posted Feb 24, 2012 1:02 PM by Sara Little
As a global fair trade store, The Welcome Mat
sells products from all over the world, sourced by multiple
organizations. One of our largest wholesalers, especially for our
selections from India, is Handmade Expressions. Founded in 2005 by Manish Gupta,
this company partners with multiple NGO's and grassroots artisan
co-operatives that source fair trade products from India. Many of the
artisans that Handmade Expressions employs have been marginalized in
some way, making them innovators in the empowerment of these people,
enabling them to compete in the global market through socially and
environmentally responsible products. The
Welcome Mat values the legwork that Handmade Expressions undertakes to
make it possible for fair trade stores everywhere to obtain these unique
items efficiently and reliably. Handmade Expressions believes that
"economic sustainability and social empowerment are the keys for
community development." With this in mind, it is their mission to
bridge the gap between the talented artisans and the modern global
market by providing them with the resources to compete with education,
fair wages and health care. They also encourage artisans to be
environmentally responsible by using as many recycled materials as
possible. As
one of a kind and unique as the products made by Handmade Expressions
are, the artisans themselves are much more valuable and important.
Handmade Expressions gives these hardworking artisans opportunities to
better their lives. It is exciting to see the good that Fair Trade is
doing all around the globe and it is a movement that The Welcome Mat is
certainly proud to support. |
posted Feb 17, 2012 11:42 AM by Sara Little
Last October The Welcome Mat celebrated Fair Trade Month by explaining the beginnings of fair trade, however our fair trade friendly neighbors overseas celebrate Fair Trade Fortnight, and this year it begins February 27th to March 11th! Luckily for us, this years theme doesn't exclude the new world from participating in the fair trade festivities. This year the Fair Trade Foundation
is encouraging everyone to "Take a Step for Fair Trade." It can be any
step, big or small, that integrates fair trade into our lives more than
it has been before. Maybe you could buy fair trade coffee for your
office next time its your turn to buy, or you could make a change
permanently to fair trade sugar for your household. Fair
Traders from across the globe are cataloguing their steps on the
official Fair Trade Fortnight site. The foundation's goal is to reach
1,500,000 steps by the end of 2012. As of right now the recorded steps
number nearly 7000, but more can still be done, and the fortnight has
yet to even start! Each step we take whether it is as simple as
requesting fair trade options at your local super market, or as big as
organizing a fair trade chocolate tasting at your school, supports the
fair trade cause! So what can you do? The Welcome Mat is here as
always to help you out, because every step is just another piece of the
journey towards an ethical market. |
posted Feb 11, 2012 2:46 PM by Sara Little
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updated Feb 13, 2012 2:35 PM
]
...Because a fair trade Valentine's Day is for you! It's February, and that means the season of romantic love. Everywhere you go there will be advertisements exclaiming how you can use their company's product in a romantic way. Some might say "Take the rust out of your relationship with a new water softener," or "Let her know how much you love her with a new copper sink..."Seriously? For Valentine's Day? Thank goodness fair trade doesn't have to fake relevance to the holiday. There are some things that are more traditional than home repair items you can get and they're ethical to boot! The first and foremost being...chocolate!
We've told you before how completely awesome Divine chocolate is, but now we're here to report that this heavenly chocolate's heart beats for romance. The Welcome Mat has several flavors of their bar chocolate, and online their heart shaped candies are available as well. Mix that with some fair trade champagne and your evening is good to go!
Roses are always a good decision, in fact flowers are always a good decision. Believe it or not just like fair trade coffee and fair trade fruit there are fair trade flowers! One World Flowers ships fair trade flowers all across the country, making them available to just about anyone. Receiving a bouquet of ethical blossoms will remove doubt about whether he loves you, or he loves you not!
Chocolates are delicious, but once you eat them they're gone. Flowers are wonderful as well, but they fade with time. However jewelry lasts. If there is one thing that fair trade can provide to you, or The Welcome Mat has in stock it is jewelry! There are so many fun designs and pieces that its hard to imagine not being able to find something to match any one's style. Diamonds are not always a girls best friend. Sometimes it paper beads, sometimes copper, sometimes soapstone. But for those ladies who are especially close to diamonds places such as Brilliant Earth and Pristine Planet will be the places to look.
Valentine's Day is a time set aside for you and your significant other to celebrate love, but when the gifts you give are fair trade, you don't just celebrate romantic love, but the love and compassion of the planet and communities all over the globe! And with love like that, Cupid's aim was never better.
