NATIONAL FAIR TRADE STUDY - ROLLING OUT

KUSIKUY'S founder, Tamara Stenn is working with her Keene State College students and FairTradeUSA to conduct the first ever, large scale Fair Trade consumer study in the US.  Contact FairTradeUSA to see how you can participate!  Stay posted for results (this May).  

Fair Trade Consumer Study 2012

Guest Blogger:  Tamara Stenn, Professor at Keene State College

According to the United Nations, the US is the world’s largest consumer by far, spending over $10 billion and making up almost 30% of the world’s consumer market in 2009.  (Second to the US is Japan weighing in at just 8.5% of world consumption).  For Fair Trade consumption, the US is second to the UK, with almost $1.2 billion spent on Fair Trade goods in the US in 2009.  Per capita, the US has been a much less enthusiastic supporter of Fair Trade with people spending less than $2 a year on Fair Trade goods in 2006 (table 2).  This is more than nine times less than the Swiss who spend an average of $19 each on Fair Trade goods and more than half of what our counterparts in the UK are each investing into Fair Trade.

Some of the largest Fair Trade buyers in the world such as Green Mountain Coffee and Starbucks, are in the US.  US Fair Trade is prominently sold in national grocery stores such as Safeway, Sam’s Club, Trader Joes, Whole Foods Market, WalMart, Target, and thousands of specialty stores in our towns and cities.  Fair Trade is visible, available, but not wholeheartedly consumed, yet.
Why? Are the products still too hard to find?  Are the Fair Trade labels not known?  Is there confusion about what Fair Trade is?  Is there a lack of belief, trust, or understanding?  How are people learning about Fair Trade anyway?

Keene State College students and Fair TradeTowns USA are partnering together to conduct the first nation-wide study of Fair Trade consumption in the US.  We will be examining how age, gender, occupation, income, region lived and community size, all come into play when making decisions about Fair Trade.  We will also be examining how those decisions are being made – how people are learning about Fair Trade, what is the media influence, social networking, and what barriers exist to keep consumers from making Fair Trade purchases.

Hundreds of convenience sample surveys (16 questions and 15 minutes long) will be administered by Fair Trade Towns volunteers in towns and cities across the US during February and March 2012.  Keene State College Quantitative Literacy students studying Fair Trade will then analyze the results and share them in a researched report scheduled to be released in time for World Fair Trade Day in May 2012.

This is study is significant in that it provides a baseline measure in which to begin to understand the US Fair Trade consumer, their motivations, and challenges.  This will provide an important starting point for more specific, follow up studies.

This opportunity is a great way to gauge the impact of Fair Trade in your community.  If you are interested in getting started with this survey and administering it in your town, please contact Billy Linstead Goldsmith at wgoldsmith@fairtradeusa.org or Courtney Lang at clang@fairtradeusa.org.

Help keep the “Fair” in Fair Trade

           I recently finished a five-college tour with indigenous leader, Emilia Laime, talking about her participation in Fair Trade and the challenges of living in Bolivia, one of South America’s economically poorest countries (though spiritually rich).  Fair Trade is a form of social and economic justice supported by Fair Trade instructions which provide the infrastructure for producer members and consumers to engage in a more just and fair trade.  Fair Trade guarantees a fair wage, good working conditions, and environmental and community protection on all levels of production.  It appeals to consumers’ rational need to help others and competes in the same free market as conventional, non-fair trade goods. 

Laime, a Fair Trade producer, cried over the climate change induced drought, a permanent condition caused by the melting of Bolivia’s global glaciers, the struggles for recognition by indigenous women, and the woes of poverty in a country with an infant mortality rate almost seven times higher than that of the US.  And she sold product.  Luscious, hand knit, Fair Trade, alpaca a sweaters that only could be purchased by North Americans and Europeans.  The sweaters were too expensive for the knitters themselves to buy.  The Bolivian women knit in acrylic for their children and export the native raised, high quality, alpaca to the richer markets in the US and Europe.  Bolivians have recently have been doing the same with their quinoa, a hearty, native grain which contains a complete protein.  New Fair Trade quinoa export demands have raised the price of quinoa so high that it can no longer be purchased in the local markets.  This, like the ethanol demand for corn, can lead to food security issues.  Fair Trade does not recognize food security.

