Mankato, the FIRST Fair Trade Town in Minnesota  (2011), is 83 miles south-west of the Twin Cities.  To read Mankato's Fair Trade journey, click here.

Share the Love this Valentine's Day

New Ulm's Own is holding their second annual Valentine fundraiser to benefit Ivy House (previously known as Southern Minnesota Crisis Nursery).  Choose a unique Valentine card crafted by one of  seven participating artists and recognize someone special in your life with a financial contribution to support the work of the crisis nursery.  New Ulm's Own will match up to $500 in donations.  Last year they sold 72 Valentines and contributed $1,221 to Ivy House.  they hope to better last year’s donation of $1,221 with even more Valentine contributions.

 Say Thanks to Fair Trade Farmers

Valentine's Day on February 14th is a day for sharing love with those you care about most. This year, share that love on a global scale by showing your appreciation for Fair Trade farmers. Our collective virtual valentine was created for advocates to upload Valentines, gratitude messages, poems, photos, and more to be shared with cocoa and flower farmers.

• Sign the virtual valentine! Head to: https://padlet.com/FairTrade2022/MyFairTradeValentine and double click the Padlet board to start uploading or creating your message.

FAIR TRADE AMERICA RELEASES TRENDS FOR 2022

WASHINGTON – Dec. 20, 2021 – Fairtrade America – an independent, third-party certification that partners with farmers and workers to negotiate better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal overall – today released five key consumer trends that will impact how brands source ingredients and work to have a larger impact on people and the planet in 2022.

Shoppers are increasingly looking for ethically-sourced products. More than half of respondents to Fairtrade’s biennial Fairtrade Consumer Insights report, conducted by GlobeScan, confirmed they have changed their purchasing choices within the past year to make a difference on economic, social, environmental or political issues, indicating people increasingly see their everyday shopping as an important way to make a difference.

Fairtrade America predicts this consumer attitude will play out in the following ways in 2022:

CONSUMERS WILL CONTINUE TO DEMAND COMPANIES FOCUS MORE ON SUSTAINABILITY.

As climate change continues to worsen, consumers are looking to brands to provide sustainably sourced and produced products they can feel good about purchasing. In fact, more than a quarter of consumers say they always or usually base their purchases on sustainability, which is an increase of 11 points over the last 14 years and up 4 points from 2019.

ADVOCACY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND FAIR WAGES WILL GO GLOBAL IN SCALE.

In 2021, 73% of Fairtrade shoppers were willing to pay more for a product to ensure farmers and producers were paid a fair price; specifically, up to 35% more per pound for Fairtrade coffee and 30% more per bar for Fairtrade chocolate.3 About three quarters of consumers familiar with Fairtrade agree that when they buy certified products, they “feel part of a community standing up for fairness and justice.”

Large companies are re-examining their supply chains to ensure they are meeting these consumer demands. Earlier this year, Unilever announced a commitment to ensuring that workers who directly supply its goods and services across 190 countries will receive a living wage by 2030.

SHOPPING FOR EVERYDAY GOODS ONLINE WILL REMAIN THE NEW NORM.

While the world is slowly reopening amid the pandemic, COVID led more US consumers to make purchases online, and that is a trend that will continue into 2022. In 2020, US ecommerce grew by 32.4% with a total spend of $791.70 billion, according to Digital Commerce 360.4 This digitalization makes it easier for shoppers to compare products and learn whether or not a company’s sourcing and manufacturing practices align with their values.

Fairtrade is making this comparison even easier by partnering with online retailers like Amazon to help shoppers find Fairtrade certified products through its Climate Pledge Friendly program. Fairtrade International is one of the few certifications chosen by Amazon to launch the program, which continues to prove successful in nudging purchasing behaviors. Fairtrade America also launched a Product Finderwith hundreds of certified goods sold in the US to help consumers easily identify and purchase Fairtrade certified products.

SHOPPERS WILL SEEK OUT ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES THAT PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY.

Frequent Fairtrade shoppers care more than average about women’s causes, according to GlobeScan survey data, which is not surprising given that female producers worldwide are still fighting for equal rights and opportunities. A large proportion of the world’s food is farmed by women, yet there is a significant “gender gap” in agriculture leaving female farmers with less access than their male counterparts to resources like land, information, credit, training and supplies.

Fairtrade certification means helping to rebalance gender equality and strengthen women’s and girls’ human, social, financial and physical capital in their farming cooperatives and communities. For example, Fairtrade’s Women’s School of Leadership provides training and mentorship in leadership, economic autonomy, self-esteem and more, helping female farmers seize opportunities to speak up and become equal representatives. Additionally, because the Fairtrade Standards require all cooperative members to vote on how to use their Premium funds, Fairtrade often gives women a greater voice in their communities.

MORE MISSION-FOCUSED BRANDS + BRAND TRANSPARENCY.

There is a clear consumer desire to support brands that are not only taking care of their own teams and suppliers, but also contributing to making the world a better place. A study by Zeno Group found that consumers are up to six times more likely to buy from companies with a strong purpose. Additionally, 71% of consumers indicated that traceability is very important to them and that they are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it, according to IBM Research Insights.6 This means companies have an opportunity to attract new customers and drive loyalty with existing shoppers by authentically developing a transparent supply chain and by celebrating how they work to benefit people and the planet.

More than 75% of consumers familiar with Fairtrade agree that the Fairtrade label makes it easy to decide if a product is ethically and responsibly produced.7 While many companies today are mission-based, larger organizations are also meeting this consumer demand by partnering with Fairtrade to certify new product lines and/or ingredients. For example, Russell Stover Chocolate – a leader in the chocolate industry for more than 98 years – recently released Joy Bites, its first-ever collection of no-sugar-added chocolate bars carefully crafted with Fairtrade certified cocoa that comes in resealable packaging that is 100% recyclable with FSC-certified outer sleeves.

KEYC Interviews Jane Dow About 
Mankato's 10th Anniversary

 What are You Wearing?  The Guide to Clothing Material

Online Clothing Shopping Guide