Competition to Win Caribbean Trip & Year’s Supply of Fair Trade Ice Cream

We're holding a competition to raise awareness of fair trade in Boulder and give away some awesome prizes...

• 1st Prize: Trip to Dominican Republic
• 2nd Prize: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Every Week for 2012
• More prizes from Alfalfa's Altitude Spirits, Dsenyo, BeadforLife, Momentum, prAna, SlowColor and Third St Chai

Get the scoop on our competitions page and in the press release and poster below...
Fair Trade Boulder: Trip Competition Poster 2011 Fair Trade Boulder: Trip Competition Press Release 2011

What is a Fair Trade Town?

Media, PA is the first Fair Trade Town in the USA and their video gives an excellent introduction to what a Fair Trade Town can become...

A Guide for Congregations to Support Fair Trade in Boulder

A couple of months ago we sent out a letter (see below for template) to congregations in Boulder and included this guide to help them see what they can easily do to support fair trade.   Fair Trade Faith Groups Boulder Guide







The template letter is also included for other Fair Trade Towns to use...

Fair Trade Faith Groups Letter Template

Churches & Communities: Engaging through Fair Trade

Fair Trade Towns USA has put last month’s webinar about Churches & Communities Engaging through Fair Trade online. It’s a one-hour discussion from different perspectives.  As a part of the webinar Billy Linstead Goldsmith gives a presentation on how Fair Trade Town campaigns can reach out to local churches and faith groups.  I’ve summarized it below.


Webinar: Churches & Communities Engaging Through Fair Trade from Courtney Lang on Vimeo.


Why Churches?
Churches are important for fair trade town campaigns, because many of them were pioneers in fair trade and so are a key part of the fair trade movement.  Fair trade also sits well with religious values, so it is a natural combination.

First Steps to Reach Out to Churches
Start with people you know - ask other members of your steering committee who goes to church.  Also ask whether members know friends or family who are church goers.  Church goers can then inquire at church about what the church is doing and who would be the most relevant person to speak with.  The church could well have a social justice committee and so this would be a good starting point.  Find out what the church is already doing with respect to fair trade and questions of social justice/global trade.

Search on the internet to find churches that are already active in fair trade.  Googling may well help you find churches that already serve fair trade, promote it in educational/informational events or sell fair trade products through the church or perhaps in its cafe.

Clergy associations or interfaith groups offer opportunities to get the word out to a range of churches.  You can think of it as the spiritual equivalent of a chamber of commerce - a forum for meeting a variety of faith groups.  

Conversing with Churches
Start by talking with individuals who you think/know will be interested in fair trade.  Invite them to steering committee meetings so that they can find out more about the fair trade town campaign.  

Putting together an informational session will help churches become more acquainted with the concept of fair trade.  Although many churches have been active in fair trade for some decades, the local church itself may be quite new to fair trade.  Presenting fair trade to the churches will help them see how it fits with their value system and yet also offer a way to find out what they are already doing and what they already know.  

So these conversations offer routes to inform the churches and also to explore where their interests lie.  So you should include basic information about fair trade (facts, talking points, examples, pictures, case studies, links to fair trade information from their national body); you should also see it as a way to learn more about them and what motivates them.

From the Church’s Perspective
Churches are busy, focused, have a unique culture and they are frequently asked to support campaigns.  Sit it is important to not give up at the first try.  It is also particularly important to find out what drives them and how they operate.  

Consider how the local fair trade town campaign will benefit the church.  What opportunities are there for the church to reach out to the community via fair trade?  Are there opportunities to increase their visibility?  How exactly does fair trade and the fair trade town campaign relate to their spiritual values?

Supporting Churches
You will most likely connect with a specific individual.  yet this person may not be as familiar with fair trade as you are.  It is important to support them by providing information that they need when talking with their colleagues at the church.  Consider what materials they would benefit from when they are discussing the initiative with out you.  Moreover you may like to offer to be present so that they can draw upon you for specific questions about fair trade.  

Programs, Events and Resources
What events are there (or will there be in the future)?  What plans do you have?  How many people are likely to attend?

Consider also events and resources at a national level.  Billy recently toured the country with a producer, which allowed churches to hold events linked to this.  

Webinars and other resources are available via www.fairtradetownsusa.org and elsewhere to help churches become more involved with fair trade.  For example, do they need assistance with introducing fair trade into the church Sunday school curriculum?  

