Fair Trade Products

Fair Trade Currents

fairtrade — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:58:02 +0000

World Fair Trade Day, May 14, is fast approaching & there are events planned in more than 80 countries. The North American event is coordinated by the Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN), & the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO, formerly known as the International Federation for Alternative Trade) is coordinating events around the globe. This year, FTRN is hoping to have 100, 000 people participate in events across North America to celebrate & promote Fair Trade.

If you’re able to, come & help us celebrate at the Irvine Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 14; there’ll be free samples of Fair Trade organic dark chocolate, & brownies baked with Fair Trade organic ingredients.

We’re located at the intersection of Campus & Bridge, opposite UCI, & we’ll be there from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

See you there!

Irvine Farmers’ Market

fairtrade — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:57:27 +0000

I’ve been taking a stand for Fair Trade at the Irvine Farmers’ Market for over 8 years now. This is the largest farmers’ market in Orange County, & it gets really busy, so come early if you don’t want to have to fight for a parking space!

The market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. & it is located at the intersection of Campus & Bridge, opposite UCI.

I bring the following Fair Trade & Organic edibles to the market each week:

Coffee
Tea
Baker’s Cocoa & Hot Cocoa Mix
Sugar
Dark Chocolate (not available during the hottest months)

I also bring a wide selection of Fair Trade, handmade jewelry & gifts.

If you would like to order from the website but pickup at the market (& so avoid shipping/delivery charges), please call 949.202.6063.

While you’re here, check out some of my favorite vendors.

Baker’s Best Bread

Zacharia bakes his bread, pastries, etc. at his bakery & storefront in Yorba Linda (Baker’s Best Bread). He brings a huge range of delicious baked goods to the market every Saturday. Some of my favorites include his sweet onion dill loaf & his spinach pockets. So come & pick something at his booth- you won’t be disappointed!

Fair Trade is a beautiful thing…

fairtrade — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:44:53 +0000

Fair Trade is a beautiful thing because it honors the producers around the globe. It is recognition that without the farmers, farm workers & artisans around the globe, who work hard growing & creating, we wouldn’t have any of the products we enjoy. Products like coffee, tea, cocoa & jewelry.

Fair Trade is not aid, but a more equitable & sustainable form of global trade than the current dominant model for international trade. Unlike charity, which doesn’t ask why, Fair Trade tackles the root causes of poverty.

When we make Fair Trade purchases, we are saying that we care about the people behind the products we enjoy every day.

In 2009, 5 million people in over 60 producer countries benefitted directly from Fair Trade. Fair Trade enables the producers to live with dignity, through one of the main Fair Trade criteria; they are paid a living wage (in the local context), which means that after production costs have been paid, there is still sufficient money left to pay for food, clothes, shelter, health care & education.

The Fair Trade movement is consumer-led, so as more people become aware of the Fair Trade alternatives available, demand for these products increases, & so more producers can be brought under the Fair Trade umbrella.