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posted Feb 11, 2012 2:42 PM by Sara Little
The Superbowl is one of the biggest social events in America. It is a day of food, football, and now fair trade! Now, I know what you're thinking. "But how can I make watching a football game fair trade?" Well, as we all know the phenomenon that is the Superbowl party is much more than what’s on the television screen, and with these tips you can make a difference while you cheer.As soon as your guests walk through the door you can have a number of fair trade beverages and snacks waiting for them. Windmill Organics makes quinoa salty snacks, and Liberation can provide a wide variety of party nuts. And to wash it down, Maine Root has a selection of fair trade sodas, as does Ubuntu Cola. By pre-game your guests will be munching and mingling more ethically then they ever have.
Although the season doesn't call for it, a good fair trade barbecue would not be out of place at your Superbowl event, especially when the hunger pangs hit by kickoff. Thanks to the Peppermaster, there are a number of fair trade sauces available for not just your chicken wings but all kinds of meats and desserts too! Add that to some fair trade chocolate cake, or chocolate chip cookies, and you've got yourself  a tasty and ethical game day.
And of course, it would be a shame not to mention the availability of fair trade footballs! Maybe your friends want to get their own game going, or maybe your kids need a new pigskin to throw around. In any case, it’s good to know that there are many fair trade sports balls available for the ethical athlete in us all. |
posted Jan 27, 2012 2:16 PM by Sara Little
Happy Chinese New Year! This last week China celebrated the beginning of the year of the Dragon. In honor of this cultural event The Welcome Mat would like to talk about a product both important to Chinese culture and to fair trade; tea! Tea has been a major part of the Chinese diet for thousands of years and for many of the people of China's Yunnan province it is their life. In the South West corner of Yunnan lies the Jingmai Mangjing Ancient Tea Forrest. It is home to many varieties of tea found no where else in the world, and to some of the world's oldest tea trees, ranging from 600 to 1300 years old. The rich biodiversity of this forest also harbors excellent conditions for organic conditions. Jingmai is a gathering of villages of the Dai people, and Mangjing to the Bulang peoples. Both are descended from the Pu people, known to be the earliest tea planters (1066-221 BC.) This ancient Bulong proverb explains the people's dedication and deep cultural connection to the tea trees:If you leave the gold you will spend it,
If you leave the ox it may die, We must leave the tea trees, So they can grow and provide. You should not let others take the tea trees. You should protect the tea trees like you do your life
And never let them out of your control. The only fair trade tea available from this unique part of the planet is distributed by Rishi Tea from the Ancient Tea Tree Association. The money the farmers get helps support community development, education, as well as environmental stewardship. Social premiums have helped the locals start a library, cultural center, agricultural training program, and make improvements such as road and water quality. In addition to this, the first two students from Mangjing Village were able to attend university! To some these things may not seem like a lot, but for Yunnan they are some very large steps towards a better life. Despite their natural resources and rich biodiversity Yunnan has one of the lowest income levels per capita in all of China. Thanks to the fair trade initiatives of Rishi more and more Jingmai Mangjing children are able to afford education, because more and more local schools are being funded.  So when we buy fair trade, we are not just getting a good product, and the producers are not just getting a fair price. We are providing people with education, better living conditions, and brighter futures. For Americans tea is a warm drink for a cold day, or a cold drink for a hot day. We use it to relax when we're on our own, and drink it with friends and social engagements. But thanks to companies like Rishi Tea our every day routine can be someone else' future. |
posted Jan 20, 2012 12:02 PM by Sara Little
The Welcome Mat
has many products from artisans around the world, distributed by many
fair trade companies. One company in particular does not just provide
products from artisans in localized places such as India or Kenya, but
actually empowers an entire network of artisans on a global scale. This
company is called Serrv, and while the name may be humble, their impact is mighty.
Believe it or not Serrv is over sixty years old (making it older than
the fair trade movement itself). It began with church relief workers
after World War II and has since grown into a $9.5 million fair trade
network. In addition to their primary goal of eradicating poverty and
improving quality of life for their artisans, Serrv also works to employ
women as well as supports development and education. The name
originally stood for "Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and
Vocation," but since their outlook and purposes have expanded since
WWII, they embrace the name for what it stands for in itself; service to
one another.
Serrv supports and empowers artisans in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe,
and the Americas in at least 35 different countries, and in addition to
buying and marketing products Serrv also helps with things like product
design, and technical training to help their artisans gain economic
self-sufficiency.Each
artisan has a beautiful story, and it would take more than our little
blog could handle to tell them all! But here are just a few of the
companies making a difference in people's lives thanks to Serrv. - In Swaziland, Africa. Tintsaba
is making a difference in the lives of women and their families by
providing them with more than just an income. Tintsaba provides
training in literacy, business, and health education, as well as a
mobile homeopathic clinic treating rural groups suffering from HIV/AIDs.