Summary
In short, churches offer considerable opportunities for a fair trade town campaign to reach out to those who will have a natural interest in the cause.  However, we need to be careful to foster a mutually beneficial relationship, where the congregation and fair trade campaign cooperate together.

Update on progress toward Fair Trade Town status

We're getting closer to gaining the status of being a Fair Trade Town.  There are 5 hurdles to jump and we have cleared two of them.  To be a Fair Trade Town, Boulder needs...

1. steering committee (achieved), 
2. media attention (achieved)
3. at least 20 retailers selling Fair Trade products (we're documenting this)
4. at least 20 community organizations such as schools, universities, faith groups that promote Fair Trade (we're starting to make contact with them) 
5. a resolution supporting Fair Trade passed by the city council (we're working on this)

In yesterday's steering committee meeting, we decided to focus on the retailers and we'll be reaching out to them over the next couple of weeks to document exactly where you can buy Fair Trade in Boulder.  If you are a retailer offering Fair Trade products - please do contact us to get included in the online map and to participate in this initiative.  

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

Fair Trade Crawl Saturday

Hello Everyone -

We are just a few days away from our Fair Trade Crawl around Boulder!  Just a reminder that this Saturday (5/14) from 10am-3pm, 10 fun-filled locations will be featuring their Fair Trade products. 

Crawl around to at least 3 locations and you're eligible to enter drawings for prizes -- And! we've add more prizes due to interest in this event!

To print a drawing form with location info including their events and drawing rules, click on the image below.  Note: You may need to enlarge the image under your print settings options.

Prizes include:

Fair Trade gift bags from Whole Foods • Cycling Jersey from The Cup • $35 gift certificates to Dsenyo.com and Wanderlustjewelry.com • One free month of Bhakti chai and an eco-grocery tote • Fair Trade Tea tins from the Tea Spot • Coffee from Boulder Organic Coffee • Fair Trade ornaments from Rabbit Brush Gallery • Jewelry from BeadforLife • $25 gift card to Sunflower Farmers Market • LÄRABARs with Fair Trade ingredients • Iced tea and chai from 3^rd Street Chai • Zambeezi t-shirt • Fair Trade gift bag from Ideal Market • Scarf by SlowColor


We'll wrap up the crawl with live music at BeadforLife (2336 Canyon Blvd, Boulder) at 3:30pm by Madziva Mana!

Happy crawling!

Fair Trade Towns Boulder

Fair Trade Towns Boulder Crawl

In honor of World Fair Trade Day, Fair Trade Towns Boulder would like to invite you to join with us in our excitement as we have created a unique opportunity for our community to explore Fair Trade offerings in Boulder.  On May 14, 2011 we will have a Fair Trade Towns Boulder Crawl; a chance for our community to learn about providers of Fair Trade goods.

All participating locations will be offering demos and samples of their Fair Trade items. 

And other perks?  WIN prizes for crawling around town!  Prizes include:

Fair Trade gift bags from Whole Foods • Bakti t-shirt • $35 gift certificates to Dsenyo.com and Wanderlustjewelry.com • One free month of Bhakti chai and an eco-grocery tote • Fair Trade Tea tins from the Tea Spot • Coffee from Boulder Organic Coffee • Fair Trade ornaments from Rabbit Brush Gallery • Jewelry from BeadforLife • $25 gift card to Sunflower Farmers Market • LÄRABARs with Fair Trade ingredients • Iced tea and chai from 3^rd Street Chai • Zambeezi t-shirt • Fair Trade gift bag from Ideal Market

For a listing of all locations, participants and drawing entry forms please see image below. 

If you have any questions, feel free to post on our Facebook wall (Fair Trade Towns Boulder) or direct your inquiry to boulderfairtrade@gmail.com. 

Happy crawling!

Fair Trade Towns Boulder Team

Click on photo below to print your crawl form.  You may need to enlarge image under print setup to print a full page.

Fair Trade makes Front Page of Daily Camera

With the title "Boulder advocates work toward claim to Fair Trade fame" the Daily Camera published a front page article about the initiative to make Boulder a Fair Trade Town.  The article from Monday March 21, 2011 has already generated interest in the campaign from some retailers and it will certainly raise awareness among Boulder residents generally.  The article was written by Courtney Holden, who interviewed several of us involved in the Boulder Fair Trade initiative and it gives a great overview of what Fair Trade is and how Boulder can become more involved. 

Courtney's article is available online at http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_17654612. 

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

Initial impressions of the Costa Rica trip - by Cristina Aguilera

Cristina has sent in this blog post from Costa Rica along with a video interview...

