On October 4, the fair trade movement in Canada will be losing a key leader as Jennifer Williams steps down from her position as the CEO of La Siembra (Camino). After 10 years at the helm, Jennifer Williams will be missed. –Letter from the La Siembra Board of Directors– July Read more…
Despite being popular worldwide, cocoa requires specific growing conditions that are generally found within 20 degrees north and south of the equator. For many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, cocoa represents a significant portion of their national economies. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the two largest cocoa-producing countries in Read more…
By Zack Gross Fair Trade in Canada has come a long way in the last 25-or-so years. In the late 80s, the organization I worked for, the Marquis Project, began selling those not-particularly-tasty bricks of Bridgehead ground coffee, along with crafts we brought in from partners in East Africa. In Read more…
With a strong focus on people and communities, many consumers don’t realize that environmental issues are key components to social sustainability. In fact, environmental issues often go hand-in-hand with social issues. Pesticides have been linked to soil and water contamination, soil erosion, biodiversity issues, and climate change, but the cost Read more…
The rain pours amid the rolling green hills and lush vegetation. It’s the middle of Uganda’s second rainy season, known as “the little wet season.” Raindrops spatter against the tin roof, and thunder booms; I sip hot chai across from John Nuwagaba—managing director of the Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union Read more…
The CFTN will be working with Fairtrade Canada in presenting its Karma Campaign—a national celebration of all things good. For the duration of 2013, Karma will present stories highlighting the admirable efforts of people across the country and sharing a general vibe of all things good. Learn about Karma and Read more…
I tried to set up an appointment beforehand but was told that the workers were busy and might not have time to talk. I took my chance anyway. I knocked on the heavy double door of the former hospital building. When the door opened, Rosa, the stalwart matriarch of the Read more…
By Jennifer Williams Business owners must pay close attention to emerging trends, consumer behaviors, and subtle and sustained shifts in the market. We can make the greatest plans in the world, but if we ignore the big changes around us, we risk finding ourselves quickly off-trend, out competed, and left Read more…
It makes no difference how many mythological hypotheses surround its origins, from a quasi-divine emperor to the Gautama Buddha; one thing is certain: tea is from Asia, and for a long time, its cultivation was under the monopoly of China. This was before 1840, when a British doctor planted the Read more…
It’s good that more people are asking where their food comes from. We want to feel connected to our food, right back to the hands that grew it—whether the farmer lives down the road, or on the other side of the world. But very few consumers understand how their food, especially Read more…