Category Archives: Fair Trade news

Tonle: A Zero-Waste Fashion Label

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Background 

Rachel Faller is an entrepreneur and founder of Tonle, a zero-waste fashion label. Graduated in 2008 from Maryland Institute College of Art with a degree in fiber, Faller got really into making crafts, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and working on social justice works. What started out as “I don’t see myself going into the fashion industry because I knew the fashion industry had a lot of exploitation” progressed into where Faller, founder of Tonle, and her team is now creating sustainable clothes. Back in 2008, Faller applied and was granted a Fullbright research in Cambodia about fair trade fashion and traditional textiles. This opportunity opened Faller’s eyes and corroborated her values more to create Tonle. This was the kickstart to her future. 

About Tonle 

KeoK’jay, rebranded as Tonle, is a fashion label integrating social and environmental responsibility to make sustainable clothes. With a touch of contemporary design, all Tonle’s clothing is made from scrap fabric that major manufacturers throw out. Faller believed that they could take those extra fabrics and create a zero-waste label. Every piece of fabric is used and incorporated into so many designs. Tonle products are manufactured in Cambodia and sold in the U.S. 

Their Values 

Tonle’s values include purposefulness, that the clothing they create to the actions they take has a purpose and will create an impact. Inclusive: Tonle recognizes that the fashion industry has a lot of exploitation, and Tonle will not accept that. “Tonle is built on collaboration.” Finally, honesty: Tonle believes that being transparent is beneficial. Tonle does their research and works hard to fix mistakes and give credit to where it is due.  

 Tonle is an excellent example of what sustainability should be about. Nobody is excluded, workers are getting fair wages, and they are working very hard to create an impact economically but more importantly, environmentally.  

Check out these amazing pieces all made from scrap and zero-waste: https://tonle.com/collections  

To learn more about Tonle and how they started, watch this YouTube video.

Humanity Runs on Coffee

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What everyone must know about fairly certified coffee and how you can help. 

What is Fair Trade? 

On September 29th, millions of people across the world gathered together in public or on social media to celebrate National Coffee Day. More than 400 million cups of coffee are consumed everyday and our addiction is only growing. If one morning, everyone went out and bought fairly certified coffee, we would drive at least $2 million back to coffee farmers. Coffee is a huge staple in almost everyone’s life. Not realizing that the coffee industry is struggling, one day purchasing coffee is not going to be an easy task. But all you have to do is drink a cup of Fairly Certified coffee.  

Fair Trade is the principle that creates opportunities for disadvantaged producers, ensures no child labor, ensures fair payment to the producers, and transparency and accountability are promoted.  It is essentially an agreement by a seller to pay fair wages and provide good working conditions to those producing goods in developing countries. 

Here are three companies that support fair trade coffee. 

Green Mountain  

Website: http://www.gmcr.com/

The Green Mountain offers the largest selection of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the United States. What began in 1981 in a small café in Waitsfield, Vermont, roasting and selling coffee. Soon demand for their coffee to be supplied at local restaurants increased. This coffee comes from parts of the world where coffee beans are grown in excellent condition such as Kenya and Ethiopia. Green Mountain’s message about Fair Trade is as follows “we are dedicated to purchasing high quality coffee while investing in quality of life for farmers today.” 

Equal Exchange  

Website: https://equalexchange.coop/

Equal Exchange had one specific goal in mind when they started running their organization; what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? Equal Exchange was solely built upon Fair Trade ideals where all of their products ranging from coffee, tea, and chocolate, support the sustainability of farmers. What kickstarted this organization is the coffee they imported from Nicaragua. In 1986, Reagan’s administration placed an embargo on all products from Nicaragua and importing coffee from here would demonstrate solidarity and challenge old US trade policies. 

Burlap and Bean

Website: https://www.burlapandbean.com/

In 2006, Media PA, became America’s first Fair Trade Town. This town was committed to the promotion of Fair Trade certified goods. Located in Newtown Sqaure, PA, lies a gem: Burlap and Bean Coffee where 100% of the coffee they source is Organic and Fair Trade Certified. They have a wonderful selection of specialty drinks, snacks, and baked goods provided by local bakeries. Burlap and Bean Coffee is famously known for their heartwarming hospitality, live entertainment and of course a nice cup of coffee.  

How you can show support 

  • In honor of National Coffee Day, upload your favorite cup of  Fairly Certified coffee with the hashtag #JustOneCup to show support for coffee farmers 
  • Read and watch videos about what Fair Trade is and how it can positively affect the environment. 
  • Subscribe to your favorite Fairly Certified Coffee Companies and start drinking their coffee 
  • Follow social media pages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and share their posts to reach a bigger audience 

20 Ways to #BeFair for Penn State Brandywine Students

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1. Visit the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal Market.

