The good folks at Equal Exchange have just updated their fundraising program to include a new incentive…an EE-branded Fair Trade soccer ball!

The largest worker-owned coffee roaster in the country, Equal Exchange offers tours to fundraising groups for coffee and chocolate tasting. In some areas (such as Portland, OR), they will also send a crew out to your school assembly to help launch the new program.

Contact them if you are interested, and be sure to tell Kelsie we said hello!

And if you need a Fair Trade soccer ball (or any of our other sports) branded with your organization’s colors and logos (minimum order 250 balls), just let us know! If you need less than 250 sports balls, just head over to our Gear Shop to see our volume pricing on all orders of 10+ balls.

Sustainability is simple. It’s about living in a way that leaves the world better for future generations. Who doesn’t want to do that?

My friend Sami at The Change helped Larry and his crew put together the enjoyable site Sustainability School. Suggest you check it out when you have a few free minutes.

Who’s Larry? Why, the infamous Larry from Larry’s Beans, of course.

From our friends at Transfair…a cool Top 12 list of ways that each of us can support Fair Trade throughout our day.

Here’s the short version, you can read the full version on their site:

Vote. Ask. Host. Join. Celebrate. Learn. Donate. Introduce. Start. Fundraise. Give. Serve.

Just the short version is enough to start kicking off exciting ideas in
my head. Kudos to the Transfair staffer who created this list!

The folks at Educating For Justice are finishing their work on a new documentary titled “SWEAT”.

Check out their MySpace page which includes video clips, news stories, and a blog. They have a popular educational program called Behind the Swoosh which they bring to colleges, high schools, churches and community groups across the country.

School is just around the corner. Grab your free College Care Package from Global Exchange while supplies last!


Well, it’s sort of free. You have to spend $20 in the Global Exchange store first, which believe me, is easy and fun to do!

The package is filled with Fair Trade goodies and educational resources about Fair Trade and makes a great surprise for your college student with as they head back to campus (or a fun reward for yourself).

In the current episode of the UtneCast, Host Leif Utne takes a look at the future of Fair Trade.

It’s about much more than just coffee and chocolate. But what is it really? And where is it headed? Leif speaks with a student activist promoting Fair Trade; a spokesperson from TransFair USA, the group that certifies Fair Trade products in this country; and two companies that are pushing the movement in new directions — Oké USA, my favorite Fair Trade fruit company, and ourselves regarding our certified Fair Trade sports balls.

Take a listen.

While we are fighting child labor in our industry of sports balls, several other groups are fighting the good fight in their respective industries. Learn more here.

I’m convinced that by marrying the Fair Trade movement to the No Child Labor movement, we can create a lasting solution that truly does eliminate child labor from this industry. How? By focusing on the root problem: extreme poverty.

While this is a complex matter (start with reading Jeffrey Sachs’ The End of Poverty), the simple one-sentence version is this: pay the parents a fair, living wage and they will not be forced to ask their children to work. As a family unit, they will be able to survive and thrive.

While this is an enormous worldwide problem, you can help today by supporting the Fair Trade movement and getting involved.

The Sierra Club celebrates World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) tomorrow with a well-written issue of the Green Trader.

The Sierra Club has an entire campaign focused on Trade.

They explain, “Trade is integrally linked to more traditional environmental issues such our access to clean air, clean water and open spaces to enjoy. The Sierra Club wants trade that is clean, green and fair, where peoples’ lives and livelihood’s are protected.”

For WFTD, Sierra Club is specifically encouraging its members to plug into their local communities through the suggestions listed here.

Enjoy the day tomorrow!

My friend Carmen runs the Fair Trade Federation. Although I can’t attend this year (new team member on the way), she asked me to let you know their annual conference is sure to be a worthwhile event.

FTF is inviting interested retailers, wholesalers, and friends to the 2007 conference - Changing Hands: The Work of Fair Trade - in Washington, DC from June 1-3. Please allow me to encourage you to go for the discussions about the future of fair trade and the practical seminars.  
 
On that Sunday, an exhibition of fair trade products will be open to the public on American University’s campus. For more information, hit their site, call 202-636-3547, or drop them an email.

The FLO writes a Producer Profile for each new organization that they certify to be Fair Trade. This is the one for Talon, our manufacturer in Pakistan.

It was written in June 2006, the summer before we launched Fair Trade Sports. The company noted in the profile called FairDeal Trading is my friend, business partner, and personal “professor”, Dr. Martin Kunz in London.

Although I don’t agree with everything in the FLO document - child labor has definitely NOT been “virtually eliminated” from this industry - it’s still a good document overall on the positive programs happening at Talon, including their medical program - a first in the sporting goods industry in Pakistan.
You can learn more about the benefits of purchasing Fair Trade soccer balls on Talon’s website.