the coffee beans are fairly compensated for their labor? Last October, I got a […]
Share the Love: Valentine’s Day 2017
January 4, 2017On February 14, many of us take time to show a little extra love to the special people in our lives. This year, we invite you to share the love with the farmers and artisans behind your favorite Valentine’s Day gifts. Choose Fair Trade flowers, chocolate, and artisan goods (find discounts from our partners below!) or send […]
Fair Trade Campaigns’ Top 10 Achievements of 2016
December 20, 20162016 was an exciting year for Fair Trade Campaigns! Lets take a look back at the Top 10 Achievements of the year. 1) University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point became the 40th Fair Trade University in the U.S. In November, University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (UWSP) helped us hit a Fair Trade Campaigns milestone by becoming […]
Fair Trade Campaigns in the Media – Fall 2016
December 13, 2016Our campaigns have been making great strides all across the country these past several months, and getting quite a bit of media attention for it! From newly declared Fair Trade Universities to Fair Trade anniversaries and holiday events, there’s a lot of good news to share. A UMD Group Held a Fair Trade Fair to Educate […]
Fair Trade Your Holidays
November 23, 2016This holiday season, give gifts that give back As the holidays approach, many of us will be heading to the store in preparation for dinner parties, gift giving, and other festivities. Last year, U.S. consumers spent over $600 billion during the holiday season. With this amount of spending, we have an incredible opportunity to support millions of […]
Farewells & Welcomes: Fair Trade Fellows
November 4, 2016As the Fair Trade movement continues to grows across the U.S., we are more grateful than ever for the strength of our regional networks. In the Mid Atlantic, New England, and Southern California, these networks bring together town, college, school, and congregation campaigns to learn from and collaborate with one another. And none of this […]
Fair Trade Trip Report: Monteverde, Costa Rica
October 10, 2016“When we rise in the morning…at the table we drink coffee which is provided to us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African; before we leave for our jobs we are already beholden to more than half the world.” Since I first encountered this unforgettable quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., I have tried […]
Fair Trade, Photos, and Prizes! Announcing Fair Trade Photofest 2016
October 6, 2016Do you love Fair Trade products? Do you love travel? Do you share photos on social media? If your answer is yes, we have the perfect contest for you! Fair Trade Photofest is a social media photo contest held throughout the entire month of October. This contest is not only an awesome way to promote the Fair […]
A Fair Trade Start to the School Year
September 4, 2016As summer comes to a close, marking the end of internships, adventures, and lazy days spent at the pool, returning to classrooms can be tough. Lucky for you, we have a few great Fair Trade ideas to get you excited about the new school year. Back to School Basics Education is a privilege that not everyone has access […]
International Inspiration from Lebanon
August 23, 2016The 10th International Fair Trade Towns Conference This July, over 100 people from 18 countries and 5 continents gathered in the beautiful mountain town of Baskinta, Lebanon, to learn about one another’s Fair Trade journey. At an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet on the historic Mount Sannine, the views were incredible. For most, it was […]
The Impact of Fair Trade Fashion
August 23, 2016What do you look for when shopping for new clothes? How do cost, style, or brand influence your decisions? What about where and how the garment was made? More and more consumers are looking at the label and asking, “Who made my clothes?“ A lot of clothing on the market today is what’s to referred […]
Organizer Spotlight – Travis Brodbeck
August 8, 2016The Fair Trade movement would not be possible if it weren’t for spontaneous motivators like Travis Brodbeck. Travis has officially taken over for Ben Conard as the co-chair of the National Fair Trade Colleges and Universities Steering Committee. While we are so excited for Travis to begin, we must first give a huge thank you to Ben […]
Partner Spotlight: Fair Trade Federation
July 19, 2016Fair Trade Federation: Partnerships Built on Trust The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a network of businesses – including those in the handmade sector – that are verified for their practice of Fair Trade. As members of the FTF community, businesses make the deepest commitment to all nine of the Fair Trade principles, undergo a […]
Fair Trade Campaigns is Hiring 2016/17 Fellows!
July 11, 2016Are you passionate about Fair Trade and social justice? Do you want to gain hands-on experience supporting campaigns, developing leaders, building regional networks and executing digital communications strategies? If this sounds like you then read on to find out more about the Fair Trade Campaigns 2016-17 Fellowship Program! Apply for a Fellowship here! What is […]
You’re Invited! 2016 Regional Conferences
July 1, 2016Join us in September for our FIRST EVER Regional Conferences The United States is a vast country – we’re talking about tens of thousands of cities and towns, thousands of colleges and schools, and hundreds of thousands of congregations. Which means that, here at Fair Trade Campaigns, we have our work cut out for us. […]
Get to Know Mayan Hands
June 28, 2016When we think about Fair Trade, we often think of the physical products – the coffee, tea, sugar, or handicrafts. However, we often forget the stories behind these beautiful creations and the bigger meaning of Fair Trade. If you are involved in the Fair Trade movement, you have likely heard about a wonderful organization called Mayan Hands. I recently […]