Published on
September 29, 2007 in
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Not to be confused with World Fair Trade Day in May, the celebration of a month-long commitment to learning, purchasing and celebrating the achievements fair trade brings into the lives of rural peoples around the world. This October is fair trade’s month to shine!
Enjoy the expanding number of products that pay a living wage, companies who establish long-term relationships with artisans and farmers, helping create economic opportunity that in turn, helps them develop education programs, sanitation and clean water systems for their communities overseas.
Published on
September 14, 2007 in
.
Fair trade has responsibilities beyond paying a living wage, but has a long-term commitment, an investment in the sustainability of a community, their natural resources and their overall welfare. These concerns translate into improved working conditions, care for the natural environment and help developing infrastructure-vital for trade with rural people.
In Guatemala, a coffee mill has been built, not by farmers, but by concerned fair traders who see the lack of services in milling available and a need for timely payments for their work on harvesting coffee.
This mill means that farmers no longer have to pay the costly expense of transport in order to get their coffee fruits to market. They no longer have to wait until there is a buyer for their beans, the cooperative, small farmer mill pays them for their fruit immediately upon receipt of their harvest.
Oftentimes, farmers have no alternative but to take out loans from the coop to complete these necessary steps. With this advanced infrastructure of a mill and service provided through fair trade, they are able to concentrate their time on getting their children to school on time and building social justice within their town.
