Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition

Shop for a Cause at the 22nd annual Ten Thousand Villages “International Gift Faire”

2010-10-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

This fair trade sale features unique handicrafts, gifts and household items from Ten Thousand Villages, the oldest & largest Fair Trade organization in the world. In 2008, the Faire, held in San Jose, reached a total combined profit of over $1 million for artisans in developing countries. It has become the largest two-day sale of Ten Thousand Villages in the U.S.

Ten Thousand Villages supports the work of 50-60,000 artisans across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. With the income they earn, these artisans are able to provide basic necessities like food, education, health care and housing for their families. This year’s sale in San Jose is especially critical to the artisans’ welfare, due to the decreased economy in the U.S. and Canada resulting in fewer orders for their handicrafts. Many of the items produced by the artisans are “eco-friendly”, being made from re-cycled materials such as newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, and other re-cycled metals.

Just a few of the many items you can expect to find at the “International Gift Faire”:
Children’s toys
Children’s clothing
Ethnic musical instruments
Linens
Handmade papers & Stationery
Holiday decorations
Pottery / Garden décor
House wares / Home décor
Chocolate, Coffee & Tea

Please help support fair trade around the world and “Shop for a Cause”!

Sale dates: Friday, October 15th, 9am to 8pm
Saturday, October 16th, 10am to 4pm

Location: Lincoln Glen Fellowship Hall
2700 Booksin Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125

For more information about the “International Gift Faire” or Ten Thousand Villages, visit the following websites:

www.tenthousandvillages.com
www.internationalgiftfaire.com

The Chol Chol Foundation and Emily Joubert proudly present A Fall Trunk Show

2010-10-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

¡Hola Bay Area Fair Trade Community!

In honor of Fair Trade month, I am writing to invite you to celebrate Mapuche Fair Trade craft from Southern Chile!

Fall 2010 marks the debut of the Chol-Chol Foundation's products into boutiques across the nation (*new Bay Area stores include Global Exchange SF, Emily Joubert Home & Garden, Spirit Rock Meditation Center of Marin, Prima in Santa Cruz, Leeder of the Pack in Palo Alto, and Fringe of Sacramento).

We are excited to announce that the elegant boutique Emily Joubert Home & Garden of Woodside, California, will be hosting a celebratory Trunk Show Benefit for the Chol-Chol Foundation to launch our our new design and development project, Project Chol Chol!

Enough said, now let's celebrate!

October 9th, 5:00 - 9:00
@ Emily Joubert Home & Garden

We are pleased to invite you to experience Mapuche craft and culture, explore how design can empower commercial justice, and take home hand-made eco fair trade products from the Chol-Chol Foundation!

The evening's activities will include
• Music by Bay Area Chilean folk musician Maria Loreto Ramirez
• A silent auction featuring hand-made, naturally dyed Mapuche art
• Hors d'œuvres and wine from Chile and California
• The exclusive opportunity to pre-order Project Chol Chol's new line of contemporary accessories before they're open to the public in 2011!
All funds raised through donations and sales from this trunk show will help enable the launch of PROJECT CHOL CHOL, our new "Mapuche modern" line of products, the CHOL CHOL FOUNDATION, and our amazing collective of women artisans!
Event website projectcholchol.com
R.S.V.P to hola@cholchol.org
Facebook invite

It would be an honor to have you at this event, and please spread to word to your friends and neighbors!

With love and excitement,

Jasmine Aarons
Design and Development
Fundación Chol Chol
artesania@cholchol.org
http://cholchol.org
indigenousinnovation.com

"Every Party Matters" Fair Trade Month Kick Off Party at Temple Club this Wednesday

2010-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

October is Fair Trade Month! Kick it off with Fair Trade USA!

Taste, Experience & Celebrate Fair Trade this Wednesday, September 29th at Temple San Francisco

Drink: Cocktails with the new FAIR. Vodka, the first-ever Fair Trade spirit, created from Fair Trade Certified quinoa.

Taste: Sweet and savory appetizers made with Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients.

Celebrate: With fellow Fair Trade fans at the popular Temple San Francisco, one of the Greenest Bars in the United States.

Dance: DJ Corinne Regan and DJ Chris Orr of San Francisco.

Admission: $10 with RSVP/$15 without RSVP

Dress Code: Fair & chic cocktail attire. No sneakers or t-shirts (unless they are Fair Trade Certified).

RSVP online at Event Brite or help spread the word on Faceboook.

Can't make it to the event, but you'd like to help? Every donation matters.

Want to support the expansion of Fair Trade in your community? Every voice matters.

We are also looking for a few last minute volunteers to staff the event. If you are interested please contact Katie Barrow, kbarrow@fairtradeusa.org for more information and FREE ADMISSION.

October is the seventh annual Fair Trade Month. Themed “Every Purchase Matters,” Fair Trade Month unites Fair Trade USA’s diverse corporate, nonprofit and individual stakeholders in more than 100 events, promotions and fund-raising activities across the United States to generate awareness of Fair Trade’s comprehensive approach to social, economic and environmental empowerment and sustainability among farming communities in the developing world.

Powered by

Celebrate a Fair Trade Berkeley with Mayor Tom Bates

2010-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Mayor Tom Bates poses with the Fair Trade Berkeley Steering Committee.

On July 13, 2010, Berkeley became the 19th Fair Trade Town in the United States when the City Council passed a Fair Trade resolution, voicing the City’s commitment to Fair Trade.

Now it’s time to celebrate!

Join Fair Trade Berkeley, Buy Local Berkeley and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates to commemorate this accomplishment for Berkeley’s first ever Fair Trade happy hour at Saul’s Restaurant & Deli on September 23 from 4-5:30pm. Enjoy appetizers, sample Fair Trade treats from Divine Chocolate, Honest Tea, Numi Tea, La Yapa Quinoa and Thanksgiving Coffee. The happy hour event runs parallel to the Thursday's Farmer's Market, so bring your bags and enjoy the Buy Local, Buy Fair extravaganza!

Admission is $15.00 and includes on Fair Trade cocktail by the Fair Trade Spirits Company. Proceeds will help further the educational outreach of Fair Trade Berkeley to grow consumer and retailer awareness regarding the importance of Fair Trade.

For more information or to RSVP, go to http://fairtradeberkeley.eventbrite.com/
For more information go to: http://fairtradeberkeley.blogspot.com/
Or RSVP on Facebook.

First ever FAIR. Cocktail Crawl - The Official Launch Party of FAIR. Spirits in the U.S.

2010-08-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

First Ever FAIR. Cocktail Crawl – The Official Launch Party of FAIR. Spirits in the US (San Francisco, CA)

Time: August 31 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Locations: The Burritt Room
Crescent Hotel, 2nd Floor, 417 Stockton Street, CA 94108
San Francisco, CA
(then Cantina, Rickhouse, Gitane...see map below)

Featured Guests Paul Rice, President & CEO of TransFair USA Alexandre Koiransky, Co-Founder of Fair Trade Spirits Company Danny Ronen, West Coast Brand Ambassador Fair Trade Spirits Company

More Info

The Burritt Room will open its doors to host and start the first Fair Trade Cocktail Crawl ever! From The Burritt Room, to Cantina, Rickhouse and Gitane, where guests will have a chance to try exquisite cocktails with a part of the proceeds going to the TransFair USA non-profit organization, who help us support independent farming communities around the world. Come join us at some of the finest establishments in town who are also great believers in the Fair Trade movement. Cheers! Hosted and Organized by FAIR. Spirits

RSVP

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149775175048899&ref=mf

MAP

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=burritt%20room%20crescent%20hotel&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Dine Out for Fair Trade

2010-08-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

Dine Out for Fair Trade
Wednesday, August 25th
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Flora
1900 Telegraph Avenue

We invite you to save your appetite for fine food and drink and join TransFair USA at Flora Restaurant and Bar the evening of Wednesday, August 25th.

For every Rosemary Collins you sip or pan-roasted halibut you savor that night, TransFair USA receives 10% as a donation towards its Fair Trade work with 1.5 million farmer families in 60 countries across the globe.

If you are already a devotee, you know Flora is the creation of Dona Savitsky and Thomas Schnetz and can be found at the corner of Telegraph and 19th across from Oakland’s renovated Fox Theatre. Flora’s decor celebrates opulent Art Deco style with high ceilings, a checkered floor, and classic elongated sconces to light your way. The menu offers carefully crafted cocktails and reinvented American classics: sweet pea soup with crisp pork belly or Yukon Gold potato pave with morel mushrooms and summer truffles.

Dine out in style at Flora on August 25th. Dine out for Fair Trade.
http://www.floraoakland.com/
http://www.transfairusa.org/

Open for dinner 5pm to 9:30pm. Reservations via OpenTable. Planning to dine with friends? Call the restaurant at 510.286.0100 to book a reservation for a party of six (6) or more.

Enjoy Fair Trade Cocktails Tomorrow in Oakland

2010-08-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tasting Event & Original Cocktails made with

FAIR. Vodka, Goji Berry & Coffee Liqueur

In Oakland, CA

The Terrace Room at The Lake Merritt Hotel in Oakland (6- 9 PM)

http://www.theterraceroom.com/

Tastings will be $1/Cocktails are $7+

Live Music

Mixologist Brandon Peacock

$1 of every cocktail using FAIR. will go to TFUSA

Food is Fantastic

RSVP

Adesso in Oakland (9PM – onward)

www.dopoadesso.com

Tastings will be $1/Cocktails are Awesome $9+

Fair Trade Vodka, Coffee and Goji Berry Liqueur Tastings

$1 of every cocktail using FAIR. will go to TFUSA

5 minute drive from The Terrace Room

RSVP

Fair Trade Judaica Fair

2010-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Fair Trade Judaica Fair
Sunday, October 17
2:00 - 5:00 pm
East Bay Jewish Community Center
1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley

Representatives from Divine Chocolate, Maya Works, Partners for Just Trade, and Pampeana will be at this event.

Fair Trade Judaica will be selling consigned products from Casa Bonampak and Mayan Hands, as well as Jewish blessing flags produced from a fair trade group in Nepal.

Afikomen, the local Judaica store, will be selling products from African Home, Global Exchange.

Fair trade coffee, tea, and snacks will also be sold.

Please plan to join us!

Get Ready for Back to School with Global Exchange!! Fair Trade Curriculum Mural Project

2010-08-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

"Fair Trade Chocolate's Journey from Bean to Bar"
Saturday, August 14th
11am-4pm
Global Exchange Fair Trade Store
4018 24th Street @ Noe Street, San Francisco

Bring your kids to the Global Exchange Store in San Francisco to join in the making of a mural that follows "Fair Trade Chocolate's Journey from Bean to Bar."

A fun educational neighborhood activity to foster learning about Fair Trade and a time for parents to taste FREE Fair Trade Divine Chocolate!

To harvest the cocoa, the pods must be cut from the trees, split open and the slimy pulp containing the beans scraped out. The bitter cocoa bean is subsequently wrapped in plantain leaved to ferment and then dried under the sun.

The beans are then shipped to Europe where they are roasted, crushed, and ground into a rich cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is combined in varying proportions with sugar and milk and stirred continuously over several days, then cooled and molded into the delicious chocolate bars we enjoy at home!

Come join us this Saturday! Hope to see you there!

*The cocoa from Divine chocolate is grown in the southern regions of Ghana by a farmers' co-operative called Kuapa Kokoo. Most Ghanaian cocoa is grown on small family farms, and is usually intercropped with other plants and trees, such as plantains, maize and spices. Cocoa trees grow to between 12-15 meters high and produce blossoms which when pollinated turn into cocoa pods. Each pod contains 40 seeds which become cocoa beans. It takes one tree's whole crop for the year to make three big bars of Divine.

Come to the Eco Fashion Show 7/29 in Santa Rosa

2010-07-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

When: next week, Thursday, July 29th, Doors open, edibles, and wine served at 6:30pm. Fashion Show at 7:30pm. Style-buying after the show.

Why: TransFair USA and three other Bay Area nonprofits receive 20% of clothes purchases as a donation.

Who: Indigenous Designs founders Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds have been dedicated to Fair Trade and environmentally-friendly fashion for more than 13 years. TransFair USA is excited to partner with this dynamic duo of stylish gentleman as we move forward with our groundbreaking Fair Trade Certified apparel pilot project.

How: All guests will be able to special order Fall 2010 designs at 50% below retail prices. *Men’s styles available too.* Orders will be personalized just for you and made just in time for the 2010 winter holidays.

Where: The Glaser Center, downtown Santa Rosa, CA.

Guest List Only. This event is open to the first 350 people that RSVP.
Register here today to save your spot: http://ecofashionjuly29.eventbrite.com
Event is free - $10 suggested donation.

Like to read more? On our blog: http://transfairusa.org/blog/?p=4122

Weds 7/28 Fair Trade Cocoa Coop visit report back @ SF Global Exchange store

2010-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Join us at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco for a
Dominican Republic Fair Cocoa Harvest Global Exchange Reality Tours
Report Back by honored participants and Fair Harvesters
Keri Ferencz and Hime Levine

Date: Wednesday, July 28
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Where: 4018 24th St, San Francisco CA 94114

As participants in this year’s Fair Cocoa Harvest Reality Tour, Keri and Hime traveled to the Dominican Republic where they worked along-side farmers of a Fair Trade cocoa cooperative (CONACADO) to harvest cocoa. Having shared in the daily lives of small-scale farming families, they can share with us their understanding of what Fair Trade means for producers.

Fair Harvest is not intended to be a tour or tourist visit, but rather to be a lived experience that will motivate the participants to be committed fair trade advocates when they return. Spend your vacation harvesting social justice while learning about the beautiful culture, biodiversity, sustainable development and history of the Dominican Republic!

Learn about the importance of Fair Trade in the cocoa industry and how certification and economic alternatives can dramatically improve the lives of producers.

Berkeley is set to become the 19th Fair Trade Town!

2010-07-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

With many Fair Trade supporters in the crowd, the Berkeley City Council passed a Fair Trade resolution at their July 13th meeting to make Berkeley a Fair Trade town! The Fair Trade Berkeley steering committee members and City Manager’s office have worked very hard over the past year to craft a "Best-in-Class" Fair Trade Town Resolution and City Ordinance.

Steering committee member Dagny Tucker, expressed appreciation to Berkeley city officials and citizens for passing the resolution and upholding Berkeley’s history of being a leader in just choices as the resolution works alongside Berkeley’s long list of other important purchasing laws (sweatfree,precautionary principle, etc).

You can see a video of Dagny's speech here http://bit.ly/9iDDCl

An official declaration celebration will be held in August.The mayor and city council are set to attend. Details to come, so keep checking the blog!

See East Bay Express' article about the Resolution http://bit.ly/9W5m1d

See the actual resolution http://bit.ly/abFdPS

Fair Trade Spirits Now Available!

2010-07-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Introducing FAIR.

FAIR. announces the rise of transparent and sustainable ethics in ultra premium spirits. By associating the best French distillers to local cooperatives in the third world, FAIR. aims at bringing to the consumers the finest spirits possible produced from fair trade ingredients. They believe in showcasing in the most transparent way all the human capital that goes into making unique ultra premium spirits.

In May this year, the Fair Trade Spirits Company launched FAIR. Vodka in the USA, the first Quinoa-based Vodka but also the first vodka with Fair Trade certified ingredients. The quinoa is cultivated by over 1,200 small producers in the Bolivian Altiplano, gathered within the Anapqui cooperative, the main association of farming producers in the country.

FAIR.Vodka has been awarded twice last year as one of the best Vodkas in the world.

FAIR. Vodka will be featured at the next Farmers Market Cocktail Night on July 7th, presented by the Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA ) and the San Francisco Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG). It will be an evening dedicated to the savory flavors of summer. While this event is sold out...

Our friends at Purity Organic are sponsoring an event TONIGHT called SF Green Drinks with drink specials!
Date: Tuesday, July 6th
Time: 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Location: 111 Minna Gallery (just two blocks from the Montgomery BART)
Cost: FREE!
http://sfgreendrinks.org/

Minna Gallery will also soon carry FAIR VODKA! Some other cool new locations where FAIR just became available are Gather Restaurant in Berkeley and the Alembic on Haight in SF.

For a full updated list of where to buy FAIR, click here: http://www.fairtradespirits.com/North-America/buy-drink-FAIR.html (You must be 21 to enter).

FAIR. is also the latest member of the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, supporting local Fair Trade Towns campaigns

Berkeley becomes a Fair Trade Town July 13th @ 7pm - Please Attend!

2010-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, Fair Trade Berkeley Friends and Supporters!!!!

I hope this message finds you well amidst fun summer events. I'm writing with Good News!!!

Since our last visit with the Berkeley City Council, members of the Fair Trade Berkeley steering committe have been meeting with the City Manager's office, crafting what seems to be truly a "Best-in-Class" Fair Trade Town Resolution and City Ordinance. We can feel very proud of Berkeley for continuing to keep the bar high and for insisting on an ordinance that works alongside its long list of other important purchasing laws (sweatfree, precautionary principle, etc.)

Please plan to show your appreciation by attending the Berkeley City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 13th, 7-7:30pm. This will be QUICK this time (hooray!) because the resolution is on the Consents Calendar (the first 15 minutes of the meeting). Essentially, the City Council will "consent" to the resolution barring no objection from the public. Fair Trade Berkeley steering committee dynamo, Dagny Tucker, will be present to offer a less-than-2 minute testimony, expressing our appreciation.

By attending, you will visibly represent growers and producers around the world, along with local retailers, faith communities and consumers who understand that Fair Trade choices made locally create world-changing impacts globally.

Please mark your calendars for:

NEXT Tuesday, July 13th, 7-7:30pm.

Location: 2134 MLK Jr Way, second floor.

This is exciting....we hope to see you all there! Thank you for all your support! Three Cheers for Fair Trade! Stay tuned for details about our Fair Trade Town celebration in August...

Ben and Jerry's Celebrates Fair Trade Ice Cream in San Francisco

2010-06-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Ben and Jerry’s What’s Inside Tour hit San Francisco last week, bringing free ice cream to happy recipients at Justin Herman Plaza, Union Square, and Golden Gate Park. The nationwide tour, which stayed in San Francisco from June 17-20, has aimed to celebrate and publicize Ben and Jerry’s Fair Trade Certified flavors and the company’s commitment to converting all of their ice cream to 100% Fair Trade Certified status by 2013. This conversion will benefit producers of ice cream ingredients like coffee, cocoa, vanilla, and sugar.