- VillageWorks
of Cambodia was started by the Girls' Brigade of Singapore, a
Christian, non-profit organization working to improve the lives of women
in South East Asia. The name itself is meant to express the companies
focus on work done by small village artisans using their own indigenous
techniques and materials. They even make special use of recycled
materials for their handbags and wallets.
- Sarajevo Phoenix of
Bosnia-Herzegovina is an exceptionally inspiring group.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, formerly Yugoslavia, was ravaged by the Balkan
war in the 1990's. Sarajevo Phoenix employs Bosnian women-Serbs,
Muslims, and Croats to help them rebuild the lives they lost in the war.
What makes this so significant is not just that they are being helped
in this way, but that the company is supporting the development of a
multi-ethnic society built on healing the wounds of war. The Serbs,
Muslims, and Croats can work side by side, and live side by side.
Serrv is a company certified by the Fair Trade Federation, Green America, and the World Fair Trade Organization. They are good for the planet, and good for people, empowering, and serving artisans across the globe. |
posted Jan 14, 2012 12:27 AM by Sara Little
Being an ethical consumer can affect your entire life. It affects what you eat, what you drink, the gifts you give, and especially what you wear. Sadly the truth for Americans is that most of the clothing that we buy and wear is made in a sweatshop, from the hats on our heads to the shoes on our feet. There are multiple causes to this blatant infraction of human rights. One issue is that many of the countries that harbor these sweatshops do not have the infrastructure to enforce international labor laws. However, sweatshops can be found anywhere, including the United States. Another issue is that many large corporations will pressure manufacturing facilities for cheaper goods. This gives them incentives to pay their workers less and make them work for longer hours.
However, one major cause that consumers have control over is ignorance. When we do not take the time to research all that why buy, we are kept in the dark about where our clothes and other products come from. In fact many corporations do not intentionally use sweatshops, but simply do not look into their own factories, keeping the conditions of their workers out of sight and out of mind. If we took the time to look and enlighten ourselves on the matter we would find the thousands of women and children forced to work over 10 hours a day and 7 days a week for pennies an hour. So what is it that we can do? Most of us are not in a position to change corporate policy, but as consumers there are ways that we can influence the market towards change.
- Shop Fair Trade: As we've said before, by shopping at stores like The Welcome Mat we support ethical companies that pay their workers fair wages. This can be done with clothing too! Buying fair trade clothing is supporting ethical manufacturing and not sweatshop labor.
- Shop Second Hand: Second hand stores, and thrift shops sell lightly used clothing that has already been bought from other stores, so this time the money we spend on these items goes towards the seller and not the manufacturer.
- Stay Informed: The market is always changing, and there are always new ethical companies starting, and always new information regarding other companies. By doing our research and staying informed we are aware of which companies are ethical and which are not. Using this information to our advantage and spreading the word keeps consumers out of ignorance to the problems of the world such as sweatshop labor.
 As consumer's we have a voice, and that is what fair trade is all about! Every dollar we spend is a vote, and when we vote for ethical products we show companies that we care about where our clothes come from, and we actually make a difference with our dollars. Here are a few companies that sell fair trade clothing:http://www.tompkinspoint.com/social.php?link=fairtradehttp://www.maggiesorganics.com/2010_fairlabor.phphttp://www.haenow.com/cart/whyfairtrade.phphttp://www.goodandfairclothing.com/about.php |
posted Jan 6, 2012 7:08 PM by Sara Little
This week as we all dive head first into the new years resolutions and making a difference in our lives The Welcome Mat would like to highlight Asha Handicrafts, a fair trade company making a difference in the lives of many artisans in India. By investing in products made with a wide variety of materials, Asha Handicrafts is able to harness a broad spectrum of giftedness in India, and in particular has supported work opportunities for women and education.
Since 1975, this innovative company has been giving marketing support to different groups of small producers and craftsman cooperatives in order to aid small scale producers. It houses two separate divisions, one overseeing trade, and the other overseeing welfare programs including training activities and producer development. Asha pays for products in advance, and orders from the artisans directly so as to minimize debt accumulation on behalf of the artisans. And by providing training and teaching facilities, Asha is able to empower more and more artisans, continuing the positive effect in the community, as well as the diversity of their products.
Asha artisans work in wood, metal, cloth, bone, stone, ceramics, and paper mache and produces products of other kinds such as incense and chutney. Jewelry, musical instruments, food products; Asha helps develop and sell such a wide variety of things that it is hard to imagine there not being something for everyone. By developing in different parts of India, Asha is able to support pieces that have been produced by those local people for centuries. Such as the leather work of Rajasthan or Beads from the Indus Valley  Civilization or as we've spoken of before in this blog, the block printing of Jaipur. On their website, Asha Handicrafts introduces you to a few of the artisans whose handiwork they employ. While each group employs many artisans and workers who create the beautiful pieces unique to their local cultures, one group in particular embodies the fair trade spirit through its equal opportunity endeavors. The Women's India Trust (WIT) is a non-governmental self-help organization for the women of India. WIT helps to educate and train women so they can gain employment in several fields such as nursing, screen printing, and even catering and food processing. They can also receive training as teachers for Balwadi, an education program for children providing them with a good foundation for further education when they get older. At any time there is at least 100 students in Balwadi schooling.