Having been to Costa Rica before but new to the Fair Trade movement, I had no idea what to expect when I signed up to join a Fair Trade Towns USA trip to visit coffee and sugar producers in the central area of this Central American country.  Boy was I pleasantly surprised to learn that not only were my native Spanish speaking skills a boon to the group (I was born in Cuba and grew up in the U.S.) but that I would be meeting so many awesome people and learning mega amounts of information.  What follows are personal stories of some of the people I’ve met:  coffee and sugar producers, CoopeAgri personnel, cooperative workers, and board directors.

We flew into San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, and after one day of orientation by our group leaders traveled south to our first tour destination, CoopeAgri in Perez Zeledon.  There we met with their board of directors, seven men and one woman, all producers and workers.  Interestingly when this cooperative started in 1962 there were 391 members and only 10 were women (2.5%), today there are 17,000 members and 5,780 (34%).  Alba Nidia Rojas Borrego is the first and only woman elected by the regional delegates to be a director for four consecutive two year terms.  She is passionate, spirited and committed to the progress of Costa Rican women.

Alba Nidia comes from a small mountain town in the Perez Zeledon region and has been a coffee producer for the past thirty years.  I was able to interview her and learned about her path to success and the benefits of participating in Fair Trade the past four years.  She grew up in the sixties when women weren’t allowed to attend school beyond elementary grades.  When she was 18 she worked for a teacher in San Isidro as a domestic employee.  She had always wanted to attend high school so with the encouragement and financial support of that teacher she secretely, without her parents’ permission, was able to graduate from high school by attending night school.  This degree allowed her to enter a CoopeAgri training program for producers and workers aspiring to become board directors.  Last year together with forty women she spearheaded the formation of a women’s catering cooperative for women whose caretaking of elderly parents and/or children only allows them to work part time.

Will Valverde manages International sales of Fair Trade coffee and sugar for CoopeAgri.  Fluent in English and very articulate he was able to guide us through the multiple layers of cooperative services offered by CoopeAgri.  His steadfast commitment to Fair Trade and its benefits for the community was transparent throughout our two days with him.  He was always willing and able to answer our many questions and clarify linguistic misunderstandings.  His pleasant personality and sweet disposition were greatly appreciated.

José Luis Mora is a worker at CoopeAgri’s research sugar cane project under the direction of Agricultural Engineer Willie Valverde, no relation to the previous Will Valverde.  José Luis manages the irrigation system at this site.  He explained to me how important keeping the seedlings moist is during the long dry season in this area.

We’re only three days into our trip so we look forward to more interesting experiences.  Next up is a bus ride to the Boruca Indian Village where we’ll meet Fair Trade artisans.  Then we’ll reboard the bus and drive to Tarrazu to experience another Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative.  Check in for another edition of this blog.

KGNU Local Radio on Fair Trade in Boulder & Costa Rica

The Boulder Fair Trade initiative was recently featured on the local independent radio station (for Boulder, Denver and surrounding areas): KGNU (www.kgnu.org).

The piece focused on how one of the Steering Committee members is travelling to Costa Rica to meet with Fair Trade producers and the organizers of a Fair Trade Town (Pérez Zeledón) in Costa Rica.  The trip will be an excellent opportunity for Boulder to connect with Pérez Zeledón, so that we can start to share ideas and experiences.

It will also allow Cristina to bring back personal experiences of Fair Trade producers to share with Boulder.  In fact we hope in the future to invite producers and organizers from Costa Rica so that Boulder can hear more directly about what is happening in producer countries.  We may also be able to arrange video-conferencing calls so that producers and consumers can get to know each other and come to better understand how Fair Trade works.

Maeve Conran interviews Cristina Aguilera and Howard Vickers about Fair Trade at about 15 mins into the program.   You can listen on line at http://www.kgnu.org/cgi-bin/programinfo.py?time=1296140400

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

Retailer/Business Map on Fair Trade Towns USA website

The first retailers and businesses have been added to the map on the Fair Trade Towns USA website.  http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org/towns/co/boulder/

Fair Trade - Retail Database
This is the first step so that Boulder residents can find where to buy Fair Trade products.  This list includes stores, cafes, restaurants and other retail outlets.  The map is a Google map embedded in the Boulder page on the Fair Trade Towns USA website (www.fairtradetownsusa.org/towns/co/boulder).  Businesses can complete a short questionnaire online at http://tinyurl.com/bftt-retail-form.  If you represent a Fair Trade retailer in Boulder, please do complete the questionnaire.

