National Coffee Day

Celebrate National Coffee Day with O Organics® Fair Trade Certified coffee,
empowering communities in Central and South America.
http://www.albertsons.com/national-coffee-day

Producio Eticamente

Give light to those in darkness at the Cathedral Shop at Cathedral of Christ The Light church in downtown Oakland.The ethically produced items sold here make an impact in the lives of the farmers and artisans around the world.

Rain forest destroyed for chocolate

Where there was once trees, the national forests in the heart of the Ivory Coast are being ripped up the growing global demand for chocolate. The supply chains of Mars and Nestle must discontinue this practice of destroying our world's natural resources. See article.
http://tinyurl.com/y7ml8vpt

International Gift Faire 2017

Celebrate the upcoming Fair Trade Month with the International Gift Faire!

Coffee, Bees and Climate Change, Oh My!

Did you know that Pollinators such as bees play a key part of producing the beans that go into your morning cup of coffee? In fact, they are responsible for about 20 to 25 percent of coffee production by increasing the plants' yield. But climate change is threatening both pollinators and the areas where coffee can grow. See this interesting article. http://tinyurl.com/y97y7sj8

Chuao Chocolate

Celebrate International Chocolate Day with a Chuao (pronounced chew-WOW) chocolate bar. It is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the United States. Its chocolate is Fair Trade and organic. Available in the San Jose area at New Seasons market.

Stubborn Soda

While recently vacationing in the Pacific Northwest, we found a delicious soda called Stubborn Lemon Berry Acai with Fair Trade Certified sugar. It was in a small restaurant called Turkish Delight just down the street from the Public Market where we noshed on a Chicken Borek, a spiced chicken breast with mushrooms in filo pastry. What a treat!

Light in the Darkness

When children have to work, either to supplement family income or because they have no family, they are vulnerable to human trafficking.

In India Catholic Relief Services is working to keep kids, like Triveni and Premshila, in school and educating them about the dangers of migration and trafficking. Read their story and learn why they say they have "hope for their future."

http://bit.ly/2x20VIo

Are the workers abused while making the products you buy?

"Genuine commitment to sustainability — rather than merely the show of it — requires monitoring of the entire supply chain and a willingness to meet internationally-recognized standards. For most brands, this is still more than they’re ready to do. Pressure from the public and from companies that do meet the standards could change that." 

Phil Knight of Nike said about his decision to bringing Nike factories into line,  “The American consumer doesn’t want to buy products made under abusive conditions.” Let us see if he acts on this sentiment. Consumers need to know definitively whether the company whose products that they purchase actually take care of their workers or just talk about it. 

http://tinyurl.com/y8z3pkv6