Lead for Change Blog News

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 […]

Breaking New Ground: Looking Back at the 2015-16 Academic Year
June 22, 2016Let’s take a moment to reflect on the achievements, challenges and milestones of this past year. The Movement is Growing! At the end of August 2015, Fair Trade Colleges & Universities started its 7th year with: 29 Declared Colleges and Universities As of July 2016 there are now: 37 Declared Colleges and Universities (including four first in their states and the largest Fair Trade public […]

Introducing our Summer Intern!
June 2, 2016Hi everyone! I’m Alex, the new Digital Communications & Community Outreach Intern with Fair Trade Campaigns. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity and cannot wait to see what the summer has in store! Even at a young age, issues pertaining to social justice were always on my mind. With my mom being Diversity Director […]

Protecting Children through Fair Trade
May 25, 2016How can a Fair Trade Campaign impact labor trafficking and child labor? Labor trafficking occurs when individuals are compelled to work through force, fraud, and coercion. It is used to produce many of the commodities offered in our communities: the soccer balls kicked by our university teams; the coffee poured in our congregations; and the […]

Party Like It’s World Fair Trade Day
April 29, 2016World Fair Trade Day is May 14! This year marks the fifteenth annual World Fair Trade Day. In communities around the world, people will come together to show their support for Fair Trade and celebrate the benefits that Fair Trade provides to producers and their families. We want to invite YOU to be part of the celebration! […]

FairHer: Women’s Empowerment and Fair Trade
April 18, 2016The subject of women’s rights and empowerment is important to think about when choosing the products you buy. The Need for Women’s Empowerment Women make up almost half of our population globally and about 25 percent of that global population is rural women. These rural women make up the majority of the agricultural labor force […]

Be an Agent for Change this World Fair Trade Day!
March 28, 2016Celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 14 and Be an Agent for Change! World Fair Trade Day was started in 2001 by the World Fair Trade Organization. It’s a worldwide festival of events celebrating Fair Trade as a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty and exploitation, climate change, and the economic crises that […]

National Farmworker Awareness Week
March 15, 2016With March comes National Farmworker Awareness Week – a time to think about and celebrate the farmworkers who make each of our meals possible. Farmworkers are important and vital members of the food system who work hard to provide the food we get to eat every day! Farmworkers historically have faced many challenges and hardships […]

Meet Our Newest Team Member!
February 24, 2016Introducing Suzi, our new National Organizer for Fair Trade Communities! Hello! Let me take a moment to introduce myself – my name is Suzi Hiza and I’ve just joined the small but mighty Fair Trade Campaigns staff as the new National Organizer for Fair Trade Communities. I’m thrilled to be here and look forward to […]

Sustainable Leadership 101
February 18, 2016Work Your Way Through Goal #1: Build Your Team Goal #1 focuses on providing leadership and support for your campaign. To reach this goal you will need: a minimum of 4 students and 1 non-student (faculty, staff, food service, etc) As the academic year is slowly coming to an end, it is going to be extremely important to […]

Three Ways to Fair Trade Your Valentine’s Day
February 10, 2016This Valentine’s Day, Share the Fair Trade Love & Support Farmers and Artisans Around the World! We’ve put together a few great ideas on how you can Fair Trade your Valentine’s Day by buying Fair Trade products, learning about Fair Trade, spreading the word and taking action! 1. Buy Fair Trade Show that special […]

Fondest of Fair-wells
February 8, 2016To know Courtney Lang is to know enthusiasm for Fair Trade From her days as one of the core champions for Fair Trade in Burlington, VT, to a participant in our first-ever Fair Trade Towns origin trip to Costa Rica, to her almost five years on our national team, Courtney has brought an unyielding commitment […]

For the Love of Fair Trade: Spotlight on St. Martin of Tours Academy
January 29, 2016St. Martin of Tours recently became the 21st Fair Trade School in the U.S. We sat down with campaign organizer Anne Pacheco to hear her story and learn more about their campaign… I love Fair Trade! I love every bite of a Fair Trade piece of chocolate, every scoop of Fair Trade ice cream and totally […]

My Experience with the Nonprofit Leaders of Tomorrow
January 13, 2016By Rosalie Plofchan This month, I attended the Alliance Management Institute in Houston, Texas along with Fair Trade Campaigns Staff. Since 1948, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) has worked to strengthen the social sector and prepare students for careers at nonprofit organizations. Alliance Management Institute (AMI) is an annual conference hosted by NLA, a partner of Fair Trade Campaigns. This year’s […]

Fair Trade Campaigns’ Top 10 Achievements of 2015
December 23, 20152015 was an exciting year for Fair Trade Campaigns! Lets take a look back at the Top 10 Achievements of the Year! #1) Seven New Fair Trade Towns declared, including Philadelphia, PA! Philadelphia became the 43rd Fair Trade Town in the United States and is now the second largest Fair Trade Town in the U.S […]