Volunteers at the ice cream giveaway events saw large crowds (it’s hard to resist free ice cream, especially Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) and distributed information on Fair Trade to the people who lined up for ice cream. One brochure included both facts about Ben and Jerry’s Fair Trade practices and a coupon for a reduced-price pint of ice cream, motivating passerby to take the brochure and sparking a dialogue on Fair Trade between volunteers and those in line. Many people could be heard discussing fair trade with their friends and asking questions like, “I’ve heard of Fair Trade, but what exactly does it mean?” In this way, the event proved to be a great way to get people talking about Fair Trade and learning about how it benefits farmers and workers.

While participants took advantage of opportunities to take free pictures with mock cows and partake in various games, the focus was definitely on the ice cream. Many people raved about its high quality, telling friends about the event and asking volunteers about Fair Trade flavors. One of the Fair Trade flavors on offer was Milk and Cookies, which uses Fair Trade Certified cocoa and vanilla and got positive reviews from almost everyone who tried it. Other Fair Trade Certified flavors include classics like chocolate, vanilla, and coffee, so make sure to look for the Fair Trade Certified label the next time you’re browsing the frozen foods aisle!

The Ben & Jerry's What's Inside Tour Comes to San Francisco

2010-06-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Ben & Jerry's What's Inside Tour is coming to San Francisco! What's that mean for you? Free Fair Trade Certified ice cream that supports family farms and gives back to the community.

Ben & Jerry's wants you to know what's inside their ice cream from cage free eggs, to Fair Trade Certified cocoa to dairy from family farms. And to tell their story they are going on a nation wide tour to spread the ice cream love with a big focus on visiting Fair Trade Towns like San Francisco.

Ben & Jerry's recently announced that they will be making all of the ingredients for all of their ice cream 100% Fair Trade Certified by 2013 and they are big supporters of the Fair Trade Towns USA campaign.

In fact, Ben and Jerry themselves stopped by the TransFair USA offices the other day to discuss how we can educate more people in the U.S. about what Fair Trade means and this event is a big part of how we are doing it!

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and the Ben & Jerry's What's Inside team for some free Fair Trade Certified ice cream at four locations in San Francisco from June 17-20.

Members of the San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley campaigns will be joining the Ben & Jerry's team to talk to afternoon shoppers about the benefits of Fair Trade for producers and how making a difference can be as delicious and easy as a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream!

We need volunteers! If you would like some free ice cream and to kick it with us on a sunny afternoon, please email Jamie Guzzi, jguzzi@transfairusa.org with your preferred location and availability.

Here's the scoop from Ben & Jerry's!

Ben & Jerry's What's Inside Tour
June 17-20 in San Francisco

We believe in using the power of our day-to-day business decisions to help drive positive change. One decision we make is how and where we buy our ingredients because we believe its what's inside that counts.

We want you to find out what's inside Ben & Jerry's so we are launching the "What's Inside Tour". Come join us and learn about how we work to make the best possible ice cream in the best way possible, & sample some FREE ice cream.

From supporting small family farms to going completely Fair Trade by 2013, we're taking our commitments (and our ice cream) on the road. Stop by any of these San Francisco events to learn more and sample free ice cream while supplies last!

June 17th & 18th @ Justin Herman Plaza
1 Market St
Noon - 3pm each day

June 19th @ Union Square
Geary St at Stockton St
Noon-3pm

June 20th @ Golden Gate Park
Bandshell/Fountain
Noon-3pm

To learn more, visit:
http://www.benjerry.com/activism/feature/whats-inside/

RSVP on Facebook and invite friends!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124409257593970&ref=mf

Learn more about What's Inside your pint of Ben & Jerry's at their fun and interactive website:

Click for more info.

Learn more about Ben & Jerry's commitment to Fair Trade and hear stories from their fair trade farmers here:

Click for more info.

Check out pictures of the tour from Fair Trade advocates in Boston!

Click to view the entire set.

Bike to Work Day Riders Enjoy a Morning Perk with Fair Trade Certified Coffee

2010-05-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Bike to Work Day riders were treated to Fair Trade Certified coffee for the second year in a row as part of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's 18th Annual Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 13th.

All of the coffee served at the events 17 morning energizer stations was Fair Trade Certified thanks to the efforts of the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and five local Fair Trade Certified coffee roasters including America's Best Coffee Roasting Company, Capricorn Coffees, Equator Estate Coffees & Teas, Sugarlump Coffee Lounge, and Wild Card Roasters.

Volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition were up early in the morning brewing over 85 gallons of Fair Trade coffee to fuel the morning ride of a record breaking 100,000 plus participants. In recognition of their efforts, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition prominently posted signage at all of the morning energizer stations explaining their organization’s commitment to Fair Trade and included statements of support in all of the outreach materials for the event including their website, e-newsletter and the summer edition of their print newsletter, the Tube Times.

This year’s Bike to Work Day was busy than ever with ridership in San Francisco’s Market Street corridor up more than one third from last year. According to the SFMTA, cyclists accounted for more than 75% of all traffic on Market Street between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 am.

Cyclists old and new were joined by a record number of elected officials including Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisors Eric Mar, Carmen Chu, Chris Daly, Bevan Dufty, David Campos, Sophie Maxwell and John Avalos, along with SFMTA Director Nathaniel Ford, SFMTA Chairman Tom Nolan, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Director of the Department of Public Works Ed Reiskin, General Manager of Parks and Recreation Phil Ginsburg and Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting.

Together city leaders and members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition gathered on the steps of City Hall to celebrate an exciting array of new bicycle improvements that were added to the streets in time for the event including new green separated bike lanes on Market Street and five new on-street bike parking corrals on Valencia Street’s vibrant and busy commercial corridor.

The event was San Francisco’s contribution to the international celebration of World Fair Trade Day, which once again drew tens of thousands of supporters to hundreds of citywide events like ours during the two week period between May 1st and May 15th. The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition is proud to add the over 2,500 people who enjoyed coffee, the hundred thousand plus who rode their bike to work and the tens of thousands more who received word of this event via the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s outreach to the rapidly growing official tally for World Fair Trade Day 2010.

Thanks again to all of our sponsors for providing the coffee to make this happen, to our intrepid volunteers that stayed up all night to brew it and to the people of San Francisco for turning out in such great numbers to show such a simple act as riding your bike to work or choosing Fair Trade Certified coffee can change the world.

See you all at Bike to Work Day 2011!

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Member, Heather Franzese poses with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom after a quick cup of Weaver's Organic Fair Trade coffee at the Mid-Market Energizer Station.

For a complete set of Bike to Work Day photos click here:

Click here to view the entire photo set.

For a taste of our contribution click here:

Click here to view the entire photo set.

Bike to Work Day Goes Fair Trade

2010-05-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

All 17 Morning Energizer Stations Serving Fair Trade Certified Coffee

Thursday, May 13th is Bike to Work Day in San Francisco and all seventeen morning energizer stations will be serving Fair Trade Certified coffee.

Join commuters old and new in making a statement about the importance of cycling and raise a cup for the world’s farmers. Stop by one of the 17 morning energizer stations and load up on Fair Trade Certified coffee, healthy snacks and even a convenient tote bag for future commutes.

Fair Trade Certified products directly support a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development and environmental stewardship. When you choose Fair Trade Certified coffee along with your morning ride, you are choosing a better life for the world’s farmers, a cleaner environment and a more sustainable commute.

Special thanks to America's Best Coffee Roasting Company, Capricorn Coffees, Sugarlump Coffee Lounge, Wild Card Roasters, and Equator Estate Coffees & Teas for providing the coffee for San Francisco Bike to Work Day 2010 and Alter Eco Americas for providing the sugar.

Remember to look for the Fair Trade Certified label when you shop and look for our illustrious, Fair Trade Certified Bike to Work Day sponsors at each of the following stations:

Bernal/Mission, Cesar Chavez @ Harrison, Sugarlump Coffee Lounge
City College, Ram Plaza, Phelan Campus, TBD
Civic Center City Hall, Polk St. steps, Wild Card Roasters
Downtown, Market @ Battery (7:30am-2pm), Wild Card Roasters
Embarcadero, Ferry Building, Wild Card Roasters
Inner Richmond, Cabrillo @ Arguello, Equator Estate Coffees & Teas
Inner Sunset, Irving @ 7th Ave., America's Best Coffee Roasting Company
Mid Market, Market @ 12th St., Capricorn Coffees
Mission, Valencia @ 17th St., Wild Card Roasters
Presidio, Main Post, Halleck @ Lincoln, Equator Estate Coffees & Teas Incorporated
SF State, 19th Ave. @ Holloway (8-10am), Starbucks (Café Estima)
SOMA, Caltrain, 4th @ Townsend, Capricorn Coffees
SOMA, Folsom @ 7th St., Capricorn Coffees
UCSF, Medical Center, Irving @ 2nd Ave., America's Best Coffee Roasting Company
UCSF Mission Bay, 16th @ Owens St., Sugarlump Coffee Lounge
3rd Street, Chesar Chavez @ 3rd Street, Sugarlump Coffee Lounge
Kaiser Hospital, Geary @ St. Josephs, Starbucks (Café Estima)

For more information on Bike to Work Day and how you can get involved visit:
http://www.sfbike.org/?btwd

To download a map of energizer stations and commuter convoy departure locations visit:
http://www.sfbike.org/?btwd2010

This event is occurring in solidarity with celebrations for World Fair Trade Day 2010.

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and the San Francisco Bike Coalition in celebrating World Fair Trade Day at home on or around May 8th.

For more information on how you can get involved please visit:
http://www.fairtraderesourcenetwork.org

A Special Message from Lauren Van Ham and the Berkeley Fair Trade Campaign

2010-05-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

“Hello, Fair Trade Friends,

For all of you who were able to attend Berkeley's City Council meeting last night, THANK YOU! And for those of you who could not be there, but were sending good Fair Trade vibes to the East Bay, we felt them! (Do I sound like I'm from Berkeley, or what???)

Although the City Council decision to defer to the City Manager for review means a delay for the resolution, it certainly seems the review will only add credibility and strength to the decision and it will likely pass at the meeting on June 1st. Assuming this happens, it would be fun to celebrate with anyone willing to visit Berkeley that night. Stay tuned for some Fair Trade party details....

In the meantime, thank you again for the show of support. And SPECIAL thanks to Billy and Carolyn who provided succinct and impactful public testimonies. Wishing you all great fun as you recognize and celebrate World Fair Trade Day”

Lauren Van Ham
Chair, Berkeley Fair Trade campaign

Visit the Berkeley Fair Trade Campaign here:
http://fairtradeberkeley.blogspot.com/

Congratulations San Francisco on the First Ever Fair Trade Wine Night!

2010-05-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

A huge thanks to everyone who participated in attending the tremendously successful Fair Trade Wine Night last night. We had an outstanding outreach campaign via Facebook, and with the additional buzz generated by the local press our Fair Trade Wine Night was indeed the talk of town.

The night was bustling at The Hidden Vine, where patrons excited about the inaugural Wine Night wanted to learn more about getting involved in future events. Also painting the town red (and white) was Blush Wine Bar, as it managed to completely sell out its Fair Trade wine selection!

Wine is breaking in as the new Fair Trade category in the US, and it has grown leaps and bounds with just over a year under its belt. Last night was a wonderful opportunity to increase consumer awareness about Fair Trade wine and a perfect example of one way that consumers can help Fair Trade grow by creating market linkages in the US for wine farmers. Let’s keep the enthusiasm, momentum, and energy going about Fair Trade wine.

Thanks again, and hope to see you all for another night of Fair Trade wine!

Visit the official Fair Trade Wine Night site:
http://www.fairtradewinenight.com/

and the Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102599169775704

Berkeley City Council to Hear Fair Trade City Resolution

2010-04-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Fair Trade Friends,

We have exciting news! We just received word that the Berkeley City Council will be hearing our resolution to declare Berkeley a Fair Trade City tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 27th at 8pm.

The resolution is included as a part of the “Actions Calendar” for tomorrow’s city council meeting, which means that representatives of the Fair Trade Berkeley campaign will be given up to two minutes each to present arguments in favor of the resolution and provide material to address any questions asked by the council.

If successful, the item under consideration could result in a vote in support of the resolution, but we will need your help to demonstrate the broad community support for the Fair Trade in Berkeley to ensure that the City Council gets the message.

This is a crucial point in the Berkeley campaign as we move one step closer to declaring Berkeley a Fair Trade Town! Join us in showing your support for Fair Trade by attending the meeting in full Fair Trade attire – wear t-shirts with a Fair Trade message on them and bring colorful banners and signs. Then help us turn out the vote by inviting your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.

In light of this exciting development, TransFair USA will be opening its community café to the general public between 5-7 pm café for a ‘prep’ rally filled with pizza and sign painting before we head down to the council meeting together. The TransFair USA offices are located at 1500 Broadway @ 15th St. in downtown Oakland. If you can join the ranks – great! But if not, then we hope to see you at City Hall.

Fair Trade Berkeley needs your voice, your signs, and your presence! Come one, come all!

What: Berkeley City Council Meeting
When: Tuesday, April 27 at 6:30pm, with Action Calendar discussion to begin around 8pm
Where: 2134 MLK Jr. Way, second floor, downtown Berkeley
Accessible by Downtown Berkeley BART Station

Event RSVP via Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=108858662488736&ref=mf

If you or another member of your organization are interested or available to speak on behalf of the resolution, please contact Jamie Guzzi, Grassroots Outreach Coordinator, TransFair USA, 510-663-5260 x. 309, jguzzi@transfaiusa.org.

For more information about the campaign to declare Berkeley a Fair Trade City please visit:
http://fairtradeberkeley.blogspot.com

Best,
Lauren, Dagny, Katrina, Katie, David, Billy, Jamie, Alicia
and the rest of the Fair Trade Berkeley Team.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate Tasting and Talk

2010-04-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Divine Chocolate Tasting

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store

DATE: Tuesday, May 4th

TIME: 5:30pm Chocolate Tasting, 6pm Speaker

LOCATION: 4018 24th Street @ Noe Street

Meet a Fair Trade Chocolate Farmer!

Mr. Aduhene-Tano Kojo is the Recorder and Area president of the Fenaso-Domeabra Kuapa Kokoo Co-op in the Bekwai Area of Ghana. Mr. Kojo has been a member of Kuapa Kokoo since 1996 where he harvests about 10 bags of cocoa per year. Learn how Fair Trade has helped him to send his children to school and has benefited his whole community.

Taste Divine Chocolate!

At the heart of Divine's heavenly tasting chocolate there is a unique story. Not only do the Kuapa Kokoo farmers' receive a Fairtrade price for their cocoa, but they also own 45% of the company, therefore they have a direct influence over how the company is run and share in the profits from the chocolate.

Come hear about the direct benefits of Fair Trade!

Lift Your Glass to Fair Trade Wine

2010-04-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Come out and support our first ever Fair Trade Wine Night, Thursday, May 6th at 7pm.

Choose from one of four bars:

and raise your glass to Fair Trade wine!

Fair Trade Certified products assure you that the people who produce the things you consume get the same rights we take for granted: a fair wage, safe working conditions, education for their kids, and access to health care.

We're recruiting bars around San Francisco to serve Fair Trade wine, which means you get to drink wine that Tastes Good and Does Good.

Even better, a dollar from every glass will be donated to support TransFair USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Oakland. Funds from the event will contribute to supporting Fair Trade farmers producing these sustainable wines in Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.

Please RSVP on Facebook and don't forget to invite your friends too!

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Springtime Coordination Meeting

2010-04-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Hooray for springtime – the season of awakenings and new beginnings! In the spirit of rejuvenation, it’s time again for us to reunite the Bay Area team as we kick our San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley campaigns into high gear. Join us for the next Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition meeting, Wednesday, April 21st as we roll out some fresh, new ideas for growing awareness of Fair Trade in the Bay Area.

World Fair Trade Day is fast approaching and we have a wide variety of events in the works including a Fair Trade Wine Night at San Francisco bars, a partnership with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition to convert all of the coffee for Bike to Work Day to Fair Trade Certified and producer tours from Latin America and Ghana. We’ve also got some exciting new developments to report in the city’s efforts to implement Fair Trade and organic procurement.

Elsewhere in the Bay, the Fair Trade Berkeley campaign is making great strides in its efforts to declare Berkeley a Fair Trade Town and will be appearing before the Berkeley City Council, Tuesday, April 27th. Come find out more about how you can get involved in the city wide actions we’ve got planned for San Francisco and discuss ways our group can celebrate and support this crucial turning point in the campaign to declare Berkeley a Fair Trade Town.

Please come and offer your creativity and support!

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition
Springtime Coordination Meeting
Wednesday April 21st, 6:30-8pm
Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. Suite 200
San Francisco, CA
Across from the 16th Street BART

Visit the World Fair Trade Day 2010 website:
http://www.fairtraderesource.org/wftd-10/wftd-toolkit/about-wftd-2010/

Learn more about the San Francisco Bike Coalition and Bike to Work Day 2010:
http://www.sfbike.org/?btwd

Check out the list of participating bars in the upcoming Fair Trade Wine Night on May 6th here:
http://www.fairtradewinenight.com/

and on the Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=102599169775704

Read about the Fair Trade Berkeley campaign on its blog:
http://fairtradeberkeley.blogspot.com/

While you’re at it, check out what's happening in Oakland:
http://fairtradeoakland.blogspot.com/

Find out how you can participate in the live webcast and Q&A session at TransFair USA featuring five coffee farmers from Africa and South America by visiting here:
http://transfairusa.org/blog/?p=2645;

and here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108641469175830

Divine Chocolate Giveaway

2009-10-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped out with our big Divine Chocolate giveaway yesterday outside area outside area retail locations. We unfortunately had to move the event do to increased ridership on the BART with the Bay Bridge closure. But not before we got a lot of great press with articles in the SFist, KNTV NBC Bay Area, the San Francisco Chronicle, the SF Examiner, Mission Mission and the SF Weekly.

Volunteers in Halloween costumes handed out over three thousand pieces of Fair Trade Certified chocolate from Divine along with literature about our campaigns to declare Oakland and Berkeley a Fair Trade Town. Together we raised awareness among thousands of Bay Area commuters and shoppers about the benefits of Fair Trade for farmers around the world. Check out the pictures below!