Export sales, however, are a lifeline for many impoverished producers, and women who have little opportunity or access to the wage market.  A doctoral research study I conducted in Bolivia in 2010, found that Laime and other women liker her working in Fair Trade reported important earnings for their family, financial stability, skills development, and increased self esteem from their Fair Trade participation.  Fair Trade provided them with a first step into the wage economy and gave women the skills and experience to be successful in other businesses as well.

Since 1996 I have been working in Fair Trade as a business owner (www.kusikuy.com), academic, doctoral researcher, and consultant.  I have helped to found Fair Trade Towns (including Brattleboro, VT) and Universities (Keene State College is well on its way) and educate thousands on the meaning and benefits of Fair Trade.  I advocate for the producers who are often the ones left out of the conversation.  They could be considered "invisible" except they are so easily seen. Their faces are prominently displayed with their goods.  However they are mute.   There is no mechanism for producers to directly participate in US Fair Trade institutions, even though it's their sweat and labor which make the products that are sold to comfortable consumers, under the auspices of these institutions.  Many Fair Trade websites are peppered with images of unwashed farmers in their work clothes who organizations claim to "help" and "support."  Why do the farmers need to be portrayed like this?  Can’t they be given time to wash up and dress nicely for a photo that gives them the dignity and respect they deserve?   Would anyone want to be photographed in their dirty work clothes and then have that image used to represent them and their company?

FairTradeUSA (FTUSA) is the largest Fair Trade certifier in the US and dominates the US’s $2.3 billion Fair Trade market.  They are all about making Fair Trade accessible and have recently unveiled plans to launch an aggressive FT4U campaign, which includes the scaling down of their certification standards to accommodate producers whom did not meet the previously established standards; mainly large coffee plantation owners.  This has caused an uproar in the Fair Trade industry, and resulted in FTUSA severing ties from the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)  and the Fair Labeling Organization (FLO) which they were formally an umbrella organization of.  FTUSA even had the audacity to recently send out a fund raising request to help these farmers.  Perhaps it is in anticipation of all of the FT farmers they will be putting out of business. 

There is currently a glut of Fair trade coffee on the market and has been for years.  Every single Fair Trade coffee farmer I have personally spoken with in the past two years, from Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, Ecuador, and the Dominica Republic, reported the same thing.  They cannot sell all of their Fair Trade coffee.  There is not enough market for it. Anywhere from 20-40% of their Fair Trade coffee harvests are being dumped on the conventional market as conventional coffee, because there is not enough market for their Fair Trade production.  Yet FTUSA says they must expand their certification to include plantations in order to grow the FT market.  Grow it where?  It is already oversaturated.   Adding plantation coffee will just knock out the already struggling cooperatives who need more market access not more competition.

Each of the coffee farmers I spoke with felt disempowered and mistrustful of the Fair Trade system.  Even the women producers I have been working with for 15 years questioned the fairness of Fair Trade.  This is because the Fair Trade industry demands transparency and obedience from Fair Trade producers but provides none back.  There is no transparency provided to the producers about product mark ups, sales, the treatment of retail store staff, the roles and salaries of intermediaries and wholesalers, yet Fair Trade producers need to make all of that and more visible to buyers and consumers.  They need to post earnings to community funds, keep elaborate records, and are forced to work together cooperatively, wither they want to or not. 

Imagine this from a US perspective.  The US depends heavily on export sales.  But now there is a new export standard for US products.  To participate in this lucrative market, each US company would need to be certified by having a foreign buyer or assessor arrive and demand that all sales, price setting, salaries, earnings and investments, be made transparent.  They would dictate how earnings are spent and what prices should be. To work like this would be demoralizing, demeaning, and would cause tremendous strife amongst employees too. 

Now FTUSA has further insulted farmers by proposing to give work to the same competition, the haciendas and large coffee plantations, that Fair Trade was set up to protect farmers from in the first place.  Frankly, we in the industry are shocked. appalled and horrified at what FTUSA is proposing to do.  The “we” includes the United Students for Fair Trade, Equal Exchange – the largest and one of the first Fair Trade coffee cooperatives and importers in the US, the Fair Trade Federation, the World Fair Trade Organization, and FairTradeUK.  I personally do not know anyone in the Fair Trade industry who is in support of what FTUSA is doing.  Even their own farmers and cooperatives  are speaking out against them. 

