Keeping empowerment at the heart of Fairtrade

Photo credit: www.fairtrade.com.au

The global movement for fairer trade and ethical consumption continues to grow despite the global economic challenge of recessions. No question there is a long way to go, but it would be foolish to try and write this movement off as a fad or as ‘niche’, as so many have tried to do. In my eyes it is the fair trade movement that leads the way here. Fair trade is about much more than just being ethical in our purchases, simply making sure that the goods we purchase are not produced under unethical conditions. Fair trade, including Fairtrade Certification, brings to this the idea of empowerment. Empowering farmers, workers and artisans in the developing world through trading relationships aimed at improving their lives and that of their communities, while also empowering consumers and businesses to use their resources to support real change.

Daniel Mackey writes about the ideals that Fair trade was built upon and the recent developments in the Fair Trade universe. Click here to read the full article from Fair Trade Australia New Zealand blog.

Make Poverty History

Make Poverty History present: the Wishing Tree, where you can make a wish to end poverty.

Right now, one in every six people around the world lives on less than $1 a day. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Add your wish towards an end to poverty, and the Wishing Tree will grow with each submission.

We sell Fair Trade items and raise money for Oxfam as we consider this a way that we can each contribute individually and collectively to making poverty history.

2012: UN International Year of Co-operatives

Last Thursday, 12 January marked the official launch of the UN 2012 International Year of Cooperatives, and the start of a vigorous debate about alternatives to business as usual.

Fairtrade’s roots also lie in the cooperative movement, and today a whopping 75% of all Fairtrade producer organisations are cooperatives of small scale farmers.

Cooperation has always been the backbone of the fair trade movement. It was from cooperatives of small scale coffee farmers in Mexico that the appeal to NGOs and churches in the North to establish the first Fairtrade label came, first known as Max Havelaar. That has led to a global producer-campaigner cooperation today through Fairtrade International spanning more than 80 countries in both North and South.

Read the rest of the article  by Barbara Crowther, Communications Director, Fairtrade Foundation here, 2012: UN International Year of Co-operatives

Fair & Square Festival

WFTO - Fair Trade, Empowerment and Human Rights

"Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible" - UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Examine the Principles of Fair Trade and it quickly becomes apparent the intention of Fair Trade is to Empower disadvantaged producers and their communities. The principles reflect business practices free from exploitation; are based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, minority and migrant rights, rights of the disabled, and labour rights; embrace gender equality; and incorporate environmentally sound practices. More ...

Sustainability Fiesta Stall

This weekend we had a stall at the Hulbert St, Sustainability Fiesta, a great effort by all those group members and volunteers who worked on the stall promoting Fair trade.

We sold over $500 worth of stock and enjoyed selling our wonderful items to so many new customers.

Selling this stock enables us to continue to support these small Fair Trade producers, so thanks to everyone who made a Fair Trade purchase this weekend.

Fair Trade Recipe - Chocolate Cake

A slice of the dense chocolate cake with some of its fair trade ingredients.

Here's another recipe using fair trade ingredients, this time a delicious flourless chocolate cake that incorporates dark chocolate, cocoa and coffee.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Adapted from a Baking Bites recipe

Ingredients

110g fair trade dark chocolate, chopped

110g unsalted butter

0.75 cup caster sugar

3 large eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 strong brewed fair trade coffee

0.5 cup fair trade cocoa powder (see note)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 20cm diameter springform tin with  baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together either in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. If using the stove, put butter in first and let melt a little so that the chocolate won't burn.
3. Pour warm chocolate/butter mixture into a medium mixing bowl with the sugar. Whisk to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next, then mix in vanilla extract and coffee. 
4. Sift cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk until well-combined.
5. Pour into prepared cake tin.
6. Bake for 25 minutes until firm to touch. The top will have a crackly crust
7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosed from the tin. You can serve the cake crackly side up, or invert it so that the smooth base is on show.

Enjoy!

Note: The original recipe calls for Dutch processed cocoa powder. This is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkaline to neutralise its acidity. You can tell it apart from unalkalised cocoa powder by its darker colour. The Green and Black's organic cocoa used to make the cake pictured above is Dutch processed.

Fair Trade Cardamom Chai Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

adapted from a Baking Bites recipe

Fair Trade Chai Cupcakes pictured with a
pot of Fair Trade tea.

These cupcakes use brewed Fair Trade chai tea, with some added ground cardamom, to make a deliciously spiced cupcake that is then set off by a lemon icing glaze. The cupcakes pictured above were made using Clipper's Organic Indian Chai Teabags (available here online from the Oxfam store, or from our own shop in Bayswater).

Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 tsp ground cardamom

113g butter, room temperature

1.25 cups caster sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

0.5 cup strongly brewed Fair Trade chai tea, room temperature

0.5 cup milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners or grease well with margarine or butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ground cardamom.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. 
4. Blend in one third of the flour mixture. Add in the tea, followed by another third of the flour mixture. Add in the milk, followed by the remaining flour. Mix until all ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Measure evenly into muffin pans.
5. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing, mix 1 cup of icing sugar, with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Add either liquid or icing sugar to create the desired consistency. The cupcakes pictured are decorated with a slice of crystallised ginger.

Look out for another recipe using Fair Trade products next week - it will be chocolate!

Worry Doll Family

Our latest supplier, Go Fair Trading, has sent us some beautiful products, including these Worry Doll families from Guatemala.

A world-famous Guatemalan legend, tells that when children go to bed at night they take these little dolls with them and tell one worry to each doll, then place them under their pillow. In the morning, these adorable tiny dolls will have taken all the child’s worries away.

 
Made by the women of UPAVIM who live on the outskirts of Guatemala City in an impoverished area called 'Esperanza" (Hope).  These dolls make a wonderful gift.

Grassroots Uganda Stock Arrival - Beautiful Fair Trade Beads

Annual Report to members of the Fair Trade Group

The Fair Trade Group was initially set up with a vision of offering Fair Trade items for sale in the Oxfam WA State Office and in doing so to raise awareness about Fair Trade and raise money for Oxfam. We also felt that it was important to run the group in as sustainable and thoughtful manner as possible, encouraging ethical shopping by example. From these small beginnings four years ago the group has not only stayed true to that initial vision but has in fact become much more. The group is a place where members volunteer together to support each other, build skills and make a contribution to Fair Trade organizations, ranging from very small to large, the local community, Australian Fair Trade suppliers and of course Oxfam.

As the Convenor of the Fair Trade WA Oxfam Group I would like to acknowledge the efforts of all group members, past and present, who together have achieved so much for Fair Trade producers in more than 30 countries. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of many Oxfam volunteers, who whilst not being members of the group, nevertheless make an important contribution by selling our stock at stalls. Indeed, members and volunteers have sold stock at more than 60 stalls this year. In doing so they are true to the vision of raising awareness about fair trade and offering people who may never have even heard of the concept before the chance to purchase fair trade items. The stall sales for the year were over $11,000 and therefore are an important contribution to the group’s turnover. Now that we have access to a stock room and a place to store, pack and unpack stock, we hope to make it even easier for people who volunteer their time to run stalls.

The shop sales for this financial year exceeded $25,000, again the result of thousands of hours work by group members in ordering, counting, pricing, displaying, packing, unpacking, selling and photographing stock. As well, of course, there are the hundreds of hours of finance related tasks that are required to ensure that we meet requirements, including receipting, banking, recording sales, reconciling accounts and financial reporting. We now support 35 suppliers and remain active members of the Fair Trade Collective. We continue to support other Oxfam Groups by providing stock, part proceeds of the sales, as well as assistance with marketing through our increasingly successful blog and facebook pages. We are now in a position of having significant stock in reserve and own approximately $18k of stock. This will reduce the workload on stock buyers, bank fees and the possibility of running out of stock and missing out on sales. The total for product sales, Campaign sales and Unwrapped card sales was over $49k this financial year.

Given the voluntary nature of the group it is difficult to make concrete forecasts regarding sales, stalls, etc. However I hope that the group continues to be a place where people work together respectfully and collaboratively, supporting fair trade producers and organizations and always acting in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The growth of this group has been in many ways organic and reflects the skills, personalities, enthusiasm and efforts of each of its members over the past four years. The continued success of the group in the upcoming financial year will once again be dependent on the capacity of members and volunteers to donate their time, energy and skills.

Thank you once again to everyone who has contributed to the success of the group in the past financial year, in doing so you have enabled the Fair Trade Group to make a positive difference in the lives of many people.

Congratulations to all involved with the Fairly Educated Conference

Blog Launch and Fair Trade Netball Appeal

 The Oxfam WA State Committee Events  blog has just been launched so check it out and see what is happening in the wider Oxfam world, and events that you can join in in Western Australia.You may notice a familiar face with a photo of Tim and a Fair Trade soccer ball, Tim is a valued member of the Fair Trade Group as well as the Chair of the WA State Committee. Tim and his Fair Trade Sports ball team are currently looking for new members, and this year they would like to expand the awareness raising onto the netball courts of WA. If you are able to help out with this new venture, through contacts, volunteering or suggestions please contact Tim through the website. Click here and here for more information about why Fair Trade netballs matter.