View the Full Set on Flickr

SFist, October 29, 2009
“Free Chocolate for BART Commuters Tonight”
http://sfist.com/2009/10/29/free_chocolate_for_bart_commuters_t.php

KNTV NBC Bay Area, October 29, 2009
“Being a Frustrated Commuter has its Benefits”
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/around-town/food-drink/Being-a-Frustrated-Bay-Bridge-Commuter-Comes-With-Benefits-67263677.html

San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 2009 “Free Candy, No Costumes Required”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=50408

SF Examiner
FREE Fair Trade Chocolate this Thursday
http://www.examiner.com/x-12008-SF-Organic-Food-Examiner~y2009m10d27-FREE-Fair-Trade-Chocolate-this-Thursday

MissionMission, October 29, 2009
“Free Chocolate For Commuters”
http://missionmission.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/free-chocolate-for-commuters/

SF Weekly, Oct, 29, 2009
“Free Chocolate at a Handful of BART Stations Tonight”
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2009/10/free_chocolate_at_select_bart.php

Divine Chocolate Giveaway Has Moved

2009-10-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE*: CHANGE OF LOCATION
October is Fair Trade Month!
Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Giveaway TODAY

Media contact:
Katie Barrrow
TransFair USA
(510) 663-5260, ext. 388
kbarrow@transfairusa.org

UPDATE: Oct. 29, 2009 (2 p.m. P.S.T.)

The FREE, Fair Trade Certified Chocolate giveaway for BART commuters will still take place today, from 5-7 p.m., but at different locations.

Due to the unexpected Bay Area Bridge closure, more commuters than normal are depending on BART. TransFair USA, the Oakland-based nonprofit that helped to organize the giveaway, made the decision Wednesday afternoon to move the giveaways to four nearby locations so as not to interfere with the commuter traffic. The New Fair Trade Chocolate Giveaway Locations are:

Bittersweet Chocolate Café (near Rockridge Bart)
5427 College Ave
(Between Hudson St & Kales Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 654-7159
www.bittersweetcafe.com

Berkeley Bowl Main (near Ashby Bart)
2020 Oregon Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 843-6929
www.berkeleybowl.com

Rainbow Grocery (near 16th Street Bart)
1745 Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-0620
www.rainbow.coop

Fog City News/Union Square Area(Divine Street Team will be there manning the streets on the 400 Block near Union Square)
455 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
http://www.fogcitynews.com

Volunteers from the Berkeley Fair Trade Campaign, Oakland Fair Trade Campaign and Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition will treat evening commuters to Divine Chocolate in celebration of Fair Trade Month.

By making the switch to Fair Trade Certified chocolate this Halloween, such as Divine, farmers are paid a premium price for their products in exchange for following rigorous standards that guarantee worker rights, community empowerment and environmental sustainability. Farmers and employees also use these premiums to improve their communities by building schools, medical clinics or a water purification system.

About TransFair USA
TransFair USA is the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade Certified™ products in the United States. TransFair USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified goods were paid fair prices and wages. Visit www.FairTradeCertified.org.

To learn more about Fair Trade Month and view other event listings, please visit www.fairtrademonth.org.

Divine Chocolate Giveaway

2009-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Share the Love with Divine Chocolate
Fair Trade Chocolate Giveaway

Thursday, October 29th
at Montgomery Street, 24th Street, Rockridge and Ashby Stations

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and Divine Chocolate in Sharing the Love with afternoon BART riders and spreading the word about Fair Trade Month and our new campaigns to declare both Oakland and Berkeley a Fair Trade Town.

Divine Chocolate, owned by cocoa farmers and made for chocolate lovers, hopes that you are having a fantastic Fair Trade Month and is reaching out to commuters in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley to say thank you to all their loyal customers.

Volunteers with the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition will be handing out free samples of Divine Chocolate from 4-8 pm at Montgomery St. Station and from 5-7 pm at 24th Street, Rockridge and Ashby Stations.

We will also be tabling to share the Divine Chocolate story with commuters and encourage riders to choose Fair Trade Certified chocolate when they shop this Halloween. Along with the chocolate from Divine, volunteers will hand out a list of stores where folks can find Divine Chocolate in time to hand out at the door this Halloween.

Divine Chocolate is co-owned by the 45,000 farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. Learn more about how your purchase of Divine Chocolate is helping farmers improve their communities and keep their kids in school in this cute animated video.

Looking to make the switch to Fair Trade Chocolate this Halloween? Share the love with friends, family and neighbors by buying Divine Chocolate to hand out at the door.

You can order online here:

Divine Halloween Milk Balls

Click Here to Buy Online

Divine Dark Chocolate Minis

Click Here to Buy Online

You can also find Divine Chocolate in these Bay Area Locations:

Montgomery Street Station

Fog City News – 0.3 Miles
455 Market Street Suite 125
(Between Front St & Fremont St)
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-7400
www.fogcitynews.com

Bristol Farms – 0.4 Miles
Westfield Shopping Center
865 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 979-0106
www.bristolfarms.com

24th Street Station

26th & Guerrero Market – 0.3 Miles
1400 Guerrero Street
(Between 26th St & Cesar Chavez St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-6274
www.26thandguerreromarket.com

DeLano's IGA – 0.2 Miles
1245 S Van Ness Avenue
(Between 23rd St & 24th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-0514
www.delanomarkets.com

Rainbow Grocery – 0.6 Miles
1745 Folsom St
(Between 14th St & Erie St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-0621
www.rainbow.coop

Bi-Rite Market – 0.5 Miles
3639 18th St
(Between Guerrero St & Oakwood St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 241-9760
www.biritemarket.com

Ashby Street Station

Berkeley Bowl Main
2020 Oregon Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 843-6929

Whole Foods Market
3000 Telegraph Ave
(Between Dowling Pl & Webster St)
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 649-1333
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Rockridge Station

Bittersweet Chocolate Café
5427 College Ave
(Between Hudson St & Kales Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 654-7159
www.bittersweetcafe.com

Other locations around the Bay Area:

Bayside Market
120 Brannan St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 227-0151

Berkeley Bowl West
920 Heinz Ave
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 898-9555
www.berkeleybowl.com

Bittersweet Café
2123 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-8715
www.bittersweetcafe.com

Global Exchange
2840 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 548-0370
www.globalexchange.org

Golden Natural Foods
130 Church Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 864-2107

Rincon Market
98 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 512-8066
www.rinconmarket.com

Whole Foods Market - Potrero Hill
450 Rhode Island St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415)-552-1155
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Whole Foods Market - SoMa
399 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 618-0066
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Do you have two hours to dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and hand out chocolate with us? We will need at least 5 volunteers per station to make this event a success and we can't do it without your help. For more information, or to volunteer, please contact Jamie Guzzi, 510-663-5260, x. 309 or email jguzzi@transfairusa.org.

Fair Trade Halloween Meeting

2009-10-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition as we plan our big Fair Trade Chocolate giveaway with Divine Chocolate, coming next Thursday, October 29th to a BART station near you.

Volunteers will be partnering with Divine Chocolate to hand out 2000 Divine Milk Chocolate Halloween foil wrapped chocolate balls, 400 Divine Chocolate Dark Mini Bars and 900 Divine Milk Chocolate Crunchy bars to afternoon BART riders at 24th St., Rockridge and Asbhy stations.

The event is part of Divine's national Share the Love campaign in celebration of Fair Trade Month. Come find out how you can get involved and help Share the Love with family, friends and neighbors this Halloween.

Host: Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition
Type: Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Network: Global
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. Suite 200

Please RSVP:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162092967702

For more information or to volunteer please contact Jamie Guzzi, jguzzi@transfairusa.org, 510-663-5260 x. 309.

Fair Trade Month Events

2009-10-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Click here to view entire set

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition has been busy with a number of local events in Oakland and Berkeley and more to come later this month in San Francisco. To kick it all off we hosted a Fair Trade Month "Kick-Off" party on Tuesday, September 29th at the Fox Den in downtown Oakland.

The event was the official launch for both the Fair Trade Oakland campaign and the national Fair Trade Month campaign and Fair Trade supporters, activists and staff from local Fair Trade businesses and nonprofits came by to share a drink, participate in our raffle and learn more about the campaigns. We also had a photo booth where you could have your picture taken as the famous Fair Trade Certified "bucket boy" himself!

Click here to view the entire set

On Tuesday, October 6th we had a flurry of events to celebrate Fair Trade Month and Fairhills Fair Trade Wines from Argentina, Chile and South Africa. In mid afternoon we started with a wonderful speaking engagement with MBA students and the NET impact group at the HAAS School of Business at UC Berkeley. The event feautered a panel discussion including TransFair USA CFO, Joan Catherine Braun; Fair Trade Towns USA coordinator, Billy Linstead Goldsmith; and Founder of Origin Wines and exporter of Fair Trade Certified Fairhills Wine, Bernard Fontannaz.

Joan presented a wonderfully eloquent speech on the mission of TrasFair USA and Fair Trade Certified as a successful model for sustainable trade. Billy presented on the history of the national Fair Trade Towns movement and the growing movement for a Fair Trade Oakland and Berkeley. Bernard spoke on the impact of Fair Trade Certified wines for wine producers in Argentina, Chile and South Africa and gave some moving insight into how Fair Trade is truly changing lives.

Later that afternoon, Prestige Wines, hosted a wine tasting and tabling with Bernard at the Whole Foods Market in Potrero Hill and celebrated the launch of their new Fair Trade Certified Bus Stop wines. The event was a smashing success with over 35 bottles sold even in the slow, mid-afternoon 2 hour time slot. The premium generated from the sale of every bottle of Fairhills Bus Stop wine goes to fund school buses for the children of vineyard workers.

Click here to view entire set

We ended the day with a delightful wine and chocolate tasting and fundraiser at the Bay Area HUB in Berkeley. Alter Eco sampled their chocolates and Prestige Wines sampled their Fairhills wines available at Whole Foods Market and Cost Plus World Market. TransFair USA's Development Director, Lynn Lohr presented a heartwarming speech about TransFair USA and Wes Selke of Good Capital spoke of his companies investment in Fair Trade products. Bernard Fontannaz finished the night with a wonderful presentation about Fairhills Fair Trade Certified wines and Matthieu Senard of Alter Eco asked some interesting questions that got him talking about the history of Apartheid in South Africa and how Fair Trade offers a way forward. He also presented a video of the Fairhills Vineyards where we got to see first hand how the vineyard works and hear the hopes and dreams of its workers for a new future with Fair Trade.

Our BAFTC Fair Trade Month activities continued last night with a Fair Trade movie screening at the Numi Tea Garden in Oakland. Cosponsored by Numi Tea and Alter Eco, the event featured a film screening and discussion of two Fair Trade films "All in This Tea" and "The Price of Sugar" and guests were treated to an assortment of Fair Trade and locally produced food and drink.

The event featured a panel discussion with Ahmed Rahim, CEO of Numi Organic Tea; Edouard Rollet, COO of Alter Eco Products; Cate Baril, Director of Grocery and Ingredients at TransFair USA and Maria Lafleur, a former Peace Corps volunteer from the Dominican Republic. Attendees also enjoyed a showcase of Fair Trade Certified products, including tea, olive oil, chocolate, honey and sugar, as well as a sampling of Fair Trade Ceritied wine and local pizza from Arizmendi. Many Thanks to our product donors, Numi Organic Tea, Alter Eco Products, Stellar Organic Winery and Wholesome Sweeteners.

And there's still one more event to come! Stay tuned for details about our upcoming Fair Trade Chocolate giveaway with Divine Chocolate at the 24th St., Rockridge and Ashby BART stations on October 29th!

Fair Trade Movie Night

2009-10-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Numi Organic Tea and Alter Eco Products Present

Fair Trade Movie Night

An evening of film, dialogue and refreshments in honor of Fair Trade Month

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Location: Numi Tea Garden, 2230 Livingston Street, Oakland CA

Time: 5:30-8:00 pm

Ticket price: Requested (not mandatory) donation of $5 to TransFair USA. A more generous donation is greatly appreciated; no one will be turned away!

Join local purveyors of Fair Trade Certified products for an evening of film, refreshments and dialogue. Participants will watch segments of critically acclaimed documentaries, “All in This Tea” and “The Price of Sugar,” and enjoy an assortment of Fair Trade and locally produced food and drink. Company experts will give a panel discussion and Q&A session around the importance that Fair Trade certification has for their companies and farming partners.

RSVP by Friday, October 9 to Brittney Riggsbee at Brittney@numitea.com

Speakers:

Ahmed Rahim, CEO, Numi Organic Tea
Edouard Rollet, COO, Alter-Eco Products
Cate Baril, Director of Grocery & Ingredients, TransFair USA
Maria Lafleur, former Peace Corps volunteer, Dominican Republic

A showcase of Fair Trade Certified products, including tea, olive oil, chocolate, honey, sugar and wine will be served, as well as a sampling of local pizza from Arizmendi.

Many Thanks to our product donors: Stellar Organic Winery, Wholesome Sweeteners

Halloween Planning Meeting This Tuesday

2009-09-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for being a part of our list and thanks for joining our movement to raise awareness of Fair Trade and build demand for Fair Trade products here in the Bay Area. We do this through fun educational events like our Fair Trade Reverse-Trick-or-Treat Giveaway that we are planning right at this very minute. And it’s not too late to get involved!

Come hear what progress we’ve made towards settling on some basic details for the event and find out more how we can make it even bigger and better with your help. So far it’s looking like we may be recruiting volunteers and area school children to hand out Fair Trade Certified chocolate to Trick-or-Treaters on a busy Halloween street in Noe Valley.

We would like to expand this action to include approaching houses on that block about converting the event to all Fair Trade Certified chocolate or area businesses to join in by handing out Fair Trade Chocolate too. But we can’t do this without your help! Come share your energy, ideas and creativity.

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition
Halloween Planning Meeting
Tuesday, September 15th, 6:30-8pm
Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. Suite 200
San Francisco, CA
Across from the 16th Street BART

Please RSVP on Facebook and invite friends:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=263464020150&ref=mf

For notes from the last meeting please read on below. Then Add us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the loop!

http://www.facebook.com/bayareafairtrade
http://www.twitter.com/bafairtrade

See you Tuesday!

Jamie

Shop for a Cause at the 21st annualTen Thousand Villages “International Gift Faire”

2009-09-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

This fair trade sale features unique handicrafts, gifts and household items from Ten Thousand Villages, the oldest & largest Fair Trade organization in the world. Last year the Faire, held in San Jose, reached a total combined profit of over $1 million for artisans in developing countries. It has become the largest two-day sale of Ten Thousands Villages in the U.S.

Ten Thousand Villages supports the work of 50-60,000 artisans across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. With the income they earn, these artisans, are able to provide basic necessities like food, education, health care and housing for their families. This year’s sale in San Jose is especially critical to the artisans’ welfare, due to the decreased economy in the U.S. and Canada resulting in fewer orders for their handicrafts. Many of the items produced by the artisans are “eco-friendly”, being made from re-cycled materials such as newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, and other re-cycled metals.

Just a few of the many items you can expect to find at the “International Gift Faire”:
Children’s toys
Children’s clothing
Ethnic musical instruments
Linens
Handmade papers & Stationery
Holiday decorations
Pottery / Garden décor
House wares / Home décor
Chocolate, Coffee & Tea

Please help support fair trade around the world and “Shop for a Cause”!

Sale dates: Friday, October 9th, 9am to 8pm
Saturday, October 10th, 10am to 4pm

Location: Lincoln Glen Fellowship Hall
2700 Booksin
San Jose, CA 95125

For more information about the “International Gift Faire” or Ten Thousand Villages, visit the following websites:

www.tenthousandvillages.com
www.internationalgiftfaire.com

Fair Trade San Fransico Minutes

2009-09-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

We weren't actually at the Golden Gate Bridge, but I hate not having a picture.

In attendance at the meeting were:

Zarah Patriana, Global Exchange
Jamie Guzzi, TransFair USA
Mick Smith, Catholic Relief Services
Maripaz Garcia, De la Paz Coffee Company
Kevin Danaher, Global Exchange

We began the meeting with a brief update of the campaign as it was taking shape in the East Bay with Fair Trade Month Kick-Off events at the Den in Oakland and a Fair Trade Certified wine event in Berkeley at the Hub.

After that we entered into a brainstorm and discussion about possible events for Fair Trade Month in San Francisco. Jamie started off the meeting by proposing that we focus on a family friendly event for Halloween, thereby giving us more time to organize. Everyone agreed and we set about brainstorming.

Halloween is on a Saturday night, so we decided hosting an event on Halloween might be challenging in terms of securing a venue. Kevin suggested that we might partner with the Temple night club which has an established relationship with Global Exchange and would offer the space free Sunday through Thursday. Temple is at 540 Howard St. and they host regular sustainability events hosted by Mike Zukerman in the vein of green drinks.

Jamie suggested a Fair Trade Chocolate giveaway or reverse trick or treat action possibly focusing on a street where families congregate with small children in Noe Valley. Jamie also offered to look into the possibility of securing donations from Alter Eco and Divine.

Mick will be speaking at 5-14 catholic high schools over the coming months and offered to outreach the kids to participate in any event we might plan as well as send an outreach email to the Catholic Archdiocese master list of school principals and ministers. He also expressed an interest in approaching pier 39 about a possible Halloween event.

We all agreed that any Halloween event should focus on kids educating other kids, so the participation of the highschool students and any other students in our network would be crucial to our success. Jamie proposed that we consider approaching whatever neighborhood or parent organization coordinates the trick or treat street in Noe Valley and ask them to help convert the event. Jamie also proposed a series of canvass days to knock on the doors of the houses individually to offer them chocolate and secure their support.

Kevin broached the idea of incorporating an online social networking element and we all agreed that any call to action should include resources for folks to sign a statement of support online and also order FTC chocolate for their house.

The conversation then turned to long term outreach ideas and we revisited the idea of hosting a green drinks type event at the Temple. We also thought it might be interesting to invite local fair trade certified licensees to participate in a regular series of cuppings and also copromote events that the local companies are already hosting like demos and tastings through a BAFTC event calendar.

Jamie inquired if the group had an interest in jointly managing the online resources like the blog, facebook and twitter and everyone agreed that it might be useful to set up all the participating organizations as administrators so we could all add content as we wish. Mick thought this would be useful for CRS and the Archdiocese as they have big fair trade and development focused events coming up soon.

Maripaz suggested that events like their regular tablings at farmers markets might be a good place to outreach for supporters and promote events. We all talked about other fun events like partnerships with the Bike Coalition and Movie Night in the Park as other future ideas.

We all agreed that a regular meeting time might be useful to encourage turnout and committed to 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at Global Exchange for future meetings as a first step. The converstaion then returned to next steps for our Halloween event.

We agreed to target the trick or treat street in Noe Valley that is famous for decorating the entire block for kids. Zarah suggested that Jocelyn from the GX store might know more about the event and how to get in touch with the organizers.

We agreed that we would have to print out the GX reverse trick or treat cards from a PDF as GX might be out of the cards by then. Zarah suggested we reach out to ESLI teachers about participating (Eslisf.org)

We then set about assigning roles and tasks. Maripaz agreed to be the Retail Outreach Coordinator in partnership with Jocelyn from the Global Exchange store who expressed previous interest. Mick agreed to be our Faith Outreach Coordinator and to work with Jamie on a further strategy for reaching out to schools and churches.

