Peru is a country of contradictions. Three distinct geographic regions make up this magical country; the lowland coastal region where the capital Lima lies, the Amazonian forest surrounding the headwaters of the mighty river, and the high sierras of the Andes where the mystical city Machu Pichu still opens to the sky. Beautiful colonial architecture; remnants of the Spanish occupation, still adorn the major cites, but the low mud brick huts of the towns and villages are where most people reside. The poverty level of Peru is over 55% of the population. Since jobs are scarce, many Peruvians take it upon themselves to “create jobs”. Every time you step off a bus on onto the streets you’ll find the none-to-shy street vendors plying their trade and selling anything from fly swatters to handcrafts. Mauricio Torres was one of them, selling handcrafted silver and stone jewelry to tourists on the streets of Ica. There he met his future wife, Carla Morón, and the two continued to ply their trade. Their dreams were the stuff of all young people everywhere; to make good craft and travel and see the world. Along came Taré, their first daughter, and their dreams persisted, but selling jewelry on the streets was not enough. For two weeks every month, Mauricio worked in the salt mines and then for the following two weeks, the little family made and sold their jewelry. Their luck was about to change. Lisa Borland, a young American woman, was traveling with a friend around the world before settling down to a career. While visiting Ica, a small town on the coast of Peru, they ran into Mauricio, Carla and Taré. A conversation started, some jewelry purchased, and a new friendship was formed. After Lisa returned to the States, she kept in contact with the family, sending them money here and there to help them with their medical bills or clothes for their little girl. On August 15, 2007, their friendship was put to the test when an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit the central coast of Peru. The towns of Pisco and Ica were the most affected. A total of 58,000 homes were destroyed and over 500 people killed. When Lisa found out, she tried to contact the Torres family. She found them alive but they had lost everything; their home, belongings, and all of their jeweler’s tools. Lisa rallied and through the generosity of her company and her sister’s company in Boston raised sufficient funds to help the Torres family move to Lima, get medical help, and buy new jewelry supplies and tools.Through Lisa’s fund raiser, a co-worker of Lisa’s sister passed on the information about the plight of the Torres family to Mamacuna. Thanks to all of Lisa’s efforts Mamacuna is proud to carry the exquisitely hand formed jewelry in silver, stone, and macramé from this highly talented family. Visit the Jewelry section of www.mamacuna.com to see the Torres jewelry where each piece is a one-of-a-kind item.
With the onset of crisp nights and vivid foliage, October signals a change of season as well as being designated Fair Trade Month by TransFair USA, the U.S. certifying agency for Fair Trade Certified™ products, along with other grassroots coalitions, retailers, and other product licensees to promote awareness of Fair Trade. For many of us, Fair Trade appears to be a bandwagon we don’t know much about. Often, our initial introduction to Fair Trade happens at a coffee shop or in the grocery store, and it’s within the agricultural industry that Fair Trade practices have become very successful. So successful, that according to Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International, consumers spent about $2.2 billion on Fair Trade Certified products in 2006, a whopping 42% increase over 2005.
But still, people are confused on the difference between Fair Trade and free trade, assuming that Fair Trade is more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. Briefly, free trade is an age-old business model that in simplest terms states “I’ll buy your stuff, but I want it cheap, so I can sell at a profit.” Free trade allows the flow of products and services between people and territories. Free trade is profit based for both sides dealing in it and often does not consider consequences to people or the environment.
Fair Trade, a social movement, began in the 1940’s through religious organizations and non-government organizations (NGO’s) supporting local craftsman in order for them to buy food, shelter and other necessities of life through craft fairs and church bazaars. Where free trade has faltered is in their effort to make trade, and hence money, countries undermine the very resources that make them profitable, namely the people and the environment. Wages are low, healthcare benefits often non-existent, as well as natural resources are depleted. The result is a poorer population dependent upon the government and an environment that once provided, now either poisoning the population or unable to provide for it.
