This Sunday over 1.5 billion people across the globe will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. Many Fair Traders’ attitudes about selling (or buying) Chinese made goods could be summed up by the expression, “not for all the tea in China.” As we celebrate the Chinese New Year and come under the influence of the water snake, maybe it’s time to re-think this approach? What do you think?

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!

It’s cold, raining & windy in New England,which means it’s great weather for snuggling on the settee with a cup of Fair Trade hot cocoa! Here’s a recap of this week’s news, blogs, and stories to keep you going for the weekend. Enjoy!

If you’re like me, buried in a mission-driven world, rarely watch television, or listen to a radio station other than NPR, you may not be aware that Fair Trade has been slowly creeping into the world of pop culture. Or is it the other way around?