Zarah committed to helping with Social Media Outreach and managing the facebook and twitter and Ruby agreed to help coordinate with the Global Exchange Fair Trade Team on the event and help with media.

Before we left, Mick gave a quick update on upcoming events from CRS and the Archdiocese. They have an upcoming Fair Trade conference in Oakland this fall and a .7% conference on UN development goals in San Francisco in the Spring.

Next Steps:

Zarah will research the Trick or Treat street and a possible partnership for sales and tabling with the GX store in Noe Valley.

Jamie will check on donations. Ruby will check in with the GX Fair Trade campaign and hear if the other GX interns want to participate.

Mick will follow up with Jamie about outreaching the schools and crafting a message about the campaign.

Maripaz will begin talks with their accounts about how we might best support retailers and report back to the group with some ideas.

Kevin would put some feelers out with Temple about hosting events.

Fair Trade Berkeley Minutes

2009-09-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Fair Trade Berkeley Minutes Courtesy of Lauren Van Ham

In attendance at the meeting were:
Adam Wray, Swoonbeams, Organic and Fair Trade Confections
Libby Wenger, Fair Trade Berkeley
Katrina Soelter, UC Berkeley
Lauren Van Ham, Fair Trade Berkeley
Dagny Tucker, Fair Trade Berkeley
Miguel Zamora, TransFair USA
Jamie Guzzi, TransFair USA
Billy Linstead Goldsmith, Fair Trade Towns USA
Katie Barrow, TransFair USA

Thanks for attending the Fair Trade Berkeley meeting last Friday and if it was your first one, WELCOME to the Steering Committee.

Here’s a quick re-cap of what was covered, along with who’s doing what before our next meeting. We’ll meet again on Friday, September 11th, 4pm, once again at the Transfair office. It is likely the meetings will move to Berkeley after this.

Fair Trade Town Re-cap: The meeting was about an hour in length and we reviewed the 5 necessities to make a town a Fair Trade Town: 1) Steering Committee, 2) Retailers involvement (FT products on the shelves, being sold), 3) Community Support (schools, faith communities, govt. offices, etc.), 4) Press, 5) Legislation.

BAFTC: We also heard a quick review of how these ideas were approached earlier in the month at the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition (BAFTC) meeting in SF.

Important and FUN Dates: We learned from the Transfair staff about a few events (Fair Trade Month is October) that will the BAFTC leverage its efforts. As event details are confirmed at Transfair, the Berkeley steering committee will solidify specifics.

Three events for your calendars:

Sept. 29th – Fair Trade Month Kick-off celebration (a “mixer”) at the Fox Den (cool venue) in Oakland , all BAFTC invited and a great place to invite prospective steering committee members and other interested folks.

Oct. 6th – Fair Trade wine tasting. Venue likely to be in Berkeley , possibly at The Hub on Cal campus. Slightly more high-brow. Again a “mixer.” Invite steering committee prospects. Berkeley steering committee members will want to present info on making Berkeley a FTT.

Halloween-ish – Fair Trade chocolate trick-or-treating event in Berkeley ( Solano Ave. vendors? Ghourmet Ghetto? MLK, Jr. Park?) Some event that is family-friendly. Plans and details to be determind.

Tasks before Next Meeting: From there, we got to work assigning aspects of the above to those present and not present (we didn’t want anyone to feel left out!). Please review this list. If you catch any errors or wish to be added/removed from any particular areas, please let me hear from you. And on that note, I’m happy to run point as the steering committee chair (sending out minutes and coordinating as helpful) so long as it makes sense. If a better “flow” evolves, that’s great, too.

Task 1 & 2 for Everyone: Familiarize and Invite!

1) Review the FTT Tool-kit, now available online. It will provide some tools you can use right now, as well as help us determine what tools we’d like to create for our efforts, unique to Berkeley. We’ll discuss this at our next meeting.

2) As you approach your tasks/territory (below), consider which contacts should be invited to join the Steering Committee (ask them to our meeting on the 11th!), and who would be right to approach for co-sponsorship or co-support in accomplishing the five steps to becoming a FTT.

Task 3 for Individuals: Tackle all 5 steps to becoming a FTT

1) Steering Committee – Lauren will run point for now. Please email me with contact info for new folks to be added to the Steering Committee communications. Also, if I can provide further details as to the meeting or something missing in this message, feel free to call. I’d like to hear from you.

2) Retailers involvement – Miguel will invite Ken Davids (the Coffee Review) to our next meeting, along with other coffee experts or Retail leads in the Berkeley area. Miguel will also research/provide more detailed information on the retail side of things in Berkeley (augmenting the Where to Buy list, determining businesses to approach about adding more FT products, looking into per capita numbers – Berkeley residents/FT products available, etc.) MO, feel free to chime in, here, I know you did some Berkeley-specific research this Summer. Libby, will you please look into contacts within the Better Business Bureau, Buy LLocal Berkeley and the Chamber of Commerce?

3) Community Support -

Schools – Johanna and Katrina are covering CAL . Katrina, Welcome! It sounds like you might have a bit more time this semester than Johanna to give to this effort. Both of you, however, have GREAT contacts, so I’ll leave it to the 2 of you to divide and conquer as you wish…and then inform the rest of us around the best ways to help you.

Faith communities – Lauren and David are covering faith communities.

Govt. offices – Lauren will pursue her lead to speak with the Dir. or Sustainability and assess who should be invited to the next meeting.

Others – Lauren will put Dagny in communication with the Berkeley Parents Network.

4.) Press – Katie is running point here.

Social Networking - Katie and Katrina will put a good deal of Press energy into leveraging Facebook, Twitter and Yelp. All of us will be asked to participate in this effort, so if you have an affinity for blogging, Tweeting, FB friend-making, or Yelping, Berekely FTT will offer you lots of opportunities to share your stories! To get started, be sure you join our Facebook page.

Copy – Dagny and Mo have both offered to write copy for Talking Points and Berkeley-specific brochures and the like. This will be an agenda item at our next meeting, so please review the Tool-kit and bring your ideas for what pieces need to be developed to address our Berkeley audience.

5) Legislation - Jamie is researching what happened with the Berkeley FTT efforts in 2002 (an attempt that was not resolved) and provide an update at our next meeting to determine next steps.

Thanks, everyone, this is going to be really fun. And isn’t it HIGH time Berkeley became known as a FTT? Here, here!!!

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Meeting Tonight

2009-09-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Global Exchange is located across from the 16th St. BART

After our successful meeting last month where we resolved to split into three groups to pursue campaigns in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco, we have already seen some movement with campaign kick-off events planned for Oakland and Berkeley this October.

Now is the time to get together with the San Francisco team and determine roles and responsibilities for growing the campaign moving forward and decide upon a Fair Trade Month event for our Fair City.

San Francisco may be America’s 7th Fair Trade Town, but our movement is only as vibrant as you make it, so we hope you will turn out tonight and help take this campaign to the next level!

Fair Trade San Francisco Meeting
Tuesday, September 1st, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. Second Floor
San Francisco, CA
Across from the 16th St. BART
RSVP and invite friends on Facebook!

For more information read on below. Then go to our new Facebook and Twitter pages and add us to stay in touch and get invited to our next events!

http://www.facebook.com/bayareafairtrade
http://twitter.com/bafairtrade

We're Growing!

2009-08-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

BAFTC is setting its sights on Oakland and Berkeley as the next Fair Trade Towns.

After our successful Bay Area Fair Trade meeting this past month, we are growing and gaining momentum with three groups now organizing under the BAFTC banner, Fair Trade San Francisco, Fair Trade Oakland and Fair Trade Berkeley.

Each group is undertaking separate discussions on how to set new goals for their campaigns, grow their lists and organize for Fair Trade Month this October. Come be a part of the discussion as we lay the groundwork for a vibrant and sustained movement for Fair Trade here in the Bay Area and campaigns to declare Oakland and Berkeley a Fair Trade Town.

Fair Trade Oakland and Berkeley Organizing Meeting
Friday, August 28th 4pm-5:30pm
TransFair USA, 1500 Broadway, Suite 400
Oakland, CA
Near the Oakland 12th St. BART
RSVP and Invite Friends on Facebook!

Fair Trade San Francisco Organizing Meeting
Tuesday, September 1st, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. Second Floor
San Francisco, CA
Across from the 16th St. BART
RSVP and invite friends on Facebook!

At the meetings we will decide on an action or event for Fair Trade Month and assign leadership roles to maintain our work and momentum moving forward. For more information check out the notes from last months meeting below!

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Minutes

2009-08-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

BAFTC activists discuss strategy for building the local Fair Trade movement.

So we had a great Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition meeting the other day with a lot of exciting ideas for new campaigns, events, roles, structures and strategies. The goal of our meeting was to devise a strategy for more effectively engaging our growing base of volunteers and to devolve more leadership and responsibility to our members.

We had a really strong turnout, with representation from our burgeoning Oakland and Berkeley Fair Trade Towns campaigns and activists and supporters from a range of Fair Trade businesses, communities and organizations.

In attendance were:

Jeanne Cloutier of Alter Eco
Wes Selke of Good Capital
MariPaz Garcia of De La Paz Coffee
Kimberley Potts of Ten Thousand Villages
Dagne Tucker of Fair Trade Boulder
David Funkhouser of TransFair USA
Billy Linstead Goldsmith of Fair Trade Towns
Alicia Grimes of TransFair USA
Maureen Moody of the Fair Trade Resource Network
Tex Dworkin of Global Exchange
Zarah Patria of Global Exchange
Katie Barrow of TransFair USA
Catarina Bronstein of University of the Pacific
Lauren Van Ham of Fair Trade Berkeley
Dave Schwerin of Clean Water Action
and Zach Carson from the Sustainable Living Roadshow.

After a brief overview of the history of the group and an update on the Fair Trade Towns movement nationally, we launched in to a discussion about how best to structure the campaign in a way which integrates new team members and campaigns from the East Bay. David suggested that we continue to keep in mind the need to recruit prominent members of the broader community for our steering committees and it was proposed that we perhaps do this as part of recruitment for an umbrella steering committee composed of representatives from each of the local campaigns at a later date.

Based upon the turnout and enthusiasm in the room, we decided that we had sufficient commitment and momentum to undertake three campaigns at once, Fair Trade San Francisco, Fair Trade Oakland and Fair Trade Berkeley. Katie and Catarina expressed a desire to start campaigns in other East Bay cities like Albany, El Cerrito and Alameda, but it was decided that our resources might be spread too thin if we expanded further at the present time. Billy suggested that the group focus on these first three cities and then upon completion of the Fair Trade Towns guidelines in Oakland or Berkeley, further East Bay campaigns could be taken on as part of a mentoring campaign relationship.

It was decided that the three groups would have separate steering committees to ensure scalability, local investment and control. The three groups would have independent decision making structures but coordinate on campaigns and strategies and continue to organize and promote events jointly under the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition name. Once these three groups were established with steering committees we would revisit the issue of creating an overarching steering committee with representatives of all three.

It took all of the white boards in the room to contain these notes.

The discussion then turned to the best way to share roles and responsibilities among the group and the possibility of future subcommittees or teams. We briefly discussed the organizing model used by the Obama campaign and how that might be applied in the context of the Fair Trade movement. There was some interest in the idea of creating neighborhood teams below the steering committee level, but no decisions were made as to their composition or focus and the group seemed comfortable deferring that decision to the town steering committees.

There was a lively discussion of steering committee roles as a way of sharing responsibility and leadership. Some proposed roles included coordinators for community outreach, retail outreach, campus outreach, faith outreach, event planning, online communications, research and analysis, media outreach, business outreach, fundraising, and education.

It was decided that the best way to break up the responsibilities was according to the Fair Trade Towns goals and the group settled on six roles to be filled by each steering committee member:

Team Leader / Steering Committee Chair
Retail Outreach Coordinator
Community Outreach Coordinator
Fundraising and Events
Social Media and Communications
and Government Liason

These were conceived of as recommended roles and further roles and responsibilities could be assigned and developed based on availability and need by the steering committee groups. The responsibilities of these roles would also be further defined by the steering committee groups at future meetings.

We then brainstormed some potential actions that might support the growth of the group towards each of the five Fair Trade Towns goals.

For retail engagement we suggested delivering more point of purchase materials to stores, an updated where to buy list available online, organizing a Fair Trade Crawl event, and maintaining a presence at large consumer events like gift shows.

For community outreach it was suggested we might plan a film night, a thank you campaign to retailers, tabling at farmers markets, a fair trade halloween event, a fair trade coffee house bike tour, a buy local, buy fair event or a panel discussion series at local schools.

For fundraising some ideas included a benefit concert, a raffle or an online auction.

For media participants suggested a cooperative ad buy, a celebrity endorsement campaign, outreach on social networks, organizing a flash mob or a support campaign on yelp.

For government engagement we suggested lobbying local supervisors, neighborhood association leaders and city officials for legislation and broader campaign support both programatically and in the media.

We then broke out into three groups to plan our next meetings, one for Oakland, one for Berkeley and one for San Francisco. At these meetings we will determine our Fair Trade Month goals for each group and assign steering committee roles to each member in attendance.

For more information on how you can get involved in the Fair Trade San Francisco campaign please contact Jamie Guzzi, 510-663-5260 x309 or email jguzzi@transfairusa.org.

For more information on the Fair Trade Oakland campaign please contact Billy Linstead Goldsmith, 510-844-1414 or email wlinsteadgoldsmith@transfairusa.org.

For more information on the Fair Trade Berkeley campaign please contact Lauren Van Ham, 510-665-8368 or email ljoyvh@yahoo.com.

More details to come on the dates and times of the meetings soon. And thanks to Adina World Beat Beverages for delivering a big bucket of ready to drink ice coffees to keep us awake through the meeting!

August 11 Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Meeting!

2009-07-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Global Exchange, 2017 Mission St. across from the 16th St. BART

Calling all Fair Trade supporters!

Come support and re-energize the Bay Area Fair Trade movement on Tuesday, August 11 at the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Meeting! We will discuss the vision of Fair Trade Towns and organize teams to achieve our goals. Furthermore, we will discuss the idea of a Fair Trade Towns Oakland and Berkeley campaigns, and brainstorm strategies to make these initiatives into realities.

It has been over a year since the last Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition meeting, and in that time we have organized many citywide events including three BART giveaways and the San Francisco Bike Coalition coffee giveaway, as well as built a network of over 150 activists, licensees, retailers, and nonprofit organizations.

We have ideas for city-wide actions for Fair Trade month: a Fair Trade crawl to retail locations that sell Fair Trade products; tabling and offering workshops at Sunday Streets (an event in which the city of San Francisco creates car-free spaces in the city for people to explore different neighborhoods and participate in a wide variety of activities), and the launching of Fair Trade Oakland and Berkeley campaigns.

We are now at a turning point in the campaign, and we need to make decisions regarding its future at the local and national levels. For the campaign to be successful, we need people to get involved with the local steering committee, take on leadership roles, and take ownership of the direction of the campaign.

We thank you for your involvement in the Fair Trade movement, and extend to you this opportunity to get involved and make these projects into realities! Channel your excitement into organization by taking on a leadership role in this campaign and offering your thoughts and ideas.

Please come and offer your creativity and support!

What: Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Meeting
Where: Global Exchange
2017 Mission Street, second floor
San Fransisco, CA. 94110
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm—8 pm
Why: To galvanize the Fair Trade movement!

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/bafairtrade)!

Fair Trade Bike to Work Day Success

2009-05-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who turned out for San Francisco Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 14th, 2009. The event was a big success with bikes constituting more than double the cars on Market Street for the second year in a row.

More elected officials participated than ever including Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Supervisors Eric Mar, Carmen Chu, Ross Mirkarimi, Bevan Dufty, David Campos and John Avalos as well as SF MTA Director Nathaniel Ford, SF MTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Director of the Department of Public Works Ed Reiskin, Mayor Newsom's Director of Greening Astrid Haryati and Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting.

Hundreds of cyclists stood up for bikes on the steps of City Hall to show support for the 50+ projects that will double the miles of bike lanes in San Francisco. More than 200 SFBC member-volunteers cheered on cyclists at 27 Energizer Stations throughout San Francisco and hundreds of new people showed their support for the work of the SFBC by becoming new members.

For the first time ever, all of the coffee for SF Bike to Work Day was Fair Trade Certified thanks to the hard work and dedication of our six, Bay Area Fair Trade coffee roasters, America's Best Coffee Roasting Company, Capricorn Coffees, De La Paz Coffee, Mountanos Brothers Coffee Company, Wild Card Roasters, and Equator Estate Coffees & Teas.

Many thanks to our illustrious sponsors, donors and volunteers who got up at the crack of dawn to brew 85 gallons of coffee to serve 1,813 cups of coffee to SFBC supporters at the 17 morning Bike to Work Day energizer stations in honor of Bike to Work Day and World Fair Trade Day, which took place the previous Saturday, May 9th.

With your help, we helped set the new record for World’s Largest Fair Trade Break, with over 56,892 participants, 450 events and 70 media articles nationwide, thereby surpassing Finland's previous record of 52,061 participants in October 2008.

For a taste of what the event looked like, check out the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition Bike to Work Day photo set on flickr:

Click to view the entire photo set

Or you can upload your own to the San Francisco Bike to Work Day Photo Pool:

Click to view the entire photo set

Need more inspiration? Check out these photos from World Fair Trade Day nationwide!

Click to view the entire photo set

For more information on Bike to Work Day and to become a member of the SFBC please visit:
http://www.sfbike.org

For more information on World Fair Trade Day and to learn more about how you can get involved visit:
http://www.fairtraderesource.org

Bike to Work Day Goes Fair Trade

2009-04-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

All 17 Morning Energizer Stations Convert to Fair Trade Certified Coffee

Thursday, May 14th is Bike to Work Day in San Francisco and all seventeen morning energizer stations will be serving Fair Trade Certified coffee.

Join commuters old and new in making a statement about the importance of cycling and raise a cup for the world’s farmers. Stop by one of the 17 morning energizer stations and load up on Fair Trade Certified coffee, healthy snacks and even a convenient tote bag for future commutes.

Fair Trade Certified products directly support a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development and environmental stewardship. When you choose Fair Trade Certified coffee along with your morning ride, you are choosing a better life for the world’s farmers, a cleaner environment and a more sustainable commute.

Special thanks to America's Best Coffee Roasting Company, Capricorn Coffees, De La Paz Coffee, Mountanos Brothers Coffee Company, Wild Card Roasters, and Equator Estate Coffees & Teas for providing the coffee for San Francisco Bike to Work Day 2009.

