Be of Good Spirits

On Thanksgiving its the turkey, on Christmas its the cookies and desserts, but for
New Year's Eve the traditional indulgence is not any kind of dish but that most
ancient of indulgences, alcohol! While alcohol should be drunk responsibly, there is nothing wrong with ringing in the new year with your friends. And if you shall imbibe, why not help people in the process?

The fair trade alcohol market is growing and there shall eventually be
something for everyone. As for now the selection fair trade has to offer is
nothing to sneeze at.

Wine

For our more sophisticated connoisseurs there are a number of fair trade wines available. Etica wines were linked in our previous Thanksgiving Day blog are a fine organic option. However one particular company that prides itself on its ethical
practices is Wieta.
Wieta is an initiative that monitors fair trade practice in South Africa. It
began with wine in 2002 but has since expanded its efforts with other kinds of
agricultural products. Wines supported by this initiative are sure to be of
ethical standards and practices. Fair trade wines can be a consideration not
just for this time of holiday celebration but for every day uses such as cooking
or romantic dinners. There is even fair trade communion wine available. With some encouragement an entire church body could support ethical trade. If you are looking for more than just visit ethicalwine.com.

Cocktails

In terms of hard liquor and liqueurs mixology is at its finest with these fair
trade ingredients. Fair is a fair trade spirits company that has award
winning quinoa vodka. as well as goji berry and coffee liquers. Even Divine Chocolate has recipes for fairtrade chocolate cocktails guaranteed to be delicious.

Beers and Ales

One thing that can be said about fair trade brews is that there is a colorful
selection. Peak Organic Brewing Co. is the creator of the U.S's first fair trade beer, an espresso amber ale. For the more fruit inclined beer drinker 4 out of 5 of Mongozo beers are fair trade, including their banana and mango flavors. The Little Valley Brewery Co. is a licensee of the Fairtrade Foundation for its ginger pale ale.

While still new in the market, fair trade alcohol is growing steadily and someday will
be serious competitors with larger more well known companies. But for now these
small non-profit companies are cultivating themselves and their products making
the taste of fair trade better and better, training the socially conscious party
animal in us all.

A Fair Trade Christmas Carol

This time of year is known as the season of giving, and not just to our loved ones. The holiday season is renowned for its generosity and…well…goodwill towards men. In the past we have given only to ourselves, giving the least that we could for the highest return for the purpose of hoarding our money and our things much like Ebenezer Scrooge. But Scrooge had a choice, and so do we.

The ghost of Fair trade Christmas past:

In the past Fair Trade just wasn’t. After the industrial revolution and the unionization of American workers, businesses had to figure out a way to get cheap labor. Eventually outsourcing occurred. Hundreds of American companies moved their factories to other countries where labor was cheaper, to get the highest profit from their wares. While this helped out other countries by providing jobs, what wound up happening was an economy

dependent upon the mistreatment of other people. Slavery and sweatshops was simply the way the world worked.

The ghost of Fair trade Christmas present:

As of right now we have choices. While sweatshop labor and slavery still exist in the world, the products we buy and use are still created by the mistreated and underpaid, there is more being done for change. We can choose to shop ethically, and use our power as consumers to better the world, or we can do as we've always done in the past. Fair trade is a beneficial movement because it means good working conditions and fair pay for producers and farmers. With sustainable methods it is better for the environment. But most of all, when we buy fair trade, we are making a difference in the lives of other people.

The ghost of Fair trade Christmas Future:

While the future may have looked bleak for Ebenezer Scrooge, it is not so for us. Fair trade is growing stronger, and gaining in popularity. However the choice is still before us. The more we support ethical trade and raise awareness about these issues that still affect our society the stronger fair trade will become. We could also choose to remain where we are, and plateau in the progress we've already made. So this holiday season, amidst the cookies and sweaters, show your goodwill in a different way than before. Give gifts of fair trade items, or spread the word about what its' all about and show goodwill towards men all over the world!

A Divine Story

One of our most popular items here at the Welcome Mat, and by far the sweetest, would have to be our Divine Chocolate bars. We don't love them just because they're delicious (which they are) but also because Divine Chocolate is such an inspiring company, that really embodies the fair trade cause.

Divine Chocolate is grown in Ghana. But unlike other fair trade chocolate companies, the farmers that grow this chocolate actually own 45% of the company, so they are not only suppliers of the company, they are the company.

Chocolate came to Ghana in 1878, and like many other crops was grown and sold primarily to the Western world. Unfortunately for the most part, cocoa buyers would only give the lowest possible price to farmers. Buyers would get the highest profit, but the farmers who did all the work growing and harvesting the product would reap the lowest benefit, and just merely scrape by on what they were getting.