Asha Handicrafts does more than just buy products at fair prices. They empower small scale artisans of India to compete in the mainstream global economy, and continue to make further progress in the developing the equality of and equal opportunity for women, as well as the development of education. It is companies like this that is continuing to make fair trade a beneficial movement for global society. |
posted Dec 30, 2011 7:13 PM by Sara Little
On Thanksgiving its the turkey, on Christmas its the cookies and desserts, but for New Year's Eve the traditional indulgence is not any kind of dish but that most ancient of indulgences, alcohol!
While alcohol should be drunk responsibly, there is nothing wrong with ringing in the new year with your friends. And if you shall imbibe, why not help people in the process? The fair trade alcohol market is growing and there shall eventually be something for everyone. As for now the selection fair trade has to offer is nothing to sneeze at.
Wine
For our more sophisticated connoisseurs there are a number of fair trade wines available. Etica wines were linked in our previous Thanksgiving Day blog are a fine organic option. However one particular company that prides itself on its ethical practices is Wieta. Wieta is an initiative that monitors fair trade practice in South Africa. It began with wine in 2002 but has since expanded its efforts with other kinds of agricultural products. Wines supported by this initiative are sure to be of ethical standards and practices. Fair trade wines can be a consideration not just for this time of holiday celebration but for every day uses such as cooking or romantic dinners. There is even fair trade communion wine available. With some encouragement an entire church body could support ethical trade. If you are looking for more than just visit ethicalwine.com.
Cocktails
In terms of hard liquor and liqueurs mixology is at its finest with these fair trade ingredients. Fair is a fair trade spirits company that has award winning quinoa vodka. as well as goji berry and coffee liquers. Even Divine Chocolate has recipes for fair trade chocolate cocktails guaranteed to be delicious.
Beers and Ales
One thing that can be said about fair trade brews is that there is a colorful selection. Peak Organic Brewing Co. is the creator of the U.S's first fair trade beer, an espresso amber ale. For the more fruit inclined beer drinker 4 out of 5 of Mongozo beers are fair trade, including their banana and mango flavors. The Little Valley Brewery Co. is a licensee of the Fairtrade Foundation for its ginger pale ale.
While still new in the market, fair trade alcohol is growing steadily and someday will be serious competitors with larger more well known companies. But for now these small non-profit companies are cultivating themselves and their products making the taste of fair trade better and better, training the socially conscious party animal in us all. |
posted Dec 23, 2011 1:17 PM by Sara Little
[
updated Dec 23, 2011 1:18 PM
]
This time of year is known as the season of giving, and not just to our loved ones. The holiday season is renowned for its generosity and…well…goodwill towards men. In the past we have given only to ourselves, giving the least that we could for the highest return for the purpose of hoarding our money and our things much like Ebenezer Scrooge. But Scrooge had a choice, and so do we. The ghost of Fair trade Christmas past:In the past Fair Trade just wasn’t. After the industrial revolution and the unionization of American workers, businesses had to figure out a way to get cheap labor. Eventually outsourcing occurred. Hundreds of American companies moved their factories to other countries where labor was cheaper, to get the highest profit from their wares. While t his helped out other countries by providing jobs, what wound up happening was an economy dependent upon the mistreatment of other people. Slavery and sweatshops was simply the way the world worked.
The ghost of Fair trade Christmas present:As of right now we have choices. While sweatshop labor and slavery still exist in the world, the products we buy and use are still created by the mistreated and underpaid, there is more being done for change. We can choose to shop ethically, and use our power as consumers to better the world, or we can do as we've always done in the past. Fair trade is a beneficial movement because it means good working conditions and fair pay for producers and farmers. With sustainable methods it is better for the environment. But most of all, when we buy fair trade, we are making a difference in the lives of other people. The ghost of Fair trade Christmas Future: While the future may have looked bleak for Ebenezer Scrooge, it is not so for us. Fair trade is growing stronger, and gaining in popularity. However the choice is still before us. The more we support ethical trade and raise awareness about these issues that still affect our society the stronger fair trade will become. We could also choose to remain where we are, and plateau in the progress we've already made. So this holiday season, amidst the cookies and sweaters, show your goodwill in a different way than before. Give gifts of fair trade items, or spread the word about what its' all about and show goodwill towards men all over the world! |
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