and importers, online stores and retail- ers in places like Evanston, Lake Forest, Long Grove and Park Ridge, that carry fair trade items in their shops. Events cel- ebrating October as Fair Trade Month, or World Fair Trade Day, in May, also help promote the message about fair trade products in our local communities. Chicago Fair Trade has been working
with area businesses, faith-based groups and fair trade activists to encourage more residents and businesses to support fair trade and to identify where in Chica- goland fair trade certified products are currently offered. The intended goal is to make Chicago a fair trade city—and then to expand the reach of that goal to the northern suburban communities. “As the Chicagoland area continues
to grow and be known as a global mecca, we want to offer more than a choice of good ethnic restaurants and cultural exchanges,” Jones adds. “We want to be recognized as a strong fair trade com- munity and show other countries that we want relationships built on mutual fair- ness and respect. These are the building blocks of authentic global partnership.”
INVESTING
IN A BETTER WORLD Ten Thousand Villages, in Evanston, has been promoting fair trade for more than a decade and has seen its number of customers and supporters grow through the years as more consumers demand social and economic accountability in the products they buy. “Everybody who is trying to make a change in the world is on the same page,” explains Community Outreach Manager Susanne Donoghue. “Many things in this world are not
fair. Through [fair trade], we are trying to make... things more fair for every- one,” Donoghue continues. “Fair trade is changing the status of women within their own families. They are being paid for what they do, and being paid fairly. We need to ask what the products we are using cost, in terms of resources and the lives of the people who make them. It’s the good neighbor approach.” Despite the economic situation in
FAIR TRADE COFFEE,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL n Charmers Café (coffee shop); 1500 W. Jarvis Avenue (Rogers Park) Chicago 60626 773-743-2233;
CharmersCafe.com
n Casteel Coffee (coffee shop/wholesaler); 2924 Central Street, Evanston 60201 877-560-8335;
CasteelCoffee.com
n Metropolis Coffee (coffee shop/wholesaler); 1039 W. Granville Avenue (Rogers Park) Chicago 60660 773-764-0400;
MetropolisCoffee.com
n Roasters (to receive fresh, roasted fair- trade coffee in the Chicago area); Chicago Coffee Confederation; email
CoffeeConfederation@gmail.com or visit
ChicagoCoffeeConfederation.wordpress.com
n Whole Foods Market; and many other local grocery stores carry fair trade brands (retail)
the U.S., growing consumer demand in our local communities has prompted the opening of new fair trade shops during the last 24 months, including The Mustard Seed, in Lake Forest, and Global Handmade Hope, in Park Ridge. Lake Forest resident Jackie Renwick opened The Mustard Seed when she realized she could help improve the lives of others by providing an outlet for women in lesser developed countries to produce income for their families. Today, she partners with artisans and cooperatives, selling products from more than 30 countries and educating the community through outreach and special programs at her store. Most of the artisans are women working at home or in small groups, and many are widows supporting their children. “Nothing begins to change shop- ping habits more than learning and sharing the stories of our artisans,” Ren- wick says. “When you buy a fair trade product for yourself or as a gift, you are giving more than once. It starts a won- derful ripple effect that keeps growing.” For those who want to become
more involved in the movement lo- cally, October—designated Fair Trade month by TransFair USA—is rife with possibilities. Ten Thousand Villages will host a number of activities throughout the week of October 11, including a
WHAT’S FAIR?
According to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), fair trade means an equitable and fair part- nership between retail/wholesale marketers in North America and Europe and producers in Asia, Africa and Latin America and other parts of the world.
FTF criteria for membership are: n Paying a fair wage in the local context
n Offering employees opportunities for ad- vancement
n Providing equal employment opportuni- ties for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged
n Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices
n Being open to public accountability n Building long-term trade relationships
n Providing healthy and safe working condi- tions within the local context
n Providing financial and technical assis- tance to producers whenever possible
For more info, visit
FairTradeFederation.org.
book signing, women’s spa night and a fashion show featuring MarketPlace Handwork of India fashions and jew- elry. Chicago Fair Trade will sponsor educational events, including Global- Fest, on October 14, an annual event spotlighting artisans and producers. Donoghue sums up the importance
of fair trade in our modern world: “We all have to change how we think and how we buy. When you buy fair trade products, you are investing in a better world for other people and for yourself.”
Megy Karydes, the owner of World Shoppe, a fair trade importing company, is active in the fair trade movement nationally and locally in the Chicago- land area. For more information on what is being done to promote fair trade throughout the greater Chicagoland area or to find more fair trade shops and ca- fés, visit
ChicagoFairTrade.org. To learn how to make your community a fair trade town, visit
FairTradeTownsUSA.org.
natural awakenings October 2010 19
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