Enjoying the WA Fair Trade Collective High Tea

We joined many other Fair Traders in Perth at the WA Fair Trade High Tea and had a great time supporting the event, listening to the presentations and helping to raise funds for a project in Cambodia. Thanks to all at the Fair Trade Collective for organizing the event, and here are some  of our members showing how much fun it is to support Fair Trade.

WAFTC Events - Saturday 7 May to Sunday 22 May

Friday 13th May
Launch of “The Pocket Guide to Fair Trade in WA”
&;
The one year anniversary of Fremantle being a Fair Trade City

Come and join us for a soiree at the City of Fremantle Council Chambers Courtyard from 6pm – 8pm

A light organic supper will be whipped up on the bbq courtesy of The Hidden Pantry, followed by fairtrade chocolate cake

The sounds of Nicolas Sebastian Bahamonde and his accordion will grace the air, while you mingle and enjoy drinks courtesy of the City of Fremantle.

Meet our special guest, Cecilia Granadino, who will speak briefly of her experience as Executive Director, of the World Fair Trade Organization, MINKA, in Peru.

And of course, come and get your copy of the guide!

Contact: Shona / Jana
shona@theethicalentrepreneur.com.au 0448942657
jana_lukasik@web.de

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Sunday 15th May, 4.00pm-7pm
Art for Fair Trade – Exhibition Opening

Fair Trade Chocolate Cake Auction

The Western Australia Fair Trade Collective invites you to come along to the opening of the 6th Annual Art for Fair Trade Exhibition where artists have been invited to support fair trade by showcasing their work. Enjoy music and fair trade treats and be prepared to bid for the Fair Trade Chocolate Cake – the annual auction also in its sixth year!

Venue: Kurb Gallery 310 William Street Northbridge, Free entry
Fundraiser: Empowering Cambodia Community Development Project

Contact: Andrea Klek / Monica Wade
monicawade@optusnet.com.au
andreaklek_99@hotmail.com

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Monday 16th May – Thursday May 19th, 12noon-5pm
Art for Fair Trade - Exhibition

Come along to view the 6th annual Art for Fair Trade Exhibition where artists have been invited to support fair trade by showcasing their work.

Venue: Kurb Gallery 310 William Street Northbridge, Free entry

Fundraiser: Empowering Cambodia Community Development Project

Submissions and Info:
Andrea Klek / Monica Wade
monicawade@optusnet.com.au
andreaklek_99@hotmail.com


To find out more about the Western Australia Fair Trade Collective, click on the link below:

http://fairtradewa.blogspot.com/2011/04/western-australia-fair-trade-collective.html

Art for Fair Trade - Call to Artists

Art for Fair Trade - Exhibition

Monday 16^th May – Thursday May 19^th, 12noon-5pm

Come along to view the 6^th annual Art for Fair Trade Exhibition where artists have been invited to support fair trade by showcasing their work.

Venue: Kurb Gallery 310 William Street Northbridge, Free entry

Fundraiser: Empowering Cambodia Community Development Project

Submissions and Info:

Andrea Klek / Monica Wade

monicawade@optusnet.com.au

andreaklek_99@hotmail.com

Fair Trade Chocolate Cake Auction

Sunday 15^th May, 4.00pm-7pm

Art for Fair Trade – Exhibition Opening

The Western Australia Fair Trade Collective invites you to come along to the opening of the 6^th Annual Art for Fair Trade Exhibition where artists have been invited to support fair trade by showcasing their work. Enjoy music and fair trade treats and be prepared to bid for the Fair Trade Chocolate Cake – the annual auction also in its sixth year!

Venue: Kurb Gallery 310 William Street Northbridge, Free entry

Fundraiser: Empowering Cambodia Community Development Project

Contact: Andrea Klek / Monica Wade

monicawade@optusnet.com.au

andreaklek_99@hotmail.com

World Fair Trade Day - Tea Party

Venue: Royal Perth Yacht Club

-Saturday 14th May, 2.30-5pm

The WA Fair Trade Collective invites you to a delicious afternoon tea with inspirational speakers and delightful cabaret songs to celebrate World Fair Trade Day 2011.

Tickets

• $35 – includes afternoon tea, speakers, performance and a fair trade goodies pack to take home.

Welcoming

Cecilia Granadino, Executive Director, MINKA, Peru

“35 Years of MINKA Fair Trade in Peru”.

Julia Jenkins

“Show Me the Way to the Stage”

A performance by Perth’s leading cabaret artist.

David Harrison, Oxfam Trading Fremantle

“Bitter Yet Sweet: The Tale of Tea”

Tickets and Information

Contact: monicawade@optusnet.com.au

Monica Wade: 0404183828