Remember to look for the Fair Trade Certified label when you shop and look for our illustrious, Fair Trade Certified Bike to Work Day sponsors at each of the following stations:

Bernal/Mission, Cesar Chavez @ Harrison, Mountanos Brothers Coffee Company
City College, Ram Plaza, Phelan Campus, TBD
Civic Center City Hall, Polk St. steps, De La Paz Coffee
Downtown, Market @ Battery (7:30am-2pm), Wild Card Roasters
Embarcadero, Ferry Building, Wild Card Roasters
Inner Richmond, Cabrillo @ Arguello, Equator Estate Coffees & Teas
Inner Sunset, Irving @ 7th Ave., America's Best Coffee Roasting Company
Mid Market, Market @ 12th St., Capricorn Coffees
Mission, Valencia @ 17th St., De La Paz Coffee
Presidio, Main Post, Halleck @ Lincoln, Equator Estate Coffees & Teas Incorporated
SF State, 19th Ave. @ Holloway (8-10am), Starbucks (Café Estima)
SOMA, Caltrain, 4th @ Townsend, Moschetti Espresso
SOMA, Folsom @ 7th St., Capricorn Coffees
UCSF, Medical Center, Irving @ 2nd Ave., America's Best Coffee Roasting Company
UCSF Mission Bay, 16th @ Owens St., De La Paz Coffee
3rd Street, Chesar Chavez @ 3rd Street, Mountanos Brothers Coffee Company Western Addition,
Kaiser Hospital, Geary @ St. Josephs, *No coffee served

For more information on Bike to Work Day and how you can get involved visit:
http://www.sfbike.org/?btwd

To download a map of energizer stations and commuter convoy departure locations visit:
http://www.sfbike.org/?btwd2009

This event is occurring in solidarity with celebrations for World Fair Trade Day 2009.

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and the San Francisco Bike Coalition in taking a break for Fair Trade on or around May 9th as part of the World's Largest Fair Trade Break!

For more information on how you can get involved please visit:
http://www.fairtraderesourcenetwork.org

Fair Trade Transit Victories

2008-10-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Every morning we make a number of choices about our morning routine, and those choices when taken collectively can have an enormous impact on our communities, our environment and people around the world.

Whether you are choosing to take public transportation to work, to ride your bike for a short trip to the store or to purchase Fair Trade Certified products when you get there, your choices are making a difference not just for your life, but for others and our planet.

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition is proud to partner with Bay Area Rapid Transit and the San Francisco Bike Coalition to promote a sustainable commute including Fair Trade coffee, tea and snacks to thousands of commuters this month through our BART Rider Thank You Day and Gas Free Fridays campaigns.

And people are taking notice! Please enjoy these photos, videos and news links from our last two actions and spread the word about the next Gas Free Fridays event tomorrow morning at Valencia and 17th Street in San Francisco!

BART Rider Thank You Day

Click to view the entire photo set

On Tuesday, September 23rd volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition handed out 50,000 coupons for Fair Trade Certified espresso and Numi Teas from Tully’s Coffee to commuters at BART’s six busiest stations.

The event was covered by NBC11, CBS5, KGO810 AM, the East Bay Business Times, the Bay City News, the San Francisco Examiner and others. A complete set of photos is available at our MySpace page along with a video of the event courtesy of BARTtv.

Thanks to the dozens of volunteers from Global Exchange, Transfair USA, Building with Books and the United Students for Fair Trade who made this event a success and to Tully’s Coffee for donating over a half million dollars worth of Fair Trade Certified espresso.

Gas Free Fridays

Click to view the entire photo set

On Friday, October 3rd the San Francisco Bike Coalition kicked off their month long Gas-Free Fridays campaign with the help of volunteers and snacks provided by the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition.

These events will take place a different busy street corner every Friday in October, which also happens to be Fair Trade Month! So get on your bike, grab a friend or coworker and pedal on by an SFBC Energizer Station.

The SFBC tent will be set up next to bike lanes around San Francisco to cheer you on and help you "Fuel up" with free Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, tea and snacks. On Friday, October 10th, we will be at Valencia and 17th Streets from 7:30-9:30am.

Check out the coverage in the SF Bay Guardian and on ABC7 and KTVU or download the Press Release (PDF). See our flickr photos.

Help us spread the word and encourage your own friends and coworkers to bike on Gas-Free Fridays by leading a Bike Bus to an SFBC Energizer Station.

And thanks again to Adina World Beat Beverages, Lara Bar, Sencha Naturals, Tony's Coffee and Real Foods Company for the generous donation of Fair Trade Certified bananas, energy bars, energy drinks and coffee to make this event a success.

Hope to see you there!

Jamie

SFBC Goes Fair Trade!

2008-10-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition will be teaming up with the San Francisco Bike Coalition this month to promote Fair Trade and Bicycling as part of a healthy and sustainable commute.

Gas Free Fridays is a new campaign to promote bike riding as a response to soaring gas prices and this year they are making all of the giveaways at their energizer stations Fair Trade Certified. Built on the success of their popular Bike to Work Day, Gas Free Fridays will take place every Friday at a different location throughout the month of October, which also happens to be Fair Trade Month!

We hope that this action will inspire Fair Trade advocates and bicycle enthusiasts around the country to form new partnerships to educate consumers about the benefits of Fair Trade and cycling for farmers, workers and the environment.

There are already a number of Fair Trade cafes, cooperatives and companies involved in their local Bike to Work Day campaigns and using cycling as a sustainable alternative to not only deliver their crops to market on Fair Trade farms, but also to get the beans to the cafes here in the U.S. – and that’s not to mention your regular trips to the corner café!

Please read on for more info on this exciting event and thanks to Adina World Beat Beverages, Lara Bar, Sencha Naturals, Tony's Coffee and Real Foods Company for the generous donation of Fair Trade Certified bananas, energy bars, energy drinks and coffee to make this event a success!

Warm Regards,
Jamie

---

Get on your bike and celebrate Gas-Free Fridays

The SFBC wants to encourage more people to substitute one short car trip with a bicycle trip every Friday this October. Download the Press Release (PDF).
In San Francisco, half of all driving trips are under two miles in length -- a distance easily travelled by bicycle. So, grab your bike and a friend or co-worker and pedal by one of the SFBC's energizer station to fuel up on free fair-trade certified coffee, tea, and snacks.

Want to encourage your friends and coworkers to ride? Organize a Bike Bus from your neighborhood to the Gas-Free Friday Energizer Station each Friday in October.
Energizer Station Locations:

View Larger Map
Oct. 3rd: Market and 12th Streets
Oct. 10th: Valencia and 17th Streets
Oct. 17th: Embarcadero (between the Ferry Building and Justin Herman Plaza
Oct. 24th: City Hall, Polk and Grove Streets
Oct. 31st: Folsom and 7th Streets

A special thanks to... TransFair USA, the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, Adina World Beat Beverages, Lara Bar, Sencha Naturals, Tony's Coffee and Real Foods Company for providing Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea and snacks for Car-Free Friday Energizer Stations.

BART Rider Thank You Day Returns

2008-08-27T12:14:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

Its time again for our third of four Fair Trade Certified “BART Rider Thank You Day” events! Tuesday, September 23rd volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition will once again descend upon BART’s six busiest stations to hand out 50,000 coupons for Fair Trade coffee and tea.

This time the deal is sweeter not just for commuters but for the world’s tea farmers with the introduction of Fair Trade Certified Numi Tea to all of Tully’s stores. It’s also a sweeter deal for you with more volunteer treats, gifts and thank you’s than ever before.

As a volunteer you will receive:

- a $10 BART pass
- a $10 Tully’s Gift Card
- a stylish, limited edition Rider Thank You Day t-shirt
- and your very own, employees only BART logo hat!

These Rider Thank You Day events are a lot of fun and a huge success for our movement. In addition to the tens of thousands of people that we talk to about fair trade during the morning rush, we are reaching tens of thousands more in the morning and evening news coverage.

Our action is also serving as a model for other transit agencies around the world. When we showed the footage to our allies at the Fair Trade Foundation in the U.K. they snapped it right up! Next stop the London Underground?

Help us make this the biggest and best BART Rider Thank You Day ever. Volunteer today and spread the word to your friends, family and neighbors. Please contact jguzzi@transfairusa.org for more info on how to volunteer and pass along the following message to all of your Bay Area networks.

Thanks again for choosing Fair Trade!
Jamie

---

BART Rider Thank You Day Returns
Celebrate your Commitment to a Sustainable Commute
with free Fair Trade Certified Coffee and Tea from Tully’s

Tuesday, September 23rd 6-9am

Participating Stations:
Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero, Oakland 12th St. and Downtown Berkeley

Ride BART on Tuesday, September 23rd and get a free coupon for a Fair Trade Certified coffee or tea from Tully’s Coffee and half off your next purchase of a one pound bag of Fair Trade Certified beans. This is the third of four “Rider Thank You Day” events and the deal just keeps getting sweeter – not just for you, but for the world’s farmers.

Tully’s Coffee now proudly offers Fair Trade Certified Numi Tea in addition to its 100% Fair Trade Certified espresso drinks, all served in a convenient, earth-friendly compostable cup. When you choose BART, Tully’s Coffee and Fair Trade you are choosing a better life for farmers, a cleaner environment and a more sustainable commute. Thanks for your commitment!

This event is made possible with the support of volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, a group of student, faith and business leaders dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of Fair Trade here in the Bay Area. We need your help to make this event a success! To help staff a booth at your local BART station or get involved in your community, please email jguzzi@transfairusa.org or call 510-663-5260 x 309.

For more information please visit:
http://bayareafairtradecoalition.blogspot.com

Brought you by BART, Tully’s Coffee and TransFair USA:
http://www.tullys.com/
http://www.bart.gov/
http://www.fairtradecertified.org

Fair Trade S'mores YouTube!

2008-08-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Global Exchange and the feature film Battle in Seattle present a quick, 90-second break sure to bring a grin to your face!!!

The video compiles two events in July and August where activists in San Francisco rallied together to relax, celebrate Fair Trade, and enjoy Fair Trade S’mores! The events were a huge success, attended by members of Global Exchange, the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, and many chocolate-lovers in the park.

Look like fun? Plan your own Fair Trade Smores event for Labor Day Weekend! Just make a s'more with Fair Trade chocolate while you are camping, at a barbecue or at home with family this coming weekend. Register your event online here!

Fair Trade S'mores Happy Hour

2008-08-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Please join the Global Exchange 2008 summer Interns and Staff and Bay Area Fair Trade organizations for a:

FAIR TRADE S’MORES HAPPY HOUR!
Wednesday, August 13 at 6:00 PM
Picnic Tables at Dolores Park in San Francisco

Bring Your Own: Graham crackers, marshmallows, something to roast marshmallows on (ie sticks, wire hangers), Fair Trade chocolate (which you can find near Dolores Park at stores like Global Exchange, Bi-rite, Rainbow, etc)*
Arrive early and get your Fair Trade chocolate free!
Children and acoustic musical instruments welcome!!!
Note: Alcohol prohibited by park

AND it’s your big chance for a moment of fame! This event will be filmed for a You Tube video as part of the outreach for the soon-to-be-released feature film, Battle in Seattle!

WHY FAIR TRADE S’MORES?

Many cocoa farmers live in grinding poverty. Help cocoa farming communities gain access to education, health care and humane working conditions by eating Fair Trade s’mores!

In August 2008, to celebrate cocoa farmers and the September 19 release of the new movie about the movement for fair trade, Battle in Seattle, starring Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Andre Benjamin and many others,

People nationwide will say “We Want More from Our S’mores!” by making s’mores with Fair Trade chocolate!!!

CAN’T ATTEND? PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL S’MORES ACTION ON YOUR OWN!

Join in the delicious action! Help us make hundreds or even thousands of Fair Trade s’mores nationwide, just by choosing Fair Trade chocolate for your barbeque, campfire, or at home!!!

Let your s’mores be counted!!! Let us know that you are participating in the national action by registering your s’mores at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa!

Videotape your s'mores action in all its Fair Trade chocolatey goodness and upload it to Global Exchange's S'mores Action YouTube group at http://www.youtube.com/group/fairtradesmores08

More info: www.globalexchange.org/cocoa and www.battleinseattlemovie.com

*Global Exchange Fair Trade store: 4018 24th Street (near Castro Street); Rainbow Grocery: 1745 Folsom Street (at 13th Street); 3639 18th Street (near Dolores Street)

San Francisco Fair Trade City Declaration: The Movie!

2008-06-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that our San Francisco Fair Trade City declaration video is now online!

Join in the fun with performances by the Bayonics hip hop group, the Diamano Coura West African Dance Company and speakers from Global Exchange, Alter Eco, Oxfam America, TransFair USA and Adina World Beat Beverages.

Many thanks to everyone who participated and a big shout out to Damien Droney of TransFair USA, who produced and edited the video.

Please Circulate Far and Wide!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYaGoFExh60

Mayor Gavin Newsom Proclaims San FranciscoAmerica's 7th Fair Trade City

2008-05-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

World Fair Trade Day, May 10th 2008
*Not Featured: Mayor Gavin Newsom

View the entire photo album at our new
Bay Area Fair Trade MySpace!

This Sat. May 10th - Mayor Gavin Newsom Proclaims San Francisco a Fair Trade City

2008-05-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

In Honor of World Fair Trade Day
Mayor Gavin Newsom Proclaims San Francisco a Fair Trade City

Saturday, May 10th in Dolores Park
12pm-2pm

Join Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition in proclaiming San Francisco a Fair Trade City this Saturday in Dolores Park!

The event will feature speakers from the Mayor’s Office, Adina World Beat Beverages and TransFair USA and highlight the broad community support for fair trade in San Francisco and the cities achievement of the national guidelines to be recognized as a Fair Trade City .

Entertainment will be provided by the Bayonics hip hop group, a Senegalese dance troupe and local DJs. Free samples from Adina World Beat Beverages, Alter Eco and other local Fair Trade Certified retailers and licensees; along with free Fair Trade Certified flowers for Mother’s Day courtesy of 1-800-Flowers.

We will also join other Fair Trade cities around the country in attempting to break the Guiness Book World Record for “World’s Largest Coffee Break – Fair Trade Style” and invite attendees to bring along a Fair Trade coffee from one of the many neighborhood businesses offering this option to help us break the record.

This event is sponsored by the City of San Francisco , the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, TransFair USA , Adina World Beat Beverages, Global Exchange, AlterEco, ENGAGE, USF Students for Fair Trade and the dozens of local retailers who have made this milestone possible.

Help us spread the word! Please invite your friends and family to join us for this important milestone. Want to volunteer? We are going to need about a dozen hearty souls to help set up in the morning, break down in the evening and hand out all this free stuff!

Please call Jamie Guzzi, 510-663-5260 x.309 or email jguzzi@transfairusa.org to volunteer.

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well BART Riders,

We did it again and it couldn’t have happened without you all – thanks! We turned out another 60 volunteers, tore through another 50,000 coupons, blanketed the airwaves with the fair trade message and literally touched nearly everyone on the morning commute.

The folks at Tully’s are shocked at how much of a success this has been for their Bay Area stores and we are eagerly awaiting a report back on the exact numbers. Needles to say, it’s been good for sales and the higher ups at Tully’s are taking notice.

Judging from the comments of many BART riders, we made a big splash on radio and TV as well. Reporters from NBC 11 were waiting at Oakland when we arrived, KGO 810 AM was talking it up on their morning talk radio show, and numerous BART riders reported seeing our Berkeley volunteers on TV before they even got on the trains.

All the Bay Area Tully’s employees were indeed sporting our attractive “Fall in Love with Fair Trade” t-shirts with their Fair Trade label lapel pins proudly on their aprons. BART staff was overjoyed that we unloaded the coupons in record time and fewer people were lost thanks to our map of area Tully’s locations.

Most importantly, ever last rider on BART today heard the words “Fair Trade Certified” at least a dozen times, and with any luck a few more times when they picked up their coffee and at least once when they turned on the radio or TV. And that my friends, was because of you!

Thank you volunteers! Thank you BART riders! Happy Earth Day!

Jamie

Celebrate Earth Day with the BAFTC

2008-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It’s time again for our second BART Rider Thank You Day action! This month we celebrate Earth Day with our friends at BART and Tully’s Coffee by handing out another half million dollars worth of coupons for free Fair Trade Certified coffee from Tully’s!

Volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition will once again descend upon BART’s six busiest stations to educate riders about the environmental benefits of Fair Trade and thank them for choosing public transportation as a sustainable alternative here at home.

Fair Trade Certification doesn’t just mean a fair price for farmers – it also means a cleaner environment for us all. In making small scale farming more profitable, Fair Trade discourages deforestation and preserves traditional intercropped farms that prevent erosion and protect wildlife.

Fair Trade also requires drastic reductions in agrochemical use, forbids the most harmful chemicals and promotes other environmental stewardship practices, so you know that the Fair Trade Certified espresso you are enjoying is not just good for the people, but for the planet as well.

Join the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, TransFair USA, BART and Tully’s Coffee in reaching out to BART riders this Earth Day to say thank you for their commitment to a better life for farmers, a cleaner planet and a more sustainable commute.

We will need 60 volunteers - 10 at each station – to make this event a success and we can’t do it without your help! For more information on how you can volunteer, please contact Jamie Guzzi, 510-663-5260 x.309 or email jguzzi@transfairusa.org.

Thanks!
Jamie

PS. If this isn’t enough to get you there, there will also be free BART logo hats, commemorative t-shirts and thank you gift certificates from BART and Tully’s Coffee for all the volunteers! So get up early, do your good deed and celebrate Earth Day with your fellow fair traders!

----

Celebrate Earth Day with a Free Cup of Fair Trade Certified Coffee
Courtesy of BART, Tully’s Coffee and TransFair USA

Tuesday, April 22nd 6-9am

Participating Stations:
Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero, Oakland 12th St. and Downtown Berkeley

Ride BART this Earth Day and get a free coupon for a Fair Trade Certified late or espresso from Tully’s Coffee and half-off your next purchase of a one pound bag of Fair Trade Certified beans. Tully’s espresso is now 100% Fair Trade Certified nationwide and served in compostable cups. When you choose BART, Tully’s espresso and Fair Trade you are choosing a better life for farmers, a cleaner environment and a more sustainable commute. Thanks for your commitment!

This event is made possible with the support of volunteers from the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, a group of student, faith and business leaders dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of Fair Trade here in the Bay Area. We need your help to make this event a success! To help staff a booth at your local BART station or get involved in your community, please email jguzzi@transfairusa.org or call 510-663-5260 x 309.

