OK, so it's not entirely accurate (Transfair doesn't certify our sports balls, FLO does), but it is fast and funny. Check out this clip from the hipsters at ViroPOP featuring our new eco-certified Fair Trade basketball...

I'm going to find an empty water bottle and make my Flock of Seagulls sunglasses right now...

Mohammand Riaz is content. His four children are healthy and well. The winter wheat, which he is cultivating on his two hectares, is looking good. Last season, his main crop of rice yielded an exceptional five tons, which he could sell for a profit to the rice mill.

Mr. Riaz is 45 years of age, lives in Sialkot Pakistan, and works at our partner’s certified Fair Trade sports ball production facility. Two thirds of all soccer balls produced worldwide are manufactured in his home town.

It takes 690 stitches to turn 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels of synthetic leather into a soccer ball. Depending on the quality of the ball an experienced stitcher can stitch three to five balls per day. The most tricky bit is the final seam, which has to be done blind - through adjacent seams - and without puncturing the eco-certified latex air bladder.

Mr. Riaz credits his good harvest to Fair Trade…several years ago his employer, Talon Sports, became the first Fair Trade supplier of soccer balls in the world. The initial run of sports balls were sold to a cooperative in Italy.

Whenever Mr. Riaz stitches a ball which has been ordered by Fair Trade Sports, he is guaranteed a wage which is about 50% higher than what is usually paid in the industry.

Another part of the Fair Trade premium we pay (but don’t pass on to you the consumer) goes towards financing a health care program for all workers involved in the sports ball production at our facility - because Fair Trade orders are still the exception to the extent that getting a Fair Trade ball to stitch is a bit like winning the lottery. The health care plan, on the other hand, continuously benefits all employees and is an industry-first for workers like Mr. Riaz.

On top of this, the Talon Fair Trade Welfare Society provides small loans to workers who want to develop a second source of income, since the stitching of sports balls is highly seasonal - the years of World Cup Soccer are good - the years in between can be lean.

Mr. Riaz applied for a loan to purchase an irrigation pump for his farm; two-thirds of the loan is already repaid - and is now micro-credit loans for some of his colleagues.

The positive cycle created by the Fair Trade movement (and supported by you) continues…

Today is Blog Action Day, when we are attempting to get every blogger on the planet talking about the same thing…the planet.

So what are we doing about lessening our impact on the planet with our business? Spending *lots* of effort bringing out the first line of eco-friendly sports balls in North America.

Our certified Fair Trade sports balls are now eco-certified as well. In addition to our sports balls being certified by the Fairtrade
Labelling Organization (FLO) to be stitched by adult workers paid fair wages and ensured healthy working conditions…they are also certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainability.

Fair Trade Towns USA is a new campaign organized by local and national Fair Trade advocates to encourage and support the Fair Trade Movement in the US.

Following the example of the Fair Trade movement in Europe, the campaign supports local “grassroots” groups by offering tools and resources to become a Fair Trade town or city. Fair Trade Towns brings these local groups together, united with the common goal of making Fair Trade products the standard in the U.S. - one community at a time.

The town of Media, PA is the first Fair Trade Town in the US. They recently ordered a slew of Fair Trade soccer balls, footballs, and basketballs to outfit their schools, parks, and recreational leagues. Perhaps your town is next!

Special thanks to Melody Hamby for the great photo!

We kicked off Fair Trade Month a day early in Los Angeles at the Just Lives Festival in the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.

This wonderful event is organized by Fair Trade LA, Catholic Relief Services, and the  Progressive Jewish Alliance.

What fun to smell delicious Fair Trade coffee wafting through the air while listening to a few inspired acoustic musical performances. And seeing the wide variety of Fair Trade products available was fun, too, including our Fair Trade footballs.

In addition to our Fair Trade soccer balls and volleyballs, our Ultimate discs were seen flying through the festival as well, upsetting only a few cups of coffee.

:)

For our Northwest neighbors…

October is not just Fair Trade month, it’s also Green October here in the Pacific Northwest.

GO is a new, growing collaboration among groups around the Puget Sound that is producing community events focused on sustainability.

We’d love to see you at one of these great events!

After spending two days holed up in my hotel room with a 48-hour flu bug that I picked up in the Denver airport, I finally made it to the third (and final) day of ExpoEast last weekend. How ironic that I catch a nasty bug going to a tradeshow where 50% of the vendors are showcasing organic and wholesome products to keep you from getting sick!

ExpoEast is one of several large international shows where you get to see and visit with the other leaders in the segments of Fair Trade, organic, and green products/services. For me, it is (usually) a time of seeing old friends and making new ones. Shows like this barely feel like work to me, although we usually leave with a significant amount of sales completed and prospects collected.


After a steady diet of yoga, Boiron flu remedies, and herbal teas for two days, I recovered well enough to write this whiny post and head over to the tradeshow floor to join my teammates Kevin, James, and Anne (that’s me holding the Fair Trade soccer ball).

What fun to see friends at Zhena’s Gypsy tea, Guayaki, and Equal Exchange on the last day…as well as make new friends at Clif Bar. Can’t wait for ExpoWest!

Coop America’s new Guide to Fair Trade (PDF) was recently released for both consumers and Fair Trade advocates.

The Guide features descriptions of national and international Fair Trade products (such as our Fair Trade soccer balls) with an extensive directory of businesses and organizations offering those products.

In addition to general information on Fair Trade, there are personal testimonials and suggestions how to involve yourself more as a consumer in the overall Fair Trade movement.  I liked the step-by-step plan of action for mobilizing consumers and local producers, such as hosting Fair Trade events and petitioning local supermarkets to carry more Fair Trade products.

This is a great tool to empower consumers! The more consumer demand for Fair Trade, the more people we help around the world!

Join us as we celebrate October as Fair Trade month!

What is Fair Trade? Glad you asked. Our friend Siel in Los Angeles (aka Green LA Girl) has a great primer on the subject.

When you are out in your local marketplace this month, please consider whether a Fair Trade version of the product you seek exists. The obvious one this month is chocolate as Halloween approaches. If your local market does not carry Fair Trade chocolate, ask the manager for it!