Greater Involvement

The database is really just the first step – next we want to involve retailers in the campaign.  This could be through membership of the steering committee or in a less formal role.  It could also be through participating in events to raise awareness of Fair Trade, such as on World Fair Trade Day (May 14, 2011).

Starting a Conversation

If you are already selling Fair Trade products or if you are planning to in the future, then please do contact Howard Vickers (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com) to start a conversation about how you can become a part of the Boulder Fair Trade initiative.

If you would like your store, cafe, restaurant or other business to be inlcuded on this map, please complete the online form at http://tinyurl.com/bftt-retail-form

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

World Fair Trade Day (Saturday May 14, 2011) - Boulder Events

Ashley (ashley [at] beadforlife.org) is organizing a city-wide event for the weekend of World Fair Trade Day (Saturday May 14, 2011). 

It’s still in its early stages of planning, but it will involve various Fair Trade retailers and organizations to show Boulder how widespread Fair Trade already is in this city.  It will be in several locations and it will give Fair Trade shoppers a clear sense of just how many Fair Trade products are available in Boulder and where you can buy them.  

Please do contact me or Ashley if you have any suggestions or would like to be involved in this event.

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

Places of Worship and Boulder Fair Trade

Faith organizations have played a pioneering role in Fair Trade and they continue to support Fair Trade projects in developing countries.  I hope that by engaging with the local congregations in Boulder, the campaign to make our city a Fair Trade Town will gain considerable strength and momentum. 

We will shortly be emailing and phoning Boulder churches, synagogues, the mosque and other faith-based organizations to invite them to join us in supporting Fair Trade in Boulder.  In the meantime, here are some thoughts on how we can collaborate. 

Events and activities

Events (whether meetings, discussion groups, sermons, introductions to Fair Trade etc), will allow congregation members to explore what Fair Trade is for them and for their church and to shape their participation according to their faith.  The question is, what kind of activities would be best suited to faith groups and how can we support them?  A couple of ideas…

·         Sermons – especially for celebrating Fair Trade Month (October) and Fair Trade Day (May 16, 2011). 

·         Informational events – such as an introduction to Fair Trade

·         Group discussions – perhaps as part of social justice discussions

Making it more tangible

Although it’s early days, it’s clear that we offer more specific suggested activities that can be tailored to each place of worship.  Clear outlines or plans for different types of events will help faith groups arrange activities.

·         Purpose or aim – is it an informational event?  What will attendees know/understand/do afterwards?  Is it a thought-provoking event – something to reflect upon?

·         Overview & schedule – what is the outline of the event, including time, date, location, number of attendees etc?

·         Mini-activities – what activities will take place within the event?  Perhaps listen to a speaker, watch a video, coffee-tasting, recipe demonstration, prayer, discussion,

·         Resources – what content (text, audios, videos, photos) can be used? 

·         Guests – who (from outside of the faith group) can be invited to attend?  Perhaps a Fair Trade retailer with experiences in Africa or Latin America.

·         Faith Specific – how does it specifically relate to the organization’s faith?  (see below resources).

·         Budget – will it cost anything to do or can it be organized in a voluntary way?

Resources

The Fairtrade Foundation in the UK has some very good guides for faith organizations, including suggestions of activities and appropriate prayers… http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_places_of_worship/default.aspx

In Australia faith organizations can become recognized as Fair Trade Faith Groups and the requirements give some suggestions of what places of worship can do to support Fair Trade.  See http://www.fta.org.au/get-involved/worship for further information.

There are already many websites that have very good resources specific to a particular faith…  

UMCOR                 http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/hunger/fair-trade/

AJWS                     http://ajws.org/hunger/better_beans.html

GAMC                    http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/enough/

UUSC                    http://www.uusc.org/fairtrade

LWR                       http://www.lwr.org/fairtrade

How can you initiate something?

If you would like your church, synagogue, mosque or spiritual group to play a more active role in this campaign, please do email me (address below).

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

FTTB Meeting Minutes 2011-1-11

FTTB Meeting Minutes 2011-1-11

Press Release: Fair Trade Boulder heads South to Forge Friendship with Farmers

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Connecting with Costa Rica: Fair Trade Boulder heads South to Forge Friendship with Farmers
Boulder, CO, January 21, 2011 - - Boulder Fair Trade campaign sends ‘ambassador’ to Cost Rica to meet agricultural and artisan producers.  Trip raises awareness of Fair Trade in Boulder and brings our city closer to the people behind the everyday products we buy.