For more information please visit:
http://bayareafairtradecoalition.blogspot.com

Brought you by BART, Tully’s Coffee and TransFair USA:
http://www.tullys.com/
http://www.bart.gov/
http://www.fairtradecertified.org

Fair Trade on BARTtv News

2008-02-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

BART and Tully's Coffee Thank Riders With Fair Trade Coffee

January 31, 2008

" Free Fair Trade coffee - Thank you very much." A surprise for 50 thousand BART riders. BART and Tully's Coffe teamed up January 31st to give away a half million dollars worth of coffee. This rider thank you event is more than just a freebee - it's also about fair trade. Ryan Cohen: " A cup of coffee sells for like $3.25 or something in the United States and in the developing nation they get 30 cents for a sack that makes a hundred cups or something." Ryan Cohen volunteered to hand out these gift envelopes because she believes in fair trade. Ryan Cohen: " The farmers are getting the money that they deserve for the coffee that they have been farming their whole lives. " Each envelope features information about TransFair USA as well as a gift card good for a coffee drink and a coupon for coffee beans - all courtesy of Tully's. Tully's believes in fair trade too. It serves fair trade certified espresso. Jenn Rudolf: " This is a really nice way to tie in commuting, using public transportation, and Fair Trade certified coffee which benefits farmers and the environment." Before heading off to get their coffee, a few riders stopped to learn more. You can go to www.TransFairUSA.org Jenn Rudolf: "Look for the Fair Trade certified label as much as possible in grocery stores, restaurants and cafes and ask for it when you don't see it." And you can look forward to three more rider thank you events from Tully's this year. Sign up for a chance to win free lattes for a year at www.BART.org. Ryan Cohen: " If you drink a cup of Fair Trade coffee you know that your money is going to the right place." Jim Allison, BARTtv NEWS.

http://www.bart.gov/news/barttv/index.asp?&cat=27&id=338

BART Rider Appreciation Day - The Movie

2008-02-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

BART offers Thursday morning commuters free coffee coupons
(Oakland Tribune, San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8121115

Free? We LOVE free stuff! (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=37&entry_id=23873

Come Help BART Give Away Free Fair Trade Coffee! (SFist.com)
http://sfist.com/2008/01/07/come_help_bart.php

Coming January 31st!!

2008-01-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

BART Rider Appreciation Day Volunteers Needed!!

2007-12-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

Do you ride BART to work? Do you enjoy a warm cup of Fair Trade Certified coffee as part of your morning commute? Well now you can do both and help raise awareness about Fair Trade as part of the BART Rider Thank You Day program.

Each year, BART gives back to the community by offering a series of free promotions to its riders. Sometimes it’s a free ride on BART, others it’s a sample from Jamba Juice or half-off your next purchase from a local bookseller. This year, BART will be teaming up with TransFair USA and Tully’s Coffee to make Fair Trade the centerpiece of its Rider Thank You Day program and a key component of its overall social justice and sustainability mission.

On the morning of Thursday, January 31^st, volunteers in BART’s six busiest stations will hand out over 50,000 coupons for free Fair Trade espresso from Tully’s Coffee to commuters on the morning rush. This will be the culmination of a month long promotional campaign within BART including banners in all the stations, regular messages on all of the next train signs and possibly even advertisements within the trains themselves.

Needless to say, this is an historic moment for our movement in the Bay Area and a tremendous opportunity to encourage all of BART’s riders to make Fair Trade Certified coffee a part of their daily routine. BART is providing the platform, Tully’s is providing the coffee and we need you to provide the support! We will need 6 teams of 10 volunteers to make this event a success and we can’t do it without your help.

Are you available for a few hours before work to help us take advantage of this historic opportunity? Please volunteer today! For more information or to volunteer, please contact James Guzzi, 510-663-5260 x. 309 or email jguzzi@transfairusa.org. And mark your calendars!

Thanks!

Jamie

PS. Do you or your organization have friends in the Bay Area? Please help spread the word!

Two ways to Fair Trade your Halloween!

2007-10-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

1. Participate in Reverse Trick-or-Treating!

On Halloween night, 2007 Schoolchildren, high school/college students, and adults across the

and

Canada

will unite to distribe information about social justice issues in the cocoa industry as well as Fair Trade chocolate while Trick-or-Treating door-to-door in their communities!

Visit www.reversetrickortreating.org for more information!

If you participate, please join the online tally of flyers distributed.

2. Order Fair Trade Halloween candy to distribute at your door!

Visit http://store.gxonlinestore.org/ or www.reversetrickortreating.org to order.

Ten Thousand Villages International Gift Faire

2007-09-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Shop Fair Trade for the Holidays!

The 19th annual Ten Thousand Villages International Gift
Faire features Fairly Traded, high quality art and handmade
 goods from Ten Thousand Villages, a non profit job creation
and marketing program for artisans in 30 developing countries.

Friday, Oct. 12 9am-8pm & Saturday, Oct. 13 10am-4pm
Lincoln Glen Fellowship Hall
2700 Booksin Ave. San Jose 95125

New Fair Trade Judaica Website Launched!

2007-09-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was recently forwarded this link to a new website that is spreading awareness about fair trade Judaica products! http://www.fairtradejudaica.org Below is an excerpt from their website:

In exploring the world of fair trade Judaica upon our return home, conversations with friends as well as owners of Judaica stores confirmed that there was much interest in promoting and purchasing fair trade Judaica items. Simply put, none of us had even known that this was possible.

Through long and involved Google research, it became clear that there are many Judaica items being made by fair trade producer groups around the world and marketed by non-profit organizations as well as companies.

Many of these products are used during holy days and rituals as we give blessings of thanks for the food we have, the freedom we’ve gained, and so much more. How wonderful that we can celebrate these riches in our lives by providing the makers of these products the opportunity to experience more freedom in their lives, earning a decent livelihood and working with dignity.

A Fair Trade Night in the Park

2007-08-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to see the film Black Gold in Dolores Park last night! Over 200 people showed up to see the film. Black Gold does a great job of showing the difference we can make by choosing to purchase Fair Trade products. I think I can speak for everyone when I say the free Fair Trade Chocolate and Coffee samples were DELICIOUS. Justice never tasted so good.

Thanks again to our partners: California Newsreel, TransFair USA, Dolores Park Movie Night, Global Exchange, AlterEco, De La Paz Coffee, Sundance Coffee, and Oxfam America.

Black Gold in Dolores Park!

2007-08-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to host this event with the Dolores Park Movie Night guys! They have graciously volunteered to set up the screening and sound equipment for this viewing. Invite your friends, come early to get a good seat and taste some Fair Trade goodies!

Make Trade Fair Party Thursday June 28th

2007-06-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

What: Drinks, snacks, socializing and learning about Fair Trade
When: June 28th 6:30pm
Where: Haight Ashbury Food Program
1525 Waller Street at Belvedere. Please use the parking lot entrance.

Want to learn how you can help alleviate poverty here in the US and abroad? Join us for drinks and snacks, and to get educated about global trade distortion, commodity subsidy reform, and Bay Area Fair Trade organizations.

Socializing, networking, eating and drinking to begin around 6:30pm and a short movie will start at 7:00pm. The party will be held in the Haight Ashbury Food Program dining room.

For more information call: (415) 566-4158
or write to us at bayareafairtradecoalition@gmail.com

World Fair Trade Day Pictures

2007-05-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition set up a table (in collaboration with Oxfam) in Dolores Park this year on World Fair Trade Day to educate the public about Fair Trade!

Dolores Park Cafe supplied us with delicious coffee to serve to the public. Alter Eco, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Equal Exchange, and Wholesome sweeteners donated a bunch of free Fair Trade food items that we gave away. We also passed out our Where To Buy Fair Trade in the Bay Area list to a ton of people. Woo Hoo!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us on World Fair Trade Day!

Changing Hands: The Work of Fair Trade

2007-05-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Fair Trade Federation is pleased to invite interested retailers, wholesalers, and friends to our 2007 conference, Changing Hands: The Work of Fair Trade.

Those with a hand in positively changing the lives of those in poverty are invited to join us in Washington DC from June 1 - 3 for this special event which will feature discussions about the future of fair trade and practical seminars to improve operations.

On Sunday, June a exhibition of fair trade products will be open to the public on American University's campus.

The conference website, www.fairtradefederation.org/conference.htm, is now live with:
- Registration Forms
- Schedule of Events (to date)
- Accommodation and Travel Suggestions

For more information, contact FTF at 202-636-3547 or conference@FairTradeFederation.org .

World Fair Trade Day-May 12th

2007-05-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

Come to Dolores Park this Saturday May 12th to celebrate World Fair Trade Day!

What: Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, and tea tasting. Free giveaways. Learn more about the growing Fair Trade movement!

Where: Dolores Park, San Francisco

When: Saturday, May 12th from 9am - 4pm

Hosts: Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, Oxfam America, Dolores Park Cafe, Barefoot Coffee Roasters and AlterEco

Take this opportunity to learn more about Fair Trade by visiting our booth in Dolores Park. We will have Fair Trade chocolate, coffees and teas to taste, and other Fair Trade product give aways! We will also have Fair Trade literature available to learn more about this growing movement. Dolores Park is located in San Francisco's Mission District, between Church and Dolores St. on 18th St.

World Fair Trade Day is the world’s annual celebration of fair trade. It is the first global campaign that connects fair trade producers and consumers around the world. On and around the second Saturday of May every year, fair trade organizations, stores, consumers, and supporters based in 70 countries campaign for justice in trade and host events promoting fair trade.

Bake Sale For Hope - May 12th

2007-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome World Fair Trade Day Event!

Childrens Art Contest for World Fair Trade

2007-04-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by TransFair USA

Theme: Kids Need Fair Trade!

Some Ideas To Get You Started: What does Fair Trade mean to you? Why do you think we need Fair Trade? How does Fair Trade benefit kids in Africa, Asia and Latin America? How is life different for children in the U.S. and farming children in other countries?

Rules: Submit a drawing, picture, or collage no larger than the size of a 4" x 6" postcard. You can use any medium you'd like - crayons, pencils, watercolor, computer generated imagery, pictures, or Fair Trade product packaging. Be creative and have fun!

Who can enter: There are three categories for the World Fair Trade Day Art Contest.

Third to Fifth Grade
Sixth to Eighth Grade
Ninth to Twelfth Grade

Deadline: Entries must be received by May 15, 2007!

How to Enter:

By Mail:
TransFair USA
World Fair Trade Day Art Contest
1611 Telegraph Ave. Ste 900
Oakland, CA 94612

By email:
You may email your scanned art entries to
WFTD@transfairusa.org.

Cool Prizes!

The top 10 entries from each age category will be featured right here on our website for YOU and your friends and family to vote on.
One talented winner in each age category will receive a big box of Fair Trade chocolates, a year's supply of yummy Fair Trade ice cream and a Fair Trade T-shirt! Best of all, we'll make a postcard with the winning entry that will be sent around the country -- you'll be famous!
This Just in! The teacher submitting the most entries will win a soccer ball from Fair Trade Sports to share with their class. Imagine...a tangible way to remind your students how Fair Trade benefits children in other countries that is also fun on the playground!

Start submitting your entries now!

How will the winners be decided?
That's the best part. YOU, your friends and family get to decide which entry wins. We'll post the top 10 entries right here on our website on May 21 for folks to vote on.

When will the winners be announced?
Voting will happen online from May 21 to May 31. Winners will be determined on June 1, 2007. The entry with the most votes wins!

Good luck!

Bay Area Tully's Coffee Now Making All Espresso Drinks with Fair Trade Certified Organic Beans

2007-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

On April 4th 18 Bay Area Tully's Coffee locations began using Fair Trade Certified Organic coffees in all of their espresso and ecaf espresso drinks. This is a big step for a company that previously hasn't been very enthusiatic about Fair Trade. If the new Fair Trade espresso drinks do well in the Bay Area, we could see FT espressos in every Tully's store! While Tully's is an out-of-town chain cafe in competition with many of our favorite endependently-owned local shops, they are starting to make more of a commitment to Fair Trade. If you'd like to show your support of Tully's new 100% Fair Trade espressos, stop by one of the Bay Area locations, found here:

http://www.tullys.com/storelocator/

Fair Trade Sports!

2007-03-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

I recently found a new business called Fair Trade Sports located in Seattle. They are the first sports equipment company in the US to launch a full line of Fair Trade sports balls!

Check out their website: http://fairtradesports.com/

More info:
Fair Trade Sports is your source for premium quality sports balls that help at-risk children around the world. 100% after-tax profits go to children's charities.

All our sports balls are certified to be stitched by adult workers, paid fair wages, and ensured healthy working conditions. We offer guilt-free soccer balls, footballs, rugby balls, volleyballs, and more.
Together, we can break this cycle of poverty and oppression.

Fair Trade Fiesta at Grandma Mary's Organic Farm 2/28

2007-02-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

Come down to Grandma Mary's Organic Farm for an evening of friends, food, music, fiesta, and cultural exchange. Come bid farewell to Thai fair trade rice farmers P'Samrat and Paw Man who are returning home after a two week trip promoting fair trade and sustainable agriculture throughout the US.

Where:
Grandma Mary's Organic Farm
100 Behrens St. El Cerrito, CA
(walking distance from BART el cerrito south bart)

When: Wednesday February 28th at 7pm

Musical Performances by Valerie Orth, The Overeasy's, and Josey Baker

There will be food at the event, but please bring your beverage of choice. If you have questions about the event please contact chris@engagetheworld.org

"Free Chocolate" Art Exhibition

2007-01-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

Now through February 17 ~ Free
Intersection for the Arts
446 Valencia St. 415-626-2787
www.theintersection.org

Based on research and travel to cacao farms in Ghana and Cuba and to the New York Board of Trade, Bay Area conceptual artist April Banks' first solo exhibition explores cocoa's global journey from farmer, to trader, to chocolate lover. This layered installation illuminates our desire for beauty, sweetness, indulgence, and intoxication within the context of issues of globalism, fair trade, and sustainability. Tracing the complex way in which we participate in global economies, Banks juxtaposes the basic human need, desire, greed, and guilt that drive our structures of consumption.

Thursday January 25th, 7pm
From Bean to Bar: A Chocolate Tasting FREE

Meet Frederick Schilling, founder of DAGOBA Organic Chocolate, and enjoy this delicious and fascinating chocolate tasting event. Schilling will talk about sustainable cocoa farming, equitable trade, how chocolate is made and will do a guided tasting to help you discover the nuances of blends, single origins (country specific) and infused chocolates.

Saturday January 27, 1pm
Conversaton with artist April Banks, FREE

Wednesday February 7, 7pm
Bittersweet Politics: Panel Discussion about fair trade & chocolate with Tex Dworkin (Global Exchange), Ella Silverman (TransFair USA) & Tom Neuhaus (Project Hope & Fairness, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates), FREE

Join us for a conversation about critical aspects of the production, distribution and consumption of chocolate.

Black Gold - Wake up and smell the coffee

2006-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Black Gold opening weekend was a success! The figures from the Roxie are excellent - we had a full house on Friday with a strong showing the rest of the weekend. In fact, it did better this weekend at the Roxie than it has done opening weekend in any of the other major cities (NY, Seattle, etc) where it has opened! The Roxie even decided to hold it over an extra week!

More about the film:

http://blackgoldmovie.com/









After Oil, coffee is the most actively traded commodity
in the world, with $80 billion in retail sales. But for
every $3 cup of coffee, a coffee farmer receives about
3 cents. Most of the money goes to the middlemen,
especially the four giant conglomerates which control
the coffee market.

Tracing the path of the coffee consumed each day to
the farmers who produce the beans, BLACK GOLD asks us
to "wake up and smell the coffee", to face the unjust
conditions under which our favorite drink in produced
and to decide what we can do about it. BLACK GOLD
provides shocking inside view of commodity trading and
offer a compelling introduction to the "Fair Trade"
movement galvanizing consumers around the globe.
Serving as the media centerpiece of a national
campaign promoting Fair Trade coffee, BLACK GOLD
demonstrates the role of the left media as a tool for
shaping public culture and, by extension, in altering
the existing economic paradigm. Ultimately, the film
forces us as Western consumers to question some of our
basic assumptions about our consumer purchases and the
effects on the rest of the world.

Fair Trade Dinner Gala

2006-09-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Samovar Tea Lounge Hosts San Francisco's premier Fair Trade Dinner Gala

---Fair Trade From the Farmer To You---

In celebration of the 3rd annual Fair Trade month in October, Samovar Tea Lounge is hosting San Francisco’s premier Fair Trade Dinner Gala. This will be a wonderful evening featuring a four course fair trade and sustainable dinner, a panel and multimedia presentation explaining fair trade from the farmer to the consumer, and a traditional Thai bai see kwan string-tying ceremony. This event costs $40 per person.

The evening’s activities will begin at 7pm with a 20 minute multimedia presentation from our panel speakers. During the presentation guests will enjoy fair trade tea and appetizers prepared by Samovar Tea Lounge. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session where participants can discuss significance of fair trade from the farmer, to the importer, to the consumer. Dinner will be followed by a succulent dessert with a fair trade chocolate tasting. To conclude the evening Ubon Yuwa, a fair trade farmer from Thailand, will invite guests to join in a traditional Thai string-tying ceremony aimed at building relationships between people across borders, embodying the fair trade principles of respect and understanding between producers and consumers.

The panel includes:

• Anna Lappe- Bestselling author and renowned public speaker on food politics and sustainable agriculture, and named among the fourteen forward-thinking Who's Who in Time Magazine's Eco-Guide, Anna has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, O Magazine, Organic Style, and Vibe.

• Ubon Yuwa – A rice farmer and leader in the organic movement in Thailand who helped establish the first Fair Trade rice cooperatives in Southeast Asia. Ubon is the Southeast Asian Representative of Via Campesinas, an international farmers organization, and has spoken throughout Southeast Asia and the Americas.

• Tristan Lecomte- is the founder of Alter Eco a leading Fair Trade business that carries a line of one-hundred percent fair trade and sustainable food products sold at retail locations throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States.

• Joshua Kaizer-Joshua Kaiser is one of the leading organic tea importers in the USA working directly with tea growers from China and all over the world. For the past three years, Joshua has been very active in Yunnan, China working to develop Fair Trade tea projects with Yunnan’s ethnic minority groups. He will share his experience of Fair Trade tea in China with our group.

• Maya Spaull- Maya is the tea and rice Account Manager at TransFair USA, the third-party certifier of fair trade products in the US. She has been instrumental in helping connect producers of teas and rice to buyers in the US market.