Fair Trade provides an individual, business, town, or a country, a triple bottom line. The triple bottom line is that which affects people, the planet, and profit. By providing for sustainability in natural resources as well as the workforce, the triple bottom line demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility. The artisan uses materials that are either recycled or come from sustainable sources like certified wood under stewardship programs. The farmer grows crops without the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides and utilizes methods to increase crop production and vitality without damage to the environment. Both the artisan and the farmer are paid a “living wage” which is an hourly wage that allows the individual to afford a certain standard of living to include housing, food, health care and more. The products from both the artisan and the farmer are sold without the middleman, direct to the retailer, thus cutting costs from the final product to the consumer. So, in effect, the cost differentiation of a Fair Trade item from one that is not Fair Trade is not significant. The final determination of price is based on the quality of the product. Fair Trade coffee tastes better not because it is Fair Trade Certified, but because it is better, from the bush to the grinder, without all the processing and handling that normally, not only affects price, but taste and quality.
As consumer awareness increases, businesses are looking to include Fair Trade products in their catalog, from handcrafts to food items. Several towns in the U.S. have become Fair Trade towns. This past May, the Portsmouth Fair Trade Coalition was founded to build support for Fair Trade products in New Hampshire. Run entirely on a volunteer basis and working in tandem with local community groups, businesses, and Fair Trade regulatory organizations, the PFTC hosted has hosted a Fair Trade World Craft Festival in downtown Portsmouth this summer as well as screenings of the documentary, “Black Gold” in order to encourage increased participation of Fair Trade practices. Currently, the PFTC is working to introduce Fair Trade classes into schools’ curricula. For more information on the Portsmouth Fair Trade Coalition, email info@fairtradeportsmouth.org.
Already, a number of businesses are carrying Fair Trade products. And several new Fair Trade businesses have made Portsmouth their home base. Businesses carrying Fair Trade products in Portsmouth include but aren’t limited to; Water Money, Mamacuna Traders, White Heron Tea, Ceres Street Bakery, Philbrick’s Fresh Market, Portsmouth Health Foods, Victoria’s Og Juice Bar and Caffe Killim. So, as you shop around Portsmouth during the month of October, forget saying “trick or treat,” and instead ask if they carry Fair Trade products. You just might find that the chocolate candy you receive this Halloween is Fair Trade!
At Mamacuna Traders, we work with Fair Trade certified wholesalers and producers from around the world. Recently we imported some good from Craft Link of Vietnam. Craft Link is a non-profit certified organization that provides marketing and export support for many artisans and artisan groups; mainly women's groups. The income helps to bring these families out of poverty and gives them their dignity back. Their children are able to attend school and hope for a better life is more of a reality than a pipe dream. But when I mentioned that we received goods from Vietnam to a friend I received a tart comment in return. Basically, what lingered was a reminder of our involvement in the Vietnam war. Even though this individual was far too young to have fought in the jungles and deltas of Vietnam, he apparently still carried a resentment laid down by a previous generation. I reminded this person that my father, a career Army officer, spent over a year in the delta region when I was a child. After his return, he never displayed any dislike of the people or culture. In fact, during his tour he found time to visit markets and purchase items to please his girls back home.
So, I found my friend's comments to be a bit ridiculous in this time and age. Even after explaining the benefit of working with Fair Trade programs, it was still the idea of working with Vietnam that bothered him. He would never buy anything from "that country."
It is my feeling that the more we can give people a chance at fair wages for products and services and a chance for a better life, then the chance of war diminishes. Every opportunity we have to embrace change for the better all over the world is one more step towards global peace.
I understand that for many veterans, the subject of Vietnam is still a sore one, but with the lessons of the past we have the chance for a brighter future and that means helping all people in the world today and healing the past so that it may never again be repeated.
Every year, kids in the US attend school facing a lack of tools needed for learning. From simple rulers to computers; musical instruments and art supplies, our school systems simply cannot supply the basics. We at www.mamacuna.com , a Fair Trade retail site, are donating a portion of the sale of any of the Baby Alpaca Teddy Bears to donorschoose.org, an organization created by teachers to help with the cost of school supplies. These bears are incredibly soft and cuddly and purchasing one is like sending a hug to a kid and helping them to a better life.
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