It is also unfair for the consumer.  Already bombarded by greenwashing, the false association of a company with positive social and environmental causes, the last thing a consumer needs is to doubt the fairness of Fair Trade itself.   What Fair Trade needs is right now is more fairness, not less.

Fair Trade needs to be exactly that, fair trade.  If anything it needs to be fairer that it already is, with equal representation of producers in Fair Trade institutions and more room for producer input and power.  The World Fair Trade Organization is already doing this and has recently changed their board to be made up of equal numbers of members and producers. 

FTUSA has done a tremendous job developing and promoting Fair Trade in the US. They have helped to build an interesting idea into a multi-billion dollar industry.  They have helped to support schools, communities and citizen groups in understanding and accessing Fair Trade.  They have brought in producers, created contests, provided resources, and hosted conferences and speaker series.  Fair Trade would not be the commonly known term it is in the US today if it were not for the unrelenting and forward thinking of work of FTUSA.  The idea of further expanding Fair Trade needs to be a decision made together.  Though FTUSA has provided mechanisms for participation on their web site through the development of a tri-lingual forum.  I encourage all to visit and participate in these tools: http://fairtradeusa.org/certification/standards . 

These tools, however, do not seem to go far enough in ensuring that all voices are heard, given power and deemed important in this critical time of change.  The difficult part is the feeling of urgency.  It is believed that once Fair Trade standards are lowered to accept plantation production, it will be very hard to reverse the damage.  FTUSA has given people until December 30th to provide feedback on their proposed opening of Fair trade. There is also an electronic forum and an e-mail address (standards@fairtradeusa.org) to respond to.  All can be found towards the bottom of their web page.  How Fair do you think Fair Trade should be?  Lets occupy Fair Trade and let our voices be heard.  After all, it is only fair that all should know what is really happening and what we are all thinking.  And we only have a short time to do so.

Tamara Stenn of KUSIKUY Dicusses Fair Trade and High Quality Products

Written by Robin Wilding                                    October 31, 2011

From: http://www.fashion-schools.org/articles/tamara-stenn-kusikuy-dicusses-fair-trade-and-high-quality-products 

Most fashion designers' passion leads them to a job in the fashion industry; Tamara Stenn's passion however led her to Bolivia. By way of the Peace Corps Tamara was sent to South America, where she fell in love with the country, and a pack of alpaca knitters she met in the Bolivian Andes. Upon returning home she earned a Masters degree in Intercultural Management, and latched onto a fair-trade ideology. This combination of Andean love and a fair-trade focused education melded and became her career.
She quickly started a fierce fashion line of knitwear called KUSIKUY (which means 'make yourself happy' in Quecha, a 5,000-year-old Andean language).  Tamara currently runs KUSIKUY, a business consisting of customer service staff, in-counter coordinators, 100 Bolivian knitters and numerous Alpaca herders in South America. The team is very proud of their in-country partners, KUSIKUY “knitters are some of the highest paid knitters in the country,” says Claudia Valdez, KUSIKUY in-country coordinator.  “We treat the knitters well. We give them training, financing, and anything else they need to succeed. In return they produce the finest knits I have ever seen.”

While this business model may seem a little too idealistic, this entrepreneurial, fair-trade venture is succeeding based on its high-quality products, extremely dedicated staff and by capitalizing on the current building trend in America of buying fair trade products.
For our readers looking to break into the ethical fashion industry Tamara is committed to spreading the entrepreneurial spirit and for this reason KUSIKUY  actively hires interns (on-site or virtual). They even compensate them with a 5% commission on sales of their designs (and a free sample of their design after it goes to production for their portfolio).

