Fair Trade USA

🌍 Happy International Coffee Day! ☕️ Your coffee can do more than just fuel your day—it can fuel change. By choosing Fair Trade Certified coffee, you're supporting better lives for farmers, their families, and entire communities around the world. Every cup contributes to sustainable farming practices and more ethical trade. Let’s make every sip count! Explore our #FairTradeCoffee guide for inspiration and discover how you can brew a better tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/g3k6kr7G #LookForTheLabel #InternationalCoffeeDay #FairTradeMonth

We are immensely grateful to our Founder, Paul Rice, for 26 years of visionary leadership. From 11 years working with coffee farmers in Nicaragua, to opening Fair Trade USA in a one-room office in an Oakland, CA warehouse in 1998, Paul's unique understanding of the needs of farmers and workers, as well as businesses, for true sustainable sourcing solutions has helped usher in a broad movement of conscious capitalism. We are excited to celebrate the launch of Paul's book in 2025 and continue sharing stories of the impact that we have helped unlock with our partners over all of these years. We are also looking forward to inviting everyone to get to know Felipe Arango who joined Fair Trade USA as our COO and now will serve as interim-CEO. Along with a stellar Leadership Team, Felipe will be leading us into our next chapter as we continue to deepen and expand the impact of Fair Trade Certified.

With the school season in full swing, we want to highlight how Fair Trade Community Development Funds have empowered families to pursue education for themselves and their children. At Wholesum, the Fair Trade program channels valuable resources into farming communities, funding essential projects like scholarships, transportation, community centers, and school supplies. These initiatives provide immense support for families, helping them manage school-related expenses. Thanks to Fair Trade, many children have achieved college degrees, a goal that once seemed out of reach for some. Fair Trade not only makes these dreams attainable but also uplifts entire communities, fostering hope and a brighter future for all. With October, Fair Trade month, around the corner, we invite you to make a commitment to Fair Trade Certified products. By choosing Fair Trade, you help continue creating positive impact in farming communities across the world! We’re honored to share the story of Juan Luis Dorame Cota, a maintenance worker at Wholesum, and his two sons, Misael and Jairo. They will talk about the tangible impact the Fair Trade program has had on their lives, from access to education to expanded career opportunities, showing how these resources have transformed their futures. #fairtrade #education #impact

🎉 Congratulations to our Senior Manager of Standards, Alexandra Meckley Thomas, for winning Fair Trade USA's Colleague Recognition Award! Alex joined our team two years ago as a Standards Manager for Agriculture and now plays a critical role in overseeing all four of our standards – including our Factory Production, Capture Fisheries, and Trade Standards. Her journey is driven by a passion for supporting smallholder producers. When asked why she joined the team, she shared, “I saw Fair Trade USA as an amazing opportunity to take a more systematic approach to collaborating with a variety of stakeholders across the supply chain who are prioritizing market access and engaging with producers and workers to build resilient supply chains.” Alex’s approach is both compassionate and pragmatic, upholding the credibility and rigor of Fair Trade while being attuned to the unique challenges and context in which producers are implementing standards. Her skill, dedication, and collaborative spirit have been invaluable to our mission. Join us in celebrating her achievements and contributions to advancing the Fair Trade movement! 🌍 👏

This Labor Day, let’s honor the people who work tirelessly to keep our world turning. 🌍 Every year, nearly 3 million lives are lost due to risk factors in the workplace, including accidents, work-related diseases, and extreme working hours. Fair Trade Certified is committed to changing that by setting standards that ensure safe working conditions and support resilient communities. Every purchase counts in creating a safer world! #FairTrade #SafeWorkplaces #LaborDay 📸 : Enrique, a field worker at a Fair Trade Certified agave farm, cleans weeds around an agave plant in Villa Corona, Jalisco, Mexico.

Our partners at Wholesum released their 2023 Conscious Company report, showcasing impressive results across four areas of sustainability: organic integrity, responsible agriculture, Fair Trade, and advancement toward the United Nations’ #SDGs. As a pioneer in #FairTradeProduce, Wholesum has shown a deep commitment to ethical sourcing and the well-being of workers. Since 2013, they have generated almost $11 million in Fair Trade Community Development Funds, including $1.2 million last year, leading to substantial community impact. In 2023, workers used those funds to support projects related to education, housing, transportation, and health care services. Some highlights include: 🍎 4,223 healthy meals served to children in daycare, preschool and elementary school 🚌 1,777 students benefited from bus transportation to and from school 🛍 6,423 vouchers distributed to be used on specialist medical care, medicine, and groceries   Wholesum's progress exemplifies the innovation and passion driving the Fair Trade movement forward. We are proud to work together to create lasting change for farmers, workers, and communities. 📖 Check out the full report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g4mH2sWj

🎒 ✨ Back to School season is officially upon us! And with that comes a perfect opportunity to #PurchaseWithPurpose. When you choose Fair Trade Certified items, like these NatureSweet tomatoes, you're supporting students across the globe. 🌍 How? Every #FairTrade purchase sends funds back to worker communities so they can invest in essential needs like education. This support is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering long-term sustainable development. This season, let’s harness our buying power for good. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label when you shop and help create brighter futures for students worldwide.

🌱 Update from the field: Fair Traders recently visited the Ingenio San Antonio mill in Nicaragua! In addition to meeting with the team that implements the Fair Trade Certified program, our colleagues hosted trainings for members of the Fair Trade Committee and the Social Engagement Team. It was a productive visit that gave us an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our commitment to supporting Certificate Holders. One of the highlights? 🏠 Meeting a beneficiary of a housing improvement project established with Fair Trade Community Development Funds. Witnessing the real-world impact of our collective efforts is inspiring and motivating!

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) has set and met ambitious goals for sustainable practices. Since becoming the first global home retailer to bring the Fair Trade Certified Factory program into the home sector in 2014, the company has demonstrated a deep commitment to championing Fair Trade practices. WSI sells thousands of Fair Trade Certified products across its brands—from furniture and rugs at Pottery Barn, Rejuvenation, and West Elm to coffee and food at Williams Sonoma. Our collaboration, alongside factory workers and with the support of consumers who choose Fair Trade, has a BIG global impact. 💥 As detailed in the report, WSI milestones include: 🌏 Sourcing from 30 Fair Trade Certified factories across 5 countries (5 newly certified in 2023) 💚 Paying $9.1M in Fair Trade Premiums to date, with the goal of reaching $10M by 2025 🛠 With these funds, workers have created access to health insurance, education for workers’ children, emergency disaster relief, daily necessities and home appliances, and more.   It's a privilege to work side by side with WSI on this journey to support fair and safe factory conditions for workers around the world, while enabling workers to invest back in their communities. #FairTrade #FairTradeFactory #EthicalSourcing

We were delighted to connect with our outstanding partners at the Organic Produce Summit this month. Thank you to Kellee Harris and everyone at The Giumarra Companies for your dedication to ethical sourcing and #FairTrade. 🤝 We're proud of our 12 year partnership and look forward to continuing to drive positive impact for growers and communities. 🌱