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2. Drink some coffee made with Fair Trade cocoa beans at your local cafes:

Coffee Beanery & Seven Stones Cafe, Media

Burlap and Bean Coffee, Newtown Square

Fennario Coffee, West Chester

Good Karma Cafe, 3 locations in Philadelphia (The Pine St. address is the closest to school)

3. Shop at supermarkets that sell Fair Trade products.

4. Purchase some Fair Trade chocolate at the Lion’s Den.

5. Stay updated on Fair Trade news.

6. Follow us and all your favorite Fair Trade advocates using social media.

7. Not a coffee drinker? Then try some Fair Trade Tea!

8.  When you shop at the King of Prussia mall, choose Fair Trade:

9. Wear sustainable FT fashion, like People Tree.

10. Show your Penn State pride with a t-shirt from Alta Garcia. (Found at our campus bookstore)

11. Be eco-friendly at school or in the office.

12. Don’t forget America’s First Fair Trade Town is just around the corner!

13. Commute to school and spread the word about Fair Trade at the same time.

14. Bake some brownies made with Fair Trade cocoa!

15. Watch Fair Trade Films 

16. Participate at on-campus Fair Trade events.

17. Buy a bar, give a bar.

18. Stay energized with Scheckter’s Organic Energy Beverages.

19. Switch your gifts to Fair Trade!

20. Finally, spread the Fair Trade campaign among your friends and family!

Fair Trade Schools

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Recently, Fair Trade Campaigns lunched its newest campaign – Fair Trade Schools.

“Fair Trade Schools will empower students, teachers and staff to drive demand for ethical consumption from the next generation…Fair Trade Schools will officially recognize K-12 institutions committed to educating students about Fair Trade, an economic system that ensures products were grown, harvested, crafted and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment. Schools may choose to host educational events, or even source Fair Trade products like coffee, tea and bananas in the cafeteria, offices and other school outlets.” – Fair Trade Campaigns

There are three schools in Media, Pa that have successfully reached Fair Trade status: The Walden School in Media declared as the first Fair Trade School in the country, Media Elementary is now the first public elementary school to achieve Fair Trade status, and Penncrest High School in Media, PA just became the first Fair Trade public high school.

 

Way to go!!! Keep up the good work and lets continue to raise awareness about Fair Trade!

 

Contributed by Leshaun Warner, Fair Trade Intern 

International Women’s Day!!!

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“International Women’s Day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action.”

“This year theme is Inspiring Change It calls for challenging the status quo for women’s equality and vigilance inspiring positive change.”

– International Women’s Day (Website)

FAIR TRADE EMPOWERS WOMEN 

“Fair Trade strives to help women realize their full potential and to get the respect in their communities that they deserve. Women hired on Fair Trade farms and plantations are guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights, and freedom from harassment so that women are able to play a strong role in their families and in their coops. Fair Trade certified farms have empowered women through opportunities for education, leadership roles, and scholarships so that girls can imagine a future where they can be their own boss.”

–  Fair Trade USA (Website)

Fair Trade is much more than just a label on a product, it’s a movement! Seeking to empower those that have been taken advantages of or given unequal opportunities. During this weekend choose Fair Trade Products to empower women and men across the world.

Contributed by Leshaun Warner, Fair Trade Intern

Book Review: Fair Food

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Fair Trade Trailblazer Leshaun Warner shares her thoughts about the book Fair Food.

Hesterman, O. B. (2011). Fair food: growing a healthy, sustainable food system for all. New York: PublicAffairs. 290 pages. ISBN: 978-1-61039-006-4.

Oran B. Hesterman’s book, Fair Food, is a book that aims to foster the creation of a redesigned food system, one that is healthy for people, communities, and the environment. After discovering a good diet was able to soothe the symptoms of a disease he suffers from; Hesterman passion for good food was ignited. He devoted his entire career to ensure that good food was available and affordable for everyone. Hesterman has been in a variety of different careers to help educate and push for more sustainable food practices. He was a professor of agronomy at Michigan State University. While there he was also a consultant to the W.K Kellogg Foundation and later left academia to work as a full-time program director at the foundation. However, he saw that there was a hug problem with the food system in America. Hesterman left Kellogg to start Fair Food Network, a new institution committed to building a more just and sustainable food system.

