MANKATO FAIR TRADE BLOG | Mankato Area Fair Trade Town Association

E.L.F. BEAUTY is joining #FairTradeCertified

People made your makeup. E.l.f. Beauty can now certify that they are well treated E.l.f. Beauty is the first cosmetics brand to partner with Fair Trade USA to certify its manufacturing facilities. Now, other brands in the $550 billion beauty sector can follow. You can buy Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, and bananas. But what about your lipstick and eyeliner? Since 1998, Fair Trade USA has certified products that meet its standards for the working conditions in its supply chain. Initially, it worked largely with farmers, but it has since expanded to laborers in other sectors, including apparel. On September Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-12-31T21:16:40+00:00October 25, 2022|Fair Trade, MAFTTI, Mankato, Sustainable Development|

WFTO Joins Green Economy Coalition

WFTO has been formally accepted as a member of the Green Economy Coalition, a broad network of allies working for structural economic reform. Together with trade unions, progressive businesses, NGOs, UN agencies and citizen’s groups, WFTO is moved by the belief that green and fair economies are possible, necessary, and achievable. Click here to read more about the Green Economy Coalition and its projects.

Paulette Bertrand2022-10-19T18:18:05+00:00October 19, 2022|Sustainable Development|

Shop Fair Trade Certified

We’re excited to announce the launch of the new fairtradecertified.org website! The new website streamlines the information you need, like figuring out who offers Fair Trade Certified products and where to buy them. Tell you friends to join our community, and take a look at our recent blog articles! Shop fair Trade here: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/our-community/shop-fair-trade/

Paulette Bertrand2022-10-16T16:56:19+00:00October 1, 2022|Fair Trade, MAFTTI, Mankato, Sustainable Development|

Fair Talks from Los Angeles Fair Trade

Fair Trade Podcasts For the season two premier of Fair Trade LA's FAIR Talks podcast, Elisha Chan (Executive Director of Fair Trade LA) chats with Joe Altepeter and Alexandria Pineda from the Downtown Women’s Center, the only organization in Los Angeles exclusively serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness. Learn more about this incredible organization from its audacious inception to their vision to see every woman housed and on a path to personal stability. The conversation highlights the ways COVID, race, class, and gender disproportionately affect BIPOC women’s opportunities for safe housing, and how housing is a prescription for health. Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-10-01T00:17:53+00:00October 1, 2022|Fair Trade, Fair Trade Towns, Uncategorized|

October is Fair Trade Month!

Happy Fair Trade Month! We invite you to join us for our second annual Fair Trade Month Virtual Silent Auction. The auction is now open and features 75+ beautiful, unique, and fun items and experiences all from dedicated fair trade enterprises. Explore, register, and bid! The auction is raising funds to support the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) community and the global movement of trade that values the health of the planet, and the labor, dignity, and equality of all people.

Paulette Bertrand2022-10-01T00:10:10+00:00October 1, 2022|Fair Trade|

FAIRTRADE AMERICA LAUNCHES “IT’S ONLY FAIR” CAMPAIGN

Launched on World Chocolate Day, the new campaign aims to creatively ignite conversation about how little cocoa farmers earn for their crops while they also face burdensome inflation, impacts of COVID-19 and supply chain challenges WASHINGTON, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Timed with July 7 World Chocolate Day, Fairtrade America, the world's most recognized label for social justice and sustainability, has launched a national campaign to generate broader awareness of the unjust price that farmers receive to produce the goods that we rely on everyday, including cocoa. The "It's Only Fair," campaign features three videos connecting shoppers in the U.S. Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-07-09T21:44:19+00:00July 9, 2022|Fair Trade|

Fast Fashion Industry Dumping Sites in Chile

Months ago we asked the progressive Chilean President Gabriel Boric to regulate the fast fashion industry to end dumping sites in Chile. Last July 11th, our Chilean partners, the enviromental group Desierto Vestido warned about a big fire burning all the trash. You can see the alarming photos and videos showing the bad air quality here. The huge dumping site has now disappeared! But Desierto Vestido has reported they have already seen new clothes being abandoned by importers. Now more than ever we must increase the pressure to make sure there are no more dumping sites! Thanks to our campaign, Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-07-09T21:37:09+00:00July 9, 2022|Clothing|

Fair Trade in Waconia, MN

Divas Fair Trade, owned by Guisela Pinto and Juan Llerena is an online and pop-up fair trade business based out of Waconia, MN. The Peruvian couple came to Minnesota about 20 years ago with dreams of making a home here, a family and careers, For doing so, they also have been helping build the dreams of others through their fair-trade business. Connections to their home country of Peru enabled the local couple to share the beauty from that part of the world and make connections to local artisans and farmers. Having the opportunity to travel and visit many places, Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-07-09T21:13:56+00:00July 9, 2022|Uncategorized|

Fashion Revolution 2022

Fashion Revolution Week is our annual campaign of the largest fashion activism movement for seven days of action. This year, from Monday 18th-Sunday 24th April 2022, we will collectively reimagine a just and equitable fashion system for people and the planet. The clothing supply chain is a complex system. These issues can seem overwhelming, leaving us with a feeling of helplessness. However, brands respond to consumer demands. If enough of us demand change, the fashion industry will need to reassess its current practices within the supply chain. You can use resources such as our app or directory to compare how different brands Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-04-04T04:39:04+00:00April 4, 2022|Clothing|

So What is a Clothing Supply Chain?

The clothing, textiles, and footwear industry is incredibly labour intensive. It is estimated that the fashion industry employs tens of millions of garment workers worldwide. But what is a clothing supply chain exactly? The fashion supply chain refers to the process of tracing each step of the clothes manufacturing process, from sourcing of the raw materials, to the factories where those materials are made into garments; and the distribution network by which the clothes are delivered to consumers. It’s a lengthy process, and it’s extremely rare for raw materials to be grown, processed, sewn, and sold all in one location. Read More

Paulette Bertrand2022-04-04T04:34:09+00:00April 4, 2022|Clothing|