Named after Juno, the ancient Roman goddess and protector of women, the month of June has long held the title of the most popular month for weddings. But according to the Wedding Planning website, June is no longer the most popular month for weddings. In recent years has been surpassed by the months of July and August as the month popular months to say I DO. With so many I DOs taking place at this time of the year, maybe the Fair Trade Wedding Guide in it’s own little way serves two purposes?

First, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our $250 Shopping Spree ! There were many entries from Fair Trade enthusiasts far and wide. But as all contests go, there could only be one winner….and that winner is Jennifer Caperton!

Fresh off the heels of my first visit to Guatemala, I can’t stop thinking about the coffee producers I met while traveling with Cooperative Coffees. It’s as though my first experience in the country is the new lens through which I see life. So, as we prepare to celebrate Earth Day back at Café Campesino in the U.S., I realize that some of the basic tenets I associate with environmentally responsibility are now translated through my “Guatemala experience.”

Some products are both Green and Fair Trade. Yet these terms refer to completely different movements. Both nestle nicely under the canopy of Social Responsibility. As we continue our month long theme of taking a Refreshing Look at Fair Trade, I wanted to bring your attention to ways in which Fair Traders live and breathe environmental sustainability.

It’s only natural for nature lovers to get excited about the month of April. Characterized by new life, budding plants, and celebrations, April inspires us to act, promises hope, and reminds us that we are all guests on this majestic planet. April is about harnessing people power, setting intentions, committing to change, and celebrating our continued life!
All month long we’re taking a Refreshing Look at Fair Trade through the lens of sustainable living!

Say good-bye to dark afternoons, shoveling, and winter fires! Say hello to sunny days, leisure outdoor strolls, and rejuvenating with Mother Nature’s bounties. Get your body ready for spring’s undressing or freshen up your living spaces.

Here’s a list of 5 things you can do to welcome spring!

Last year the Fair Trade Federation’s (FTF) annual conference was merged for the first time with the Fair Trade Futures conference. 2011 now sees the yearly FTF meeting back in traditional garb. Months before discussion of budgets, unions, or protests surfaced to cause overheated controversy on the nightly news, the FTF conference committee settled on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This year’s conference theme is Building UP Fair Trade and is scheduled for May 6-8th!

Through Matt Johnson’s office window a storm brews each day beginning around 11 am. Until a few days again, workers on both sides of Matt’s window pane expected to have the same rights. The irony is that now those outside the SERRV offices are in danger of losing the rights that SERRV (and other Fair Traders) demand as a tool in the fight against world poverty.

The first time I asked this question publicly was in the Spring of 2007. It was during an open discussion at the Fair Trade Federation’s conference in Washington, DC at the American University. The topic, how can we grow the Fair Trade (FT) movement?

While President Obama was not specifically referring to Fair Trade last night in his State of the Union Address, his measurement of progress is at the heart of what Fair Trade businesses seek to achieve both at home and abroad. The economy is growing again but that recovery can not only be measured by the profits corporations make. Progress must also be measured by the quality of life new jobs bring to people.
If you share these values, and are currently looking for a job, here are few sites you might want to check out.