Always one to share the wealth (of knowledge and otherwise) Tamara jumped at the chance to share her company's success story with our aspiring entrepreneurial fashionista readers:
What inspired you to get into the fair trade or ethical fashion industry?
The wonderful, amazingly skilled knitters I met while living as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and the fabulous qualities of the rare, local alpaca yarn. The skills and the materials were so perfect together - it was eco-couture fashion waiting to happen.
What type of education did it take to get you where you are today?
Lots of reading, meetings, visits, observation, knitting classes, and listening. I'm the company owner and job coordinator.  My knitters knew how to knit and the high end materials (European-quality alpaca) were there.  I knew marketing, communications, management and Spanish.  I needed to learn knitwear, fashion design, and the fashion industry.  I did that through reading WWD, knitting magazines, attending industry shows, visiting with buyers and designers, talking with customers, and befriending US knitting shops.
How has your career path progressed over the years?
Wonderfully! I do all I love to do.  I love working with designers, the creativity of their work.  We work with clients from all over the world, but mostly from NYC.  I'm from NY myself and love the NYC market and being so close to downtown Manhattan (we're located in Vermont - 3 hours away from NYC).  The knitters have pieces that have been sold in Barneys.  They are very proud of their work, and enjoy knitting new designs for the fashion designers.
What is your favorite part of working in the ethical fashion business?
All of it.  But mostly that moment when the first sample is made.  It's so transformative to see the sketch, colors, stitch samples, all come together in a final product.  It's exciting.  Our sampling is very accurate and usually the first sample is the final product.  So when that first sample is done, it's exciting seeing a finished design.  It is also a sigh of relief when we complete an order and have it delivered on time, the knitters paid, and everyone feeling satisfied in their work.  It's a year long endeavor - with sampling starting in October/November, the runway shows in January/February, orders arriving in April/May, and delivery in August/September.  The women I work with are indigenous Quechua and Aymara Bolivians we always have a celebration at the end of the year to thank Pachamama (the Andean earth mother) for work well done!
What advice would you give to aspiring fashionistas?
Pay attention to detail, know your materials (i.e. alpaca has lovely drape and is a durable, lightweight yarn–so design for that), stay organized (having labels and buttons ready early saves assembly time and costs in the end).
What schools does your company generally recruit new hires from?
We produce for designers, we do not hire designers.
Do you think there is an overall increasing or decreasing need for people in the fashion industry? 
There is an increasing need for eco-fashionistas, people who will take the extra time to more meaningfully source their production and learn the skills of the people they producing with.  Our knitters know over 30 different hand knitting stitches - though we are rarely asked to use them.
What designer(s) or brand(s) influenced you the most as an artist?  
Carolyn Preibe from ULURU was one of the the first fashion designers we worked with.  She is fantastic in understanding alpaca and designing pieces specifically for that fiber.  Bolivian designer, Beatrice Canedo Patino - "the queen of alpaca" - has also been a wonderful inspiration for us.
Which skills do you consider to be most critical for a career in fashion?  
Being open minded, paying attention to detail, staying on top of a job - responding quickly to questions and being able to make decisions.
What is the hardest part for you about working in the industry?
The fickleness of it.  Well produce beautiful alpaca knits for a customer one year and then the next year they are onto organic cotton, or chunky wool.  We specialize in alpaca and do not knit cotton or wool (no access to quality materials) so we do not work with them again, or for a longer while.
What perks do you receive working in the fashion industry?  
I always have wonderful sweaters and I love traveling to Bolivia and spending time with the knitters. We go every year. 
What do you foresee for the future of ethical fashion?
I just see it getting bigger and bigger. We are all humans and have an innate need to respect and care for each other.  With social media, the world is smaller.  We now know much more about who we work with.  It is hard for our spirits to knowingly work with people in exploitative conditions, and to be a part of that exploitation.  Fair Trade, gives designers a new option.  They can work with people in an ethical environment and know the workers are respected and well cared for.  The products are also more carefully made with love and gratitude.
Check out more interviews at The Fashion-Schools.org Interview Series.

FAIR TRADE KEENE STATE COLLEGE

‎2nd Annual Fair Faire - Almost $2,000 of Fair Trade goods sold in less than 4 hours.  Way to go KSC! And who ever said that college students don't support Fair Trade? KSC does!  

Tamara Stenn, KUSIKUY founder and director, is also a professor of Integrative Quantitative Literacy: Measuring Fair Trade and is the faculty adviser of the Keene State College (New Hampshire, USA) Fair Trade Club.  The campus is quickly working towards being declared the first Fair Trade college in New Hampshire.

