On a recent shopping trip to the mall, I got caught out there! For three solid hours, I escaped the drudgery of my workaholic existence, dreamt that I’d lost that 50 extra pounds I’d found since starting a business, and fantasized that Matthew McConaughey jumped out of the Dolce & Gabanna ad and was now whispering unimaginable things in my ear. In Fair Trade, there is no escapism, no fantasy, no cult of celebrity and virtually no sex appeal. What can Fair Traders offer consumers in order to compete with the fantastic escapism of the malls?

Are you stuck for gift ideas? Don’t know what to give that awkward uncle or a difficult teen for Christmas? Need a great Hanukkah gift for under $20? The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) wants to help you find that special Fair Trade gift for every member of the family.

Keeping up with the Jones’ reflects, in a nutshell, the ever changing preferences of the American consumer. What is in style today will be out of style tomorrow. So you can see, there is a lot of thinking that goes into the design of a product. SERRV has risen to the challenge this year by holding their first ever Design Camp 2010.

Once upon a time there was a very sad banana.

“Why was he so sad,“ you might ask.

Well maybe, it’s because although many people appreciated him for his golden yellow color and his sweet, yummy flavor, they never took the time to get to know him. Really get to know him, that is.

Many cities across the country are embracing bike riders and promoting a healthier, greener way of life. One stands above the rest, according to Bicycling’s America’s Best Bike Cities, and was ranked the #1 bike friendly city. That city is Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is also home to a cool bike peddling Fair Trade coffee roaster!

With only 6% of consumers able to name a FT organization unaided, the FTF is doing their part to help change that.  And with the holiday season right around the corner, the Shop Fair, Give Fair materials will help spread the FT message.