Fair Trade is a form of global commerce where priority is given to trading with small and marginalized farmer groups, building trade relations based on solidarity and sustainability. This approach ensures farmers fair remuneration that covers the full cost of production and contributes to the continual improvement of working conditions and environmental sustainability. Fair Trade aims to promote solidarity, fair prices, direct contact, transparency, and dignity between producers and consumers.

This event is sponsored by Samovar Tea Lounge, Alter Eco a San Francisco based FairTrade company, TransFair USA the third party certifier of Fair Trade products, ENGAGE an international solidarity organization, RSF | Innovations in Social Finance, Young Women Social Entrepreneurs and the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition. For more information please visit www.samovartea.com

About Samovar Tea Lounge

Samovar Tea Lounge, with two flagship locations in San Francisco, CA, offers tea culture from around the world. The Lounge is grounded in the values inherent to tea: relaxation, social intimacy, and health. An online tea shop and private catering services are also available. For more information please visit Samovar Tea Lounge online at www.samovartea.com or call 415.626.4700.

"Buyer, Be Fair" Film Screening

2006-06-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

The screening of "Buyer, Be Fair" drew a diverse crowd of 50 people to the ATA Theater in the Mission District of San Francisco on Sunday. The filmmaker was in the audience to answer questions, as well as two coffee farmers from a Fair Trade Coop in Peru. The movie covered two topics: Fair Trade Certification to improve the lives of coffee farmers, and FSC certification of wood to halt the destruction of old growth forests. While most of the audience had heard of Fair Trade coffee, most people were not aware of FSC wood. Even audience members who just walked in off the street randomly were prepared to ask tough questions and play devil's advocate in the Q&A session with the filmmaker.

If you missed the film, you can read about it here:
http://www.buyerbefair.org/

mmmm... chocolate!

World Fair Trade Day

2006-05-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

"Do you want to save the world? How about a Fair Trade banana covered in Fair Trade chocolate spread? Very tasty and completely just." That's what many people heard at San Francisco's Embarcadero on Saturday when the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition gave away Fair Trade Products to hundreds of people to raise awareness about the variety of Fair Trade options available.

The event was part of World Fair Trade Day, and our coalition was one of many organizations to participate. We brought a huge assortment of Fair Trade teas, coffees, bananas, chocolate, and sugar. We would explain the concept of Fair Trade to people who knew nothing at all, and allow people to take something that looked interesting to them. "Look for the label" was our simple message, and people in general were very excited by the variety of products and the ease with which you can identify a product as "Fair Trade Certified". We also handed out 100 Where-to-Buy lists for the San Francisco and East Bay Areas, giving people an easy way to find the FT products that they had just learned about. Overall, we feel we made a lasting impression on many people. One enthusiastic woman grabbed a Fair Trade candy bar and said,

"I've worked for Safeway for years, and I'm going to find out if we have any of this Fair Trade stuff. I know I've seen the kosher and organic labels, but I've never seen this one."

BAFTC wins Community Activist Award!

2006-05-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, the San Francisco Bay Guardian awarded the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition with the Community Activist Award as part of their annual Small Business Awards. Along with being written up in last weeks Guardian, five of our coalition members got to attend the awards ceremony hosted by the Guardian founders Bruce and Jean Brugmann. Here is an excerpt from their press release:

"Jean and I and the Guardian staff are happy to salute the small business community with our second annual Small Business Awards. Our congratulations to the winners, all working in their own way to transform San Francisco into a sustainable local economy. And our congratulations to the thousands of small business people in San Francisco, and the merchant groups behind them, who daily struggle valiantly against daunting odds to keep their businesses going, their neighborhoods vibrant, and San Francisco an incomparably great city." -By Bruce B. Brugmann

Greg Burton of the BAFTC accepted the award on behalf of the coalition. He explained the concept behind Fair Trade and about the work the coalition is doing. He even got a chance to talk about our hope of becoming the first Fair Trade City. It was inspiring to hear about the work of all the other winners as well. The event was a lot of fun with food, drinks and lots great company! Check out the article: http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=449

Diabolical Fair Trade Experiment

2006-04-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

The backstory:
I've been a musician for 25 years. During that time I've toured across the U.S., Europe and Japan. I have also participated in unholy alliances with numerous record labels large and small, and have served as a studio musician on commercials for companies and corporations which now riddle me with fear. But, I've also taken the DIY concept to heart by starting my own label and producing my own records, as well as assembling and promoting numerous shows and benefits. Several years ago I co-produced a CD for my label entitled Devil Dub, which has since achieved something of a cult following thanks to the contributions of some unique guest musicians. Recently, when all of the usual distributors sold out of the CD, I began to receive direct inquiries from fans interested in purchasing the disc. Hmm, I thought, how could this transaction be made a little more... interesting...

The Diabolical Fair Trade Music Experiment:
Now when I recieve an email from an unsuspecting music fan who asks if Devil Dub is still available, I respond that indeed it is, but only for trade: a Fair Trade. I ask for their location, and after providing them with a link to Global Exchange's basic introduction to Fair Trade, I include links to a few retail locations in their area where Fair Trade products can be purchased.
http://www.benwa.net/releases.html

Here's the deal I offer:
All they have to do is buy any Certified Fair Trade product worth $15.00 or less and send it to me and I'll send back a CD. If the goody they send cost them three bucks, that's fine. They get a deal on the CD and I get the pleasure of knowing they took the time to learn a little about Fair Trade, and who knows, maybe continue to buy Fair Trade goods in the future. I stipulate that the item must be purchased in person, not over the web, because not only do I want them to locate retail outlets they can patronize in the future, but I also want to involve them physically in the process. You see, I want them to work for it.

The Reaction:
I am constantly encouraged by the correspondence I receive from this "experiment". Almost all of the people who become involved have never heard of Fair Trade, but they become excited and engaged by our unique transaction. Not only do we correspond more on a personal basis, but those who participate are often thankful for the experience, and many pledge to buy Fair Trade products in the future.

Gretchen in San Diego wrote:"Unfortunately this quest proved more difficult than I'd anticipated- sad- anyhow I found only the tea and cocoa. Hopefully there will be more and more Fair Trade items at hand as time moves forward... Thank You!!! I'm happy to have had this learning experience. I'll be sharing the knowledge."

Steven in Scotland is one of the few participants who had previously heard of Fair Trade:"This wee exchange has helped to bring it to the fore of my thinking again. Nice one!"(No, I didn't make that up. He's from Scotland and he wrote "wee" in an email.)

I made a rare exception for Kostantinos in Greece. He said he couldn't find any Fair Trade items in his town. So, I asked if he could trade something created by local artisans or craftsmen whom he was sure were paid a fair wage for their work. Amazingly, he visited a local shop which is a certified retailer for Mastiha, a gum mastic which is only produced on the Greek island of Chios. He composed a collection of goodies containing a package of Mastiha, recipes for dishes based on this national foodstuff treasure, a small bottle of Ouzo (46% alcohol, yeeeouch!) a small bottle of fine Greek olive oil, and a few candies also containing the Chios gum mastic. After scratching my head about what to do with all of this amazing stuff, I decided to organize a dinner party for some of the musicians who played on the CD. With a video camera at the ready, we cooked the dishes described in the recipes, dipped our bread into the excellent olive oil, and toasted Konstantinos with the Ouzo. Finally, we made an edit of the footage and sent him a quicktime so he could virtually participate in our celebration. He was freaked, we were freaked, damnit, it was a freakin' good time! All of this from a CD originally released in 1998!

Packed House for Fair Trade Chocolate Tasting

2006-04-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Coffee to the People Cafe was crammed with people wanting to learn about Fair Trade Chocolate and sample the many variations available. An estimated 60 people came specifically for the event, and many other casual cafe goers were attracted by the sights and smells of brownies, cookies, fondue, chocolate bars, and chocolate-covered coffee beans.

A special surprise was announced during the tasting. To demonstrate the rapid growth of the Fair Trade market, Edouard Rollet of Alter-Eco unveiled four new chocolate bars that his company is planning to launch in June of this year. Some people claimed that the new Alter-Eco bars were the best chocolate at the tasting.

The result of best chocolate of the tasting (based on votes from people at the tasting) was Sweet Earth Chocolate Pepermint Crunch, which was semi-dark chocolate with a strong flavor of peppermint and a crunchy texture brovided by brown rice.

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition planned this event to increase consumer awareness of the Fair Trade products available at supermarkets. We are not an official organization, we have no funding, and we are not very large. We are simply a group of volunteers who spend a few hours a week planning events like this one. If you like the idea of getting involved in the Fair Trade movement in a very unofficial way, with no commitments or requirements, write to us and we will tell you when our next meeting is.

Ugandan Fair Trade Speaker

2006-03-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

JJ Keki, the founder and director of the 400 member Peace Kawomera Cooperative, a Fair Trade Cooperative in Uganda, will be speaking on Sunday, March 19 at 3:00 PM in the Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. This cooperative has demonstrated a remarkable partnership of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian coffee farmers from Mbale, Uganda. The purpose of this speaker tour is to show support for Fair Trade and interfaith alliances as a way of building peace in the world.

The speaker is also a grammy-nominated folk singer who will be playing live music after giving the presentation. There will also be a coffee tasting put on by the Thanksgiving Coffee Company.

Time: Sunday, March 19 from 3-5 PM

Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church
321 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=321+Taraval+St,+sf,+ca

Fair Trade Coalitions of America Unite & Take over!

2006-02-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Fair trade coalitions from all across the nation met for the 1st time on Monday, February 27 to discuss the future of a national Fair Trade Towns Campaign to unite the efforts of local coalitions.
**********************************************
Members of Fair Trade Coalitions from Boston, New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., and San Diego. Also on the call were staff members of Oxfam and Transfair.

Action Items:

All Coalitions: Take time in the next monthly meeting to discuss what a Fair Trade Town looks like in your city. Come up with a definition, using the UK definition as a basis, and consider the difficulties highlghted below.
All Coalitions: As you consider FT towns in greater depth, contact Shayna with what types of things you'd like to learn from the UK study that will take place soon. SHarris@oxfamamerica.org
Greg: Send out San Francisco's "1st crack" at defining FT town standards for SF.
Scott: Setup Yahoo Group and send instructions to Greg Burton for how to join.
Greg: Send out SF outreach form, so other groups can benefit from our Fair Trade Cafe Crawl method.

Fair Trade Towns Guide:
For the guide that Galstang wrote to help other cities with their campaigns, go here:
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/downloads/pdf/fairtrade-towns.pdf

Fair Trade Success at Green Earth!

2006-02-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Green Earth has just received their first shipment of Fair Trade rice, coffee, and tea, a direct result of our outreach campaigns linking owners with distributors of Fair Trade products. The outreach to Green Earth contained all of the steps of our outreach goals:

1) Educate the owner about what Fair Trade products exist. I got Transfair to answer his questions and doubts directly by being the info link between the certifier and the retailer.

2) Bring him the info that facilitates the process of ordering the products. I gave the owner the contact info of Mathieu at Alter-Eco so that he could order rice. Mathieu followed up by visiting the store with samples of rice, tea, and coffee, all of which the owner decided to carry.

3) After owner stocks FT products, bring him shelf talkers, etc. to help him market FT to his customers. I have taken stickers, pamphlets, shelf talkers, and posters to the store. Alter-Eco has ordered a giant end-display which will be installed within a few weeks. As a coalition, we also featured Green Earth and asked everyone to go there to show our support.

Fair Trade Cafe Crawl-Polk

2006-02-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Cafe crawl participants (6 total): Greg Burton, Kelley Buhles, Jean Walsh, Lindsay Buhles, Jen Afdahl, Andy Blue

Summary: We broke into two groups of three people, and we reached 17 cafes, stores and restaurants. Our intentions were:
--To give cafes with FT products promotional materials for their windows and counter-tops.
--To give info packets to cafes who were unaware of FT
--To get followup information of managers.

Crawling through a neighborhood like Russian Hill was a good reality check. We saw that there is still a need for basic awareness in most places. For example, of the 17 places we approached and spoke with, only 5 had even heard of Fair Trade. The rest of the people were dumbfounded and often thought we were trying to sell something. By contrast, in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, 13/20 places had heard of Fair Trade.

Due to the fact that basic awareness is the most common necessity of an outreach, we should focus more on delivering a simple message to retailers rather than huge packets of articles and statistics. In most cases, the introductory brochure was the most useful. When we met retailers who had Fair Trade products, the more pragmatic marketing materials were useful.

A major challenge to address in future meetings: the language barrier that inhibits our ability to outreach to a large number of retailers. When a person is not comfortable with English, the become very cagey and intimidated, often agitated.

We all agree that the effectiveness of these outreaches depends upon the followup. As part of this, we now collect email addresses from every place that we visit (if available), and we record the context of the first visit, so that the followup visit is well-informed.

Grains of Change: Fair Trade Rice in Southeast Asia

2006-02-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

30 people attended the Fair Trade rice tasting at Ritual Coffee Roasters on January 19, as everyone crammed into a tiny area at the back of the cafe to hear Ellen Roggemann speak about her experiences on a rice farm in Thailand. Most people heard about the event through "word of mouth", while others read our posting on Craigslist or were just attracted to the crowd of people at the back of the cafe. This event was the first in a series of educational events that the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition is planning. The next speaker is still undetermined, so if you have input, write to Greg at gburton@gmail.com

CEO takes notice of Fair Trade!

2006-02-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

As you know from my last email, I wrote directly to the CEO of my company to suggest that we provide Fair Trade coffee in all of our buildings. He responded with a lot of interest, and gave me a lot of power to work with our Facilities department. I followed up with several people, showing that there were indeed Fair Trade options available and that they were the exact same price as our current coffees! Specifically, we needed coffee in the K-cup format used in Keurig instant coffee machines, and luckily Green Mountain Coffee Roasters offered several Fair Trade blends in that format ( http://www.keurig.com).

Several days ago, I went to the breakroom, and there were two Green Mountain Fair Trade blends there! I quickly put together table tents to place above the Fair Trade options in each of the breakrooms, as well as a little sign saying that the company "offers Fair Trade Certified coffee, a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable choice."

There are other formats of coffee in the company that are still being evaulated. There are small bags of ground coffee that are used in regular percolators. Someone in Facilities called me and said that Starbucks will be offering a Fair Trade blend in that format early in 2006. At that time, they will order some of those, provided that cost is not prohibitive.

I received the following email from Facilities, and I want to get people's opinion about the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Columbia (Juan Valdez). This is supposedly an organization that protects producer-rights, although I don't know a lot about it.

EMAIL TO ME

Hello Greg,

We asked our coffee vendor to look into sources for fair trade coffee that could be used in the office brewers. So far, we have found one blend that they stock for the Keurig machines. It is a Sumatra blend and we are having some distributed to locations throughout the campus this week. We have had less success finding fair trade blends for the larger pot brewers. We do serve Starbucks in the café which meets the Fair Trade specification.* Until we find an alternative, I have instructed the vendor to specify blends that are members of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Columbia. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

Best Regards,

*It actually isn't Fair Trade certified. There is confusion about Starbucks being certified as a "FT certified company", as opposed to having only a single FT blend.

Fair Trade Cafe Crawl-Haight

2006-02-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

Our Fair Trade Café Crawl on Saturday, November 19th
was a smashing success!! We visited over 35 cafes in the Haight!
One team chatted with cafe owners and tasted lots of delicious Fair Trade coffee. The other team hit up tons of grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants. We were happy to see lots of places already carried Fair Trade products. Sometimes they didn't even know it.
We had three wonderful new people show up who were awarded Fair Trade chocolate bars.
Thanks to everyone who came out!

Our meeting with Fatima- A member of a FT Cooperative

2006-02-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

On October 18 the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition hosted an informal dinner at La Corneta in the Mission with Fatima Espinoza from the Nicaraguan Fair Trade coffee cooperative, Sopexxca. The evening offereda great opportunity to learn more about producer cooperatives, women'sempowerment projects, coffee quality upgrading, and challenges andopportunities in the Fair Trade movement.

Who is the BAFTC?

2006-02-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition is a group of consumers, students, non-profits, Fair Trade businesses, activists and community members working together to raise awareness and build demand for Fair Trade in the Bay Area. We hope to make San Francisco the first Fair Trade Town in the US!

We welcome everyone – whether you’re new to Fair Trade and want to learn more, or a seasoned Fair Trade pro. Come join us!

The Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition is currently working on the following:

Working with City Hall on Fair Trade legislation
Outreach to local businesses to scout FT availability and encourage them to offer FT products
General tabling at local grassroots events and festivals
Fair Trade educational events

What is Fair Trade?

2006-02-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

What is Fair Trade Certified?

· The Fair Trade Certified™ label is the only guarantee to consumers that farmers in developing countries were paid a fair price for their product, enabling a better life for their families and investment into the quality of their products.

· Following the success of Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certification (FTC) empowers consumers by enabling them to choose products that align with their values. This surging consumer movement shows no sign of slowing and will become the next mainstream sustainable grocery option.

· The FTC system began in Europe 17 years ago and has expanded into 20 consumer and 60 producer countries to become internationally recognized as the largest, most rigorous social certification system in the world.

Fair Trade Overview

Fair Trade is an innovative, market-based approach to sustainable development. Fair Trade helps family farmers in developing countries to gain direct access to international markets, as well as to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. By learning how to market their own harvests, Fair Trade farmers are able to bootstrap their own businesses and receive a fair price for their products. This leads to higher family living standards, thriving communities and more sustainable farming practices. Fair Trade empowers farming families to take care of themselves - without developing dependency on foreign aid.

The Fair Trade Certified label guarantees:

A fair price

The Fair Trade Certified label guarantees that farmers and workers received a fair price for their product. The Fair Trade price means that farmers can feed their families and that their children can go to school instead of working in the fields.

Quality products

By receiving a fair price, Fair Trade producers can avoid cost-cutting practices that sacrifice quality. The Fair Trade producers' traditional artisanal farming methods result in exceptional products.

Care for the environment

Most Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea and chocolate in the US is certified organic and shade grown. This means that the products you buy maintain biodiversity, provide shelter for migratory birds and help reduce global warming.

For more information about criteria for Fair Trade see the Business Case for Fair Trade or visit
www.Fairtradecertified.org

Contact Us

2006-02-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us at:

bayareafairtradecoalition@gmail.com

Where to Buy Fair Trade

2006-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of places that offer Fair Trade products in the Bay Area.
This list is in need of updates so please, if you know of any additions or changes email us at bayareafairtradecoalition@gmail.com.

Now go buy Fair Trade!!