Hesterman’s book outlines the problems of our current broken food system, gives solution to redesigning it, and provides a practical guide to how we can get involved in the cause. While there are many broken systems in America which are education, health care, energy, and the financial system redesigning our food system is key to help solving the rest. In order to comprehend how to fix a broken system you must first recognize what is wrong with it. Why the current system is no longer working and the difficulties that it’s producing. After we understand that we can move forward to finding the principles a fair food system should have. A Fair Food system should allow everyone to have equal access to healthy, safe, and fresh food. A system that is diverse from the food we grow to how we grow them and also diverse in economic and ownership structures. Lastly, a fair food system must be environmentally sustainable and economically viable. Then we must take action and like Hesterman’s said shift from a conscious consumers to engaged citizens.

Hesterman’s book has truly opened my eyes to the current situation of our food system. Although it is not a book completely about Fair Trade it is very much relevant to the movement. To truly comprehend the Fair Trade movement and what it is trying to accomplish you must understand the state of our current food system. Our food system is failing so many individuals and causing so many problems that no one is addressing. Hesterman’s book not only seeks to address those problems but also provide ways for anyone to get involved in the cause.

Review prepared by Leshaun Warner, Fair Trade Intern

Penn State Brandywine Hosts Mid-Atlantic Fair Trade Student Leadership Training

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Today is the day that Penn State Brandywine is hosting college students from across the region for the Mid-Atlantic Fair Trade Student Leadership Training! Our own Dr. Laura Guertin and founding Fair Trade TrailBlazer Sarah DeMartino are leading the event, along with Billy Linstead-Goldsmith (national coordinator of Fair Trade Campaigns). Keep an eye out for our summaries of the day!

Also, keep updated on the latest news by following us on Twitter (@PSUBW_FairTrade) and by liking us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/psubwfairtrade)!

Victory: Hershey’s Finally Commits to 100% Fair Trade Certified Cocoa

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After years of activism by passionate fair trade activists, the Hershey Company has promised to purchase all of its cocoa from fair trade certified sources by 2020!

The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Coalition has identified forced and child labor practices and has been very active in demanding Hershey to: a) “trace its supply chain to the farm level”; b) source “from farmers who can show through independent verification that they do not use forced labor or child labor”; c) ask “suppliers to end such practices at the farms from which they source.”

The Coalition states that although this is a very significant step in the right direction, it will still continue to “hold Hershey accountable for the treatment of cocoa laborers” and to “pressure major corporations, working in chocolate and other sectors to address the issues of forced labor, child labor, and human trafficking in their supply chains.”

As committed fair trade activists, all of us at Penn State Brandywine are deeply encouraged by this victory – with time, all the hard work and patience pays off! It reminds me of a few words that Gary Haugen, CEO of the International Justice Mission, had spoken at the Justice conference: “The book of justice is long and boring…full of waiting rooms, long lines, and instructions for perseverance…but I love it. I love it, especially, when we read it together.”

As we continue this journey together, feel free to send a thank you note to Hershey to encourage it’s commitment.

Contributed by Fair Trade Intern, Labanya Mookerjee

The Walden School Fair Trade Announcement

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If you did not make it to the Media Theatre on the evening of December 17, please allow us to share a recap with you of a very special evening.  On this chilly Monday evening, Labanya Mookerjee and I headed to The Walden School‘s Holiday Sing-A-Long to hear the preschool, elementary, and middle school students perform some beautiful songs.  We thoroughly enjoyed hearing these children and seeing them perform songs such as Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney, Hanukkah Festival, and The Peace Song.

But looking down the front row of the theater, anyone in the Fair Trade community would have known that something else was going to happen this evening – something significant, something exciting!  Seated down the row were myself and Labanya of Penn State Brandywine, Elizabeth Killough of the Media Fair Trade Town Committee, Hal Taussig (Media’s Fair Trade pioneer), Mary Le Fever (Walden School’s founder), Monica Simpson of the Media Borough Council… and the list goes on!

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The evening started with Walden’s Head of School, Mary McKeon (pictured above, left), and Assistant Head of School, Carly Tolson (pictured above, center), making an announcement that (drumroll, please….) The Walden School has been officially granted status as the nation’s first Fair Trade School for pre-K through 8th grade!  Monica Simpson came on to the stage to make the presentation of the official certificate from Fair Trade Universities (who oversees all school campaigns).

To view a video of the Fair Trade announcement, please click here.

Congratulations, The Walden School!  Penn State Brandywine looks forward to connecting and collaborating with you on future Fair Trade awareness, education, and advocacy events.

– Contributed by Dr. Laura Guertin