But it wasn't until the 1990's that a structural adjustment program led to the liberalisation of the cocoa market in Ghana. That's when Nana Frimpong Abrebrese a farmer representative on the cocoa board and some others got the idea for an organization run by farmers, helping them to make better business deals than they had been able to previously. That's when Kuapa Kokoo was started in 1993, a farmers cooperative that would buy and sell chocolate on their own. They then decided that instead of just producing chocolate and selling it at fair trade prices, they would actually invest in making a chocolate bar to sell in competition with other mainstream bars. In 1998, Divine Fair Trade milk chocolate was launched in the UK. It would not come to American shores until 2007.

What makes this company so special and outstanding among other companies is the innovation it took the farmers to take control of their own business. While there are many fair trade companies with similar products, there are not many that were started by the farmers themselves. While fair trade often gives a helping hand to small businesses around the world, this company lifted itself up with its own arms.

YouTube Video

For the Person Who Has Everything...Except for This...

One of the things I love about Fair Trade is how unique everything is! Whether it is a wall hanging made from an recycled oil drum or a necklace with paper beads, there are just some things you find in fair trade that you can't find anywhere else. This makes Fair Trade the perfect avenue for gift giving, because there is something for everyone!

So if you're stressing this holiday season about what to get that someone in your life who has everything, then you're in luck because fair trade has many unusual and unique gifts that we can almost guarantee that someone doesn't have.

Pictured here to the right is a unique gift that is both practical and interesting. This wood eyeglass holder was made in India by a company called HSSS and distributed by Handmade Expressions and Greenheart.

Featured to the left is a breathtaking symbol of artistic recycling as well as the Chanukah spirit. This menorah is actually made from a bicycle chain. This is a beautiful if somewhat unconventional holiday piece. And if you think that the bicycle chain medium suits your tastes, Greenheart also has other fair trade products of the same type, such as picture frames, and clocks.

However when it comes to unique fair trade gifts this one takes the cake. While The Welcome Mat features more than a few soapstone carvings from Africa, we have recently acquired some that are a little different from your standard animal features. These busts are of the beloved characters from FOX's hit show The Simpsons. The creators of these interesting pieces interestingly enough had never heard of The Simpsons before, but thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the show's creator Matt Groening, they now have the legal rights to produce them.

All of these items have a uniqueness about them that just couldn't be found anywhere else and they are made possible by the fair trade cause. So if you're still searching around for the perfect gift for a friend or relative or even co-worker, consider taking a browse through some fair trade options, and you are likely not to be disappointed.

Shop Fair. Shop Smart.

There are now fair trade options for the deal-of-the-day shoppers! In late October, Global Crafts launched Just Sourced, a site that offers a deal a day for fair trade products at least 50 percent below retail price. And just in time for Christmas too! The retail branch of Global Crafts, Gifts with Humanity, is where The Welcome Mat gets a large percentage of our online merchandise.

Everybody loves a good deal. Americans are shoppers at heart. We like our quality high and our prices low. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work that way. The tendency is if you want something nice, you’re going to have to shell out the dough. This is why deal-of-the-day sites have gained such popularity.

But how can this happen? Don’t the artisans need that money that’s being taken away by reducing the price? Fair trade artisans are losing nothing through this. They are still paid in full. But just like every other market, the fair trade market has overstock. By buying overstock at reduced prices, you the consumer are still contributing to the fair trade cause. Selling overstock items at lower cost creates more cash flow than just sitting on the excess inventory, thus enabling companies to do more business with fair trade artisans. Therefore, this is a system that is beneficial to everyone. Another similar site is Fair Trade A Day, which also offers daily deals on fair trade items.

The Fair Trade Movement is a beautiful thing. When you buy a fair trade product, you are not just supporting a store, or a company, but people with families and talents who would otherwise not have such an opportunity to support themselves and their families, or use their talents in such a way. This isn’t just retail, this is humanity. And with more and more fair trade options for good deals, you won’t have to always sacrifice your ethics for lack of cash.So are you a penny saver? A coupon clipper, or a sale scavenger? Well then these deals are for you!

Turkey Day the Fair Trade Way

Thanksgiving time is a busy time of year. Friends and family travel cross the country and sometimes cross the globe just to be with one another. Households who normally order pizza and gather around the television suddenly break out the fine china and gather around the dinner table instead. It's a great time of year filled with food, family, and...fair trade?

Some of you might be wondering "How can I have a fair trade

Thanksgiving?" While it might be easy to make the switch to fair trade coffee, or buy fair trade products once in a while ,doing an entire fair trade dinner with all the "fixins" can be a tad more complicated. But let's not fret! Here are some helpful tips to make your eating ethical.

1. Dinnerware

One way to incorporate fair trade into Thanksgiving is with your dishware and table settings. Using plates and bowls and table cloths like those that can be found at The Welcome Mat will not only make your family dinner beautiful and festive but ethical as well. Salad tongs, napkin rings, you name it, there

are fair trade options for any fancy get together.