Hayes Valley

Restaurants
Jardiniere: 300 Grove St. 415-861-5555 www.jardiniere.com, Coffee/Tea
Millenium: 246 McAllister St. 415-345-3900 millenniumrestaurant.com
Ananda Fuara: 1298 Market St. 415-621-1994, Coffee

Stores
Yoga Tree: 519 Hayes St. 415-626-9707

SoMa

Restaurants
Acme Chophouse: (at Ball Park) 24 Willie Mays Pl. 415-644-0240 http://www.acmechophouse.com/

Grocery Stores
Trader Joe's: 555 9th St. 415 863-1292 www.traderjoes.com, Coffee/Tea/Cocoa
Rainbow Grocery: 1745 Folsom St 415-863-0620 www.rainbowgrocery.org Coffee/Tea/Choc./Bananas /Sugar/Rice
Whole Foods Market: 399 4th St. 415-618-0066 wholefoodsmarket.com

Stores
The San Francisco Chocolate Factory: 286 12th Street 888-732-4626 www.sfchocolate.com
California Academy of Sciences Store: 875 Howard Street 415-321-8201

Cafes
Cafe Macondo: 3159 16th St. 415-431-7516
Capricorn Coffees: 353 Tenth St. 800-541-0758 or 415-621-8500
http://www.capricorncoffees/.

Downtown

Grocery Stores
Whole Foods: 1765 California St. 415-674-0500 wholefoodsmarket.com

Stores
Book Passage:1 Ferry Plaza, #46 415-835-1020

Cafes
Quetzal Internet Cafe: 1234 Polk St 415-673-4181, Coffee/Tea
Java City: Four Embarcadero Center 415-986-8688
NaS Coffee: 101 Spear St. 415-777-4627

Lower Haight

Grocery Stores
Golden Produce: 172 Church St. 415-431-1536, Coffee/Tea/Choc./Bananas
Whole Foods Co: 501 Haight St. 415-552-6077, Tea/Choc.

Cafes
Bean There: 201 Steiner 415-255-8855
Café Du Soleil: 200 Fillmore St. 415-934-8637 Coffee
The Grind: 783 Haight Street 415-864-0955

Haight Ashbury

Grocery Stores
Fresh Organics: 1001 Stanyan St. 415-564-2800, Coffee/Choc.
Haight Street Market: 1530 Haight Street, Coffee/Tea/Choc.
Haight Street General and Natural Foods: 1621 Haight St.
415-487-1540, Coffee/Tea/Choc.

Stores
Body Time:1465 Haight St. 415-551-1070

Cafes
Coffee to the People: 1206 Masonic & Haight 415-626-2435 http://www.coffeetothepeople.com/ Coffee/Tea/Choc.
People’s Café: 1419 Haight Street 415-553-8842, Coffee
Rockin Java: 1821 Haight St 415-831-8842
Starbucks: 1799 Fulton 415-474-8930, Coffee

Cole Valley

Grocery Stores
Alpha Market: 960 C0le St. 415 564 8910, Coffee
Cole Foods: 815 Cole St. 415 664 5300, Coffee/Tea/Choc.

Cafes:
Reverie: 848 C0le St. 415 242 0200 Coffee

Upper Panhandle

Grocery Stores
Green Earth: 860 Divisadero St. (at McAllister) 415 922 6418 Coffee/Tea/Choc./Rice/Sugar
Health Haven Produce and Natural Food: 621 Divisadero (at Grove) 415 351 1267
Coffee/Tea/Choc.

Cafes
Café Organica: 562 Central Ave. (at Grove St.) http://cafe-organica.com
Central Coffee Tea & Spice: 1696 Hayes St. 415 922 2008, Coffee

Mission/Bernal Heights

Restaurants
Cafe Gratitude: 2400 Harrison St. 415-824-4652

Grocery Stores
Good Life Grocery: 448 Cortland Ave 415 648 3221, Coffee
Valencia Whole Foods: 999 Valencia 415 285 0231, Coffee/Tea/Bananas/Chocolate
26th and Guerrero Market: 1400 Guerrero St. 415 282 6274, Coffee/Tea/Ice Cream/Cocoa Powder

Stores
Casa Bonampak: 3331 24th Street 415 642-4079 or 415 642-0699 http://www.casabonampak.com Clothing and Gifts
Global Exchange Fair Trade Store: 110 Capp St. 415 553 4411

Cafes
Mission Pie: 2901 Mission St. @ 25th 415 282 4Pie
Ritual Coffee Roasters: 1026 Valencia St. 415 641 1024
Cafe La Boheme: 3318 24th St. 415 643 0481, Coffee
Cresendo Café: 233 14th Street
Dolores Park Café: 501 Dolores St @ 18th 415 621-2936
Tartine: 600 Guerrero St. 415 487 2600
Little Spot Cafe : 1199 S Van Ness Ave 415 550-1800
Philz Coffee: 3101 24th St. 415 282 9155
Nervous Dog Coffee: 3438 Mission St. 415-282-4364
Sundance Coffee: 3000 24th St. 415-824-1706

Castro/Noe Valley

Grocery Stores
Harvest Market, Inc: 2285 Market 415 626 0805
Real Food Co: 3939 24th St

Stores
Global Exchange : 4018 24th St. 415 648 8068

Cafes
The Castro Cheesery: 427 Castro St. 415 552 6676
Noe Valle Bakery: 4073 24th St. 415 550 1405
Ben & Jerry's: 451 Castro 415 252 8181
Diamond Corner Cafe : 751 Diamond Street 415 282 9551

Marina

Grocery Stores
Real Food Co: 3060 Fillmore St 415 567 6900 http://www.realfoodco.com/
Coffee/Tea/Chocolate

Pacific Heights

Grocery Stores
Mollie Stone's : 2435 California 415.567.4902

Russian Hill/Nob Hill

Grocery Stores
Trader Joe’s: 401 Bay St. 415 351-1013, Coffee/Tea/Chocolate
Real Food Co: 2140 Polk St 415 673 7420, Coffee/Tea/Chocolate

Cafes
The 11:11 Lounge: 1313 Polk 415 885 2652
Leland Tea Company: 1416 Bush St. info@lelandtea.com, Tea

Hotels
The Fairmont San Francisco: 950 Mason St. 415- 772-5000

No. Beach/Telegraph Hill

Grocery Stores
Nature Stop: 1336 Grant Ave. 415 398 3810, Coffee/Tea

Cafes
Caffe Sapore: 790 Lombard St. 415 474 1222

Twin Peaks/Glen Park

Restaurants
Pomelo's : 1793 Church 415 285 2257

Grocery Stores
Mollie Stone’s : 635 Portola Drive 415.664.1600

Cafes
Java City: 5214 Diamond Heights 415 285 6055

Potrero Hill

Grocery Stores
Good Life Grocery: 1524 20th Street 415 282 9204 Coffee

Cafes
Klein's Deli: 501 Connecticut 415 821 9149, Coffee

Richmond

Grocery Stores
Trader Joe's : 3 Masonic Ave 415 346 9964, Coffee/Tea/Chocolate
Fresh Organics: 5843 Geary Blvd 415 387 6367 or 800 669 3009
Coffee/Tea/Chocolate/Bananas

Cafes
NIBS: 3717 Balboa Street 415 379 6468, Coffee

Sunset

Grocery Stores
Other Avenues: 3930 Judah 415 661 7475
Coffee/Tea/Choc./Bananas
Andronico's: 1200 Irving St 415 753-0403

Cafes
The Beanery: 1307 9th Ave 415 661 1255
Arizmendi Bakery: 1331 9th Ave 415 566 3117

Bayview/Hunters Point

Stores
Zia Cosmetics: 1337 Evans Ave 415 642 8339

SFSU/City College

Cafes
Cafe 101: SFSU Student Center 415 338 3469
San Francisco Zoo: 1 Zoo Rd 415 753 7073
Ebbtide Cafe: 1500 South Van Ness Ave 415 643 4399

West Portal

Cafes
Java City: 53 West Portal 415 753 3130

EAST BAY

Alameda

Grocery Stores
Trader Joe's: 2217 S. Shore Center
510 769 5450

Berkeley

Grocery Stores
Andronico's: 1550 Shattuck Ave 510 841 7942
Andronico's: 1850 Solano Ave 510 524 1673
Andronico's: 1414 University Ave 510 548 7061
Andronico's: 2655 Telegraph Ave 510 845 1062
Berkeley Bowl: 2777 Shattuck Ave 510 843 6929
Berkeley Natural Grocery: 1336 Gilman 510 526 2456
Monterey Market: 1550 Hopkins Street
Whole Foods Market: 3000 Telegraph Ave 510 649 1333

Cafes
Au Coquelet Café: 2000 University Ave 510 845 0433
Bread Garden: 2912 Domingo Ave 510 548 3122
Café Fanny: 1603 San Pablo Ave 510 524 5447
Cheeseboard: 1512 Shattuck Ave 510 549 3183
Tomate Café: 2265 5th St 510 549 9885
Uncommon Grounds: 2813 Seventh St 510 644 4451

Restaurants
Downtown Restaurant: 2102 Shattuck Ave
Saul's Restaurant & Deli: 1475 Shattuck Ave 510 848 3354

Stores
Elephant Pharmacy: 1607 Shattuck Ave 510 549 9200
Global Exchange: 2840 College Ave 510 548 0370

El Cerrito

Grocery Stores
Natural Grocery: 10367 San Pablo
Trader Joe's: 225 El Cerrito Plz 510 524 7609

Emeryville

Grocery Stores
Trader Joe's: 5700 Christie Ave 510 658 8091

Cafes
Royal Café Inc.: 3306 Powell St 510 652 4256
Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting: 1455 64th Street 510 601 6674

Oakland

Grocery Stores
Rocky's Market: 1440 Leimert Blvd 510 531 6133
Farmer Joe's: 3501MacArthur Blvd 510 482 8178

Cafes
Café Diem: 2224 MacArthur Blvd 510 482 0299
City Cup:1259 Jefferson St 510 835 2100
Fountain Café: Oakland City Center 510 451 6400
Gaylord's Café Espresso: 4150 Piedmont Ave 510 658 2877
L'Amyx Tea Bar: 4179 Piedmont Ave 510 594 8322
Mojo's Coffee: 1768 Broadway 510 893 7202
Nomad Café: 6500 Shattuck Ave 510 595 5344
Oliveto Café: 5655 College Ave 510 547 4382
Peerless Coffee Company: 260 Oak St 1800 310 5662
Peet's Coffee and Tea: 3258 Lakeshore Ave 510 832 6761
Royal Café: 307 63 St 510 653 5458
Urban Blend Café: 333 Broadway 510 444 4648

Wholesalers

Alter Eco: 208 Pennsylvania Ave. #002 415 701 1212
http://www.altereco-usa.com/
Earl's Organics: 2101 Jerrold 415 824 8756
Capricorn Coffees: 353 Tenth St. 800 541 0758 or 415-621-8500
http://www.capricorncoffees.com/
Fresh Organics: 1980 1/2 Jerrold Ave 415 550 1001
De La Paz Coffee: 200 Guerrero St. #315 (415) 259 4562
http://www.delapazcoffee.com/blog/contact/

Starbucks - All Starbucks locations should carry Cafe Estima Blend which is Fair Trade Certified. Starbucks says it’ll French-press a cup of fair trade coffee for any customer who specifically asks for a fair trade cup.
Take the Starbucks challenge: http://greenlagirl.com/2006/05/01/starbucks-challenge-40/

Business Case for Fair Trade

2006-02-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Making the Business Case

What is Fair Trade Certified?

Fair Trade Certification (FTC) empowers consumers to choose products that align with their values. The label above signals that coffee, tea, chocolate, rice, sugar, and fruit farmers have received a fair price enabling a better life for farming families, investment into the quality of their products, and stronger environmental stewardship. Introduced to

the U.S. in 1998, FTC products can now be found in over 32,000 retailers consistently exceeding sales expectations due to their superior quality and rapidly growing demand for FTC products.

Fair Trade Market Growth in the US:

Think the coffee market is flat? Think again. FTC coffee sales have grown an average of 72% per year since 1999. Compare this to 12% for organic and 3% for the coffee market overall.i
FTC products can now be found in over 32,000 retail locations including: Kroger, Safeway, Albertson’s, Stop & Shop, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, McDonalds and many more!
50% of those aware of FTC will purchase it. In 2004, 15% of U.S. consumers were aware of the FTC label—this is where organic awareness was just a few years ago.ii
Tea, chocolate, rice, sugar, and fresh fruit are now being Fair Trade certified in response to coffee’s rapid success. The strong growth in these categories is closely following the rise of FTC coffee.
82 million media impressions last year with articles in The New York Times, Boston Globe, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and more!

Fair Trade Retail Promotions:

Fair Trade Month in October is a national Fair Trade promotion involving thousands of retailers, manufacturers and Fair Trade supporters.
In October 2005, retailers entered the Fair Trade Display Challenge for a chance to visit Fair Trade cooperatives in Costa Rica. Some retailers reported FTC product sales increases of over 500%!
An entire suite of Fair Trade Certified point-of-purchase promotional material is available to retailers free of charge at FairTadeCertified.org. Fair Trade Certified TransFair USA 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 900 Oakland, CA 94612 Tel: 510.663.5260 www.FairTradeCertified.org

Fair Trade Success Stories:

Wild Oats – Converted to 100% FTC coffee in 2002, increased prices by 10%. First year sales growth of 20%, second year 15%, leading to an expansion into all FTC products.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters – FTC outpaces overall company sales growth by 3:1 and wholesale customers who offer FTC are growing 20% faster than those who do not.
Pret a Manger Cafes – Converted to 100% FTC coffee in 2004. First year sales growth 134% leading to expansion into FTC cocoa and tea.

Fair Trade Criteria:

Fair Price: Farmer groups are guaranteed a stable price for their products. Farmers invest the Fair Trade premiums in education, quality improvement, health-care, and business capacity building.

Fair and Safe Working Conditions: Forced labor and child labor are prohibited. Protective clothing and safe equipment are provided for workers. Fair Trade workers and farmers must join associations that are transparent and democratically controlled by their members.

Environmental Protection: The Fair Trade criteria prohibit genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and a long list of dangerous pesticides that are ‘acceptable’ under EPA standards. Farmers must create and implement integrated crop management and environmental conservation plans. Also, the Fair Trade price structure provides a strong financial incentive and the necessary resources for organic conversion. This is why so many FTC products are also certified organic.

Facts about Fair Trade Certified Products:

Coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice and sugar are now Fair Trade Certified for the US market.
FTC products benefit over 1.1 million farmers and farm workers in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Since 1999, U.S. FTC product sales have generated $67 million in additional income to farmers in 25 countries.
Grassroots consumer support! Hundreds of colleges and universities, churches, and community groups across the US have active Fair Trade campaigns and promotional programs.
FTC products have won some of the food industry’s top quality awards including recognition from the Cup of Excellence, Ken Davids’ Coffee Review, Food & Wine Magazine, the American Culinary Institute, the Times of London, and Progressive Grocer Magazine.

Who is Behind the Label?

TransFair USA is the only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the US.
In the US, TransFair licenses and audits the transactions of over 400 manufacturers. Each quarter, this information is cross-checked with farm level invoices to make sure that the farmers received a fair price. Products that have met the rigorous Fair Trade standards are allowed to display the FTC label. TransFair also works with retailers, manufacturers, and Fair Trade consumer supporters to raise awareness for FTC products.

i Specialty Coffee Association, 2004

ii National Coffee Association, 2005

San Francisco Fair Trade Resolution

2006-02-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Resolution establishing City policy of maximizing purchase of Fair Trade Certified materials when procuring necessary goods for the City.

WHEREAS, the City and County of San Francisco annually spends hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing food, apparel and other goods; and,
WHEREAS, San Francisco has a long history of supporting fair wages and safe and humane working conditions for employees of those entities providing services or selling products to the City; and,
WHEREAS, the City must be cognizant of the comprehensive labor conditions that may be supported by its actions as a major market participant, including fair wages, sustainable production practices and a work environment free from toxins; and,
WHEREAS, the City has recently established an ordinance sponsored by Supervisor Maxwell entitled the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance (file number 050595, introduced April, 2005) that requires the City to purchase products that protect human health and the environment; and
WHEREAS, “Fair Trade” certification is an innovative, market-based system that encourages fair labor practices and a healthy and safe work environment by identifying food and beverage products that generate fair economic benefit to the producers of these products—often farmers in less developed countries; and
WHEREAS, sale of Fair Trade certified goods helps these small producers in developing countries gain direct access to international markets in order to increase living standards, economic independence, and encourage sustainable farming practices, and
WHEREAS, Fair Trade Certified products are widely available and competitively priced in the United States, available through over 300 providers of food products including those that provide coffee, tea, chocolate and fresh fruit; and,
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a Resolution proclaiming May 8, 2005 as Fair Trade Day in support of a global economic system based in fair trade, corporate responsibility, and socially responsible investment; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the City and County of San Francisco establishes a policy to maximize purchase of Fair Trade Certified products in the process of procuring necessary goods for the city, when these products are available and comparably priced to non-certified materials; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Department of Environment is requested to investigate current purchasing options for Fair Trade Certified goods and issue recommendations by December, 2005 that identify how the city can maximize purchase of competitively priced Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea, chocolate and other food products and potentially compel city contractors to provide such goods; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, based on these recommendations, the city will implement a process to maximize purchase of Fair Trade Certified goods, possibly through the procurement process established in the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance or through a separate ordinance if appropriate.

Resources

2006-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here are some resources on the internet for Fair Trade:

San Francisco Fair Trade Resolution:
http://bayareafairtradecoalition.blogspot.com/2006/02/san-francisco-fair-trade-resolution.html

Business Case for Fair Trade:
http://bayareafairtradecoalition.blogspot.com/2006/02/business-case-for-fair-trade.html

Fair Trade Labeling Organization:
http://www.fairtrade.net/sites/products/products.html

Fair Trade Federation
http://www.fairtradefederation.org/

Fair Trade Resource Network:
http://www.fairtraderesource.org/links.html

Alter Eco:
http://www.altereco-usa.com/main.php

World of Good:
www.worldofgood.org

TransfairUSA:
www.transfairusa.org

Engage:
http://www.engagetheworld.org/

Global Exchange:
http://www.globalexchange.org/

Oxfam America:
http://www.maketradefair.org/en/index.htm

United Students for Fair Trade
http://www.usft.org/

Interfaith Fair Trade Initiative
http://www.lwr.org/advocacy/tradejustice/ifti/index.asp

IFAT
http://www.ifat.org/

Green L.A. Girl
http://www.greenlagirl.com/

Coffee Resource and Action Guide for students:
http://www.usft.org/downloads/coffeeresourceguide.pdf

Green Restaurants:
http://www.thimmakka.org/Activities/GSAR.htm