Boulder’s Cristina Aguilera will join Fair Trade representatives from across the country on a trip to Costa Rica in late January to see first hand how Fair Trade benefits farmers and handicraft producers.  The trip will connect Boulder with Costa Rica’s only ‘Fair Trade Town’, Pérez Zeledón, and share ideas and experiences to further the Fair Trade cause.

The trip will especially connect women across cultures; women producers gain from Fair Trade because a more level playing field allows them to excel in farming, business, and community-leadership roles.  “I hope to connect with women in Costa Rica so I can help foster cultural and business relations with women in Boulder” says Aguilera, “in the future I hope we can invite representatives of Costa Rican Fair Trade to visit Boulder or to speak in Boulder through video-conferences.”

Over 20 towns and cities across the US have become “Fair Trade Towns” in recognition of their citizens’ commitment to support farmers in developing countries.  “Becoming a Fair Trade Town is much more than just buying Fair Trade certified coffee…” says Howard Vickers, the coordinator of Boulder’s Fair Trade campaign, “the Fair Trade Town initiative will bring Boulder’s residents together and help us to connect with other progressive communities around the world.”  

Aguilera is a committed Fair Trade supporter and as a member of the campaign’s steering committee, she will help make Boulder the next ‘Fair Trade Town’.  She is a retired BVSD teacher born in Cuba and raised in the United States, so is experienced in bridging cultures and helping others connect to new ideas and people.  

The Boulder Fair Trade initiative to make Boulder a “Fair Trade Town”, brings people together through the support of farmers and craftsmen/women in developing countries.  Fair Trade products enable producers to build sustainable livelihoods through higher prices, environmental protection, fair wages, and community projects.  

Press Resources
Boulder Fair Trade                      www.boulderfairtrade.org
Fair Trade Towns USA                www.fairtradetownsusa.org
Fair Trade USA                          www.fairtradeusa.org
What is Fair Trade?                    http://tinyurl.com/fairtrade-overview
Fair Trade impact                       http://tinyurl.com/fairtrade-impact

Contact

Cristina Aguilera                                         

Committee Member of Boulder Fair 

Howard Vickers

Trade Coordinator for Boulder Fair Trade
   

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Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach Howard Vickers by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator

The Designation Plan

The short term aim is to get the Boulder registered as a “Fair Trade Town” by the Fair Trade Towns USA (www.fairtradetownsusa.org).  There are five main requirements:

1. Form a steering committee
2. Involve Fair Trade retailers and demonstrate that 20 stores are selling Fair Trade products
3. Engage the broader community and demonstrate that 20 organizations or companies are committed to serving/consuming Fair Trade products (eg coffee or tea).
4. Gain media attention of local activities and events
5. Pass a council resolution supporting Fair Trade and the Fair Trade Town

Where are we now?

Let’s take a look at where we are now in Boulder and what remains to be achieved in order to gain the designation.

Goal	Requirements/Indicators	Current Status	To Do
1. Steering Committee	List members	List needs updating; most minutes already online	Update list and post all minutes to blog & Facebook
2. Retailers	List of 20 retailers selling at least 2 Fair Trade products	List has many retailers, but needs verifying	Update list and verify products offered
3. Boulder Community	List of 20 organizations or workplaces serving Fair Trade coffee/tea	List has some organizations, but could be broader	Extend/broaden list of organizations, especially faith-based and student-based
4. Media coverage	Coverage in local media	Some articles about local retailers	Document previous coverage and gain new media attention – especially about Fair Trade Town campaign
5. Council Resolution	Resolution passed by City Council	Initial contact made with some council members	Extend contact and discuss timetable for resolution

There is much more to the “Fair Trade Town Boulder” campaign than the official designation, but it is an important first step.  It is also a process that naturally leads on to further growth and development of Boulder’s Fair Trade community.  After an initial period of making sure that goals 1 and 2 are achieved and documented, we will quickly move onto engaging Boulder in the campaign and therefore increasing the media coverage.  I think and hope that greater participation of faith organizations and the local student body will give Fair Trade a considerable boost in Boulder. 

Stay up to date with the Fair Trade Town Boulder campaign online via…

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This blog (www.boulderfairtrade.org)

You can reach me by email (boulderfairtrade [at] gmail.com).

Howard Vickers

Fair Trade Town Boulder Coordinator