2. Food

Fair trade isn't exclusive to just coffee and chocolate. There are lots of fair trade goods that can be used in your holiday cooking.
Sugar- For all of your baking and sweetening needs fair trade sugar is available. As are different kinds of fruit! However, stores that carry these items are limited. What you can do to help push the cause further in your community is request fair trade options in your stores.
Spice- While they may not be as well known, fair trade herbs and spices are available. Pepper, turmeric, and even cinnamon can be found at places such as Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier Natural Products Co-op.
Everything Nice- Preparing your fair trade holiday will be a breeze with fair trade olive oil, and what is a better pairing than fair trade dinner with a glass of fair trade wine? Fair trade wine is developing quickly, as is fair trade liquor.

3. Football
Many families like to kick back and watch the football game after their dinner, but a lot of families like to actually play a good game of family football as well. For these families fair trade footballs are an ethical reason to tackle one another.

Fair trade isn't just a cause that can be embraced in our every day lives, but during special occasions as well. Just remember that when its hard to find a turkey or another primary ingredient with a fair trade certified logo on its packaging the next best thing is to buy local. Buying produce that has been grown locally in the USA increases the likelihood that it was produced ethically.

While fair trade may not be the picture of a traditional Thanksgiving, there is certainly nothing wrong with giving it a shot. Every family has their own traditions during the holiday season, but there is nothing wrong with starting a new tradition by doing your Turkey Day the fair trade way.

Coffee with a Purpose

The weather is getting cold and will only get colder. There are a few people who love this kind of weather, but for most of us we just want to curl up beneath a blanket with a hot drink.  And what is the most popular hot drink in America?  Coffee!  It’s not only the most popular hot drink, but it is more than likely the most well known fair trade product.  
Coffee is grown in many locations around the world.  One particular fair trade organization that The Welcome Mat supports, Singing Rooster gets all of its coffee from Haiti.
Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and there are many factors contributing to that fact.  Because wood is the only available fuel in Haiti, and there is a constant demand for it, over the last 200 years the trees of Haiti have been cut down and not replanted, causing massive soil erosion which is detrimental to agriculture.  In addition to this there is a corrupt government and lack of sufficient education of the populace.  All of these things and more have contributed to the poverty of Haiti.  Poverty is like a deep hole, its going to take a lot of work to get out of it, otherwise you’ll be stuck there forever.

Singing Rooster has been using coffee as part of a long term solution for Haitians to get out of poverty.  Haiti has had a long history with coffee, making it a great place to start.  Around 1770 the Jesuits were spreading coffee plants in Mexico and the Caribbean islands to be grown in plantations.  By 1788, Haiti, at the time a slave nation, was providing half of the worlds coffee.  The Haitians led themselves in the first successful slave revolution in 1804 and coffee continued to be one of their leading exports.  By 1949 Haiti was the third largest coffee exporter in the world.  However their contribution to the market began to decline, and eventually the Haitians lost the skills.

So how does Singing Rooster use coffee to help Haiti?  Like many other fair trade organizations, Singing Rooster is providing jobs, and providing the Haitians with some of the skills that they have lost that they can help themselves out of poverty, but are giving much higher than fair trade prices.  They continue to create new markets for the coffee to allow for continual production, and then return proceeds to Haiti in the form of grants which is why The Welcome Mat is happy to have Singing Rooster coffee for sale on our shelves.

So drinking a hot drink on a cold day can be about so much more than a moment of comfort.  If that drink is Singing Rooster coffee, it’s about a better and brighter future for Haiti.  

You can purchase Singing Rooster on our website at www.thewelcomemat.org!

Re-purposed to Masterpieces

Two weeks ago we talked about all the things that Fair Trade corporations do to stay green and eco-friendly.  And with last weeks blog about Haiti still fresh in our minds, The Welcome Mat has an opportunity to tell you about one of our favorite products: Haitian oil-drum art. In Haiti, fair trade artisans are re-purposing oil drums by cutting and molding them into beautiful and distinctive pieces to hang on our walls.  The process of creation and detail on these crafts is amazing!

Fair Trade Goes Green

One of the great things about Fair Trade is not only what it does for people but what it can do for our planet.  While ethical trade and Eco-friendliness are two different issues, they often fit together quite nicely, because the desire to help humanity and the environment often go hand in hand.  Especially since the Fair Trade Principles include “cultivating environmental stewardship.” There are many ways that Fair Trade companies incorporate Eco-friendly methods into their businesses.

Indian Block Printing

The art of block printing is a tradition that has been passed down through generations throughout the world. It is a craft that requires great skill and is mostly still done by hand.  While the techniques have been known in many parts of the world, India in particular has had a longstanding relationship with the art and creates patterns that are not only beautiful but unique to their culture.