Patagonia in Palo Alto

My agents of change at Presentation High School alerted me to the Patagonia store in downtown Palo Alto. The store used to be a livery stable back in 1895 that turned into the Vandervoort Ford dealership about 100 years ago. Now Patagonia occupies this space, offering Fair Trade clothing such as denim pants, sweater vests and t-shirts.. They have ramped up the Fair Trade offerings from 33 in the spring of last year to 119. These products, adorned with the Fair Trade Sewing seal, are sewn in the Pratibha Syntex factory in India along with those in Sri Lanka and Los Angeles. Thank you, Patagonia.

Fair Trade Principle #3 : Fair Trading Practices

Fair Trade Principle #3 : Fair Trading Practices
Organizations trade with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalized small producers and does not maximize profit at their expense. Organizations maintain long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. They maintain effective communication with their trading partners. Fair Trade recognizes, promotes and protects the cultural identity and traditional skills of small producers as reflected in their craft designs, food products and other related services.

Ava's Downtown Market

Found Ava's Downtown Market, this precious gem in the middle of Castro Street in Mountain View. Right next to the East West Bookstore. Ava's offers a wide variety of Fair Trade products from Alter Eco Chocolate, Wholesome Sugar, Numi Tea, Three Twins Ice Cream and Dr Bonner's Pre-Castile Soap. Thank you Ava's Downtown Market for helping provide the small farmers a living wage and a sustainable environment.

Fair Trade Principle #2

Transparency and Accountability
The company is transparent in its management and commercial relations. It is accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information supplied. The company finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes. It ensures that relevant information is provided to all its trading partners. The communication channels are good and open at all levels of the supply chain.

Fresco Supermarket

Found Fresco Supermarket on Quimby Road in San Jose. This store has a Hispanic name but it has an Asian market feel to it.  There is even a tiny restaurant inside serving Hispanic dishes.   No Fair Trade coffee but offers Traditional Medicinals and Stash Breakfast Blend teas. Thank you Fresco for helping the small farmers.

Fair Trade Pajamas and Human Trafficking

As consumers, we are faced with many choices. We can make the lives of people better or worse by our choices. In the case of Sara, we can save the live of girls and women from fearing abusive industries and being coerced into sex slavery.
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/these-fair-trade-pjs-are-keeping-girls-out-of-sex/

Mollie Stone's Market

Found Mollie Stone's Market in Palo Alto offering a wide variety of Fair Trade products from coffee, chocolate, sugar, quinoa and coconut oil. Thank you Mollie Stone's for guaranteeing fair wages, safe working conditions and fair environment practices for producers in developing countries.

Can fair trade create a more sustainable coffee economy?

Listen to Rodney North of Fairtrade America.

https://youtu.be/SGHNCh4peic

Fair Trade Principle #1

Fair Trade Principle #1
Create Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers.
Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Members create social and economic opportunities through trading partnerships with marginalized producers. Members place the interests of producers and their communities as the primary concern of their enterprise.

Natural Directions Fair Trade Coffee

Found Natural Directions Organic Fair Trade coffee at Lunardis in San Jose on Bascom. Thank you Lunardis for offering another Fair Trade coffee, helping to provide the small farmers with a living wage for their coffee.

Fair Indigo

Fair Indigo believes that we can all change the world by just by changing our clothes!
http://www.fairindigo.com/

Choose "Fair"

What's the difference between "free trade" and fair trade? This short post breaks it down from the Fairtrade America perspective.

http://fairtradeamerica.org/en-us/media-center/blog/2016/january/fairtrade-tpp-response

Bananas

How much do you know about your bananas? This is the story of
a group of small farmers striving to change the banana industry as
we know it. Through  Fair Trade, these producers are building a
more just supply chain, one that prioritizes their health, their
families and their community.
http://beyondtheseal.com/