We don't have to be victims of the 1% - taking the economy into our own hands, using creative collaboration, we can achieve a quality of life that is not monetary driven but rather community supported...
My latest article about Freecycle - appeared here: http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site04/story.php?articleno=4322&page=1

It is presented here below too:

I was moving in with my boyfriend, and we needed more space for my office and two children. His dark, dusty attic was piled high with old baby cribs, moth-eaten blankets, outdated law books, and squirrel-infested tchotchkes.
The attic was a dirty, scary mess. But it was space. I decided to renovate it, and I called a waste disposal company to arrange for a Dumpster to be brought in. It would cost more than $1,000, they told me before they refused the service.
I was flabbergasted: a company saying “no” to a paid job? They were firm. I needed to post my items on Freecycle first, then I could pay them to collect anything that was still left.
Freecycle is a free, nonprofit network of email lists started in 2003 by Arizona’s Deron Beal. Members of the list can receive offers of donations by email.
One needs to have something to offer to give away to join, but once in, members can request items they are seeking and, of course, accept others’ offers.
Instead of hoping to find, or get rid of, an item curbside, now people can swap from the ease of their own home. Plus items would not be ruined as they sat outside waiting for a new home.
I was dubious. Who would ever want what was in the attic? And what exactly was in the attic anyway?
I went upstairs with a clipboard and began making a list and posted it on Freecycle.
The cribs and mattresses went first; there was actually a line of people wanting them. Other things started going, too: an old-fashioned telephone with a broken wire, a dot-matrix printer, chipped pottery and crocks, boxes of old, dusty books.
I was amazed.
After just two weeks, I was down to the old, squirrel-eaten roll of threadbare rugs. “No one would ever want these,” I thought.
But I was wrong. A gentleman cheerfully arrived at my home and dragged the massive rolls of soiled carpet down from my third-floor attic into his truck.
My curiosity got the best of me. I had to ask what he planned to do with them. I pointed out that they were soiled and in poor shape. (I had noted this in the Freecycle posting, too.)
The gentleman laughed and explained that he was a hunter, and rugs like these were perfect for insulating his hunting cabin in the winter.

* * *

Now, I was on the list. Dozens of freecycle announcements filled my mailbox daily. People were giving away furniture, pets, tools, clothes, toys, camping gear. It was wonderful.
My children got the cutest furry ferrets, I got houseplants, we stocked up on arts and crafts supplies for the winter, and we continued to clean out the house.
The best part about offering products for sale on Freecycle is that, as part of the Freecycle rules, the takers will come to your place and haul it out themselves. That has been a great help to me when items are bulky and heavy, like those awful rugs.
The takers have turned out to be wonderful local people. They have always been so grateful and thankful, though I felt more grateful for them taking the items off my hands and not making me haul them to the dump.
A young lady came and took some old metal sign posts that we had unearthed in an excavation and gave me a glass of freshly picked dahlias. It has been great fun visiting people who had items for pickup, too. We made friends with a houseful of birds when picking up some picture frames.

* * *

Beal estimates that 30 to 40 tons of products are traded daily on Freecycle. He started the organization when his Tuscon, Ariz. trash recycling company began receiving non-recyclable, but useable, products from the businesses he was serving.
Rather than hauling the old computers and office furniture to the landfill, Beal began calling around the community looking for homes for the unwanted goods. He then began emailing friends.
The email messages were forwarded around the community, and thus began Freecycle. “I just sent the information out to my friends and 10 to 15 nonprofits and said, ‘Spread the word,’” he told Christian Science Monitor writer Tim King. “You get free stuff, and you get to give away the junk in your garage.”
Within two years, Freecycle grew to be a global network of more than 900,000 members. There are Freecycle communities in Germany, Japan, and Australia. In the United States, Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas, have the highest number of members.
Today, the Freecycle website claims, “the Freecycle concept has spread to over 85 countries, where there are thousands of local groups representing millions of members.” As a result, the organization and its local chapters are keeping more than 500 tons of product a day out of landfills.
These products, they say, amount to “five times the height of Mount Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks.”
Freecycle’s mission is to “build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.”
Operating on a budget of just than $200,000 a year, it seems Freecycle is doing just that. I know my attic, wallet, and heart have benefitted from Freecycle and the wonderful people I have met through using the service.
The Windham Solid Waste Management District has also benefitted, as it was saved from a Dumpster full of “good stuff” that I almost dumped on them.
For more information about Freecycle or to join Brattleboro Freecycle, visit the website.

Build Clean, Caring Communities with Freecycle

I was moving in with my boyfriend and we needed more space for my office and two children.  His dark, dusty attic was piled high with old baby cribs, moth eaten blankets, outdated law books, and squirrel infested chatckas.  It was a dirty, scary mess.  But it was space.  I decided to renovate it  into usable space and called the waste disposal company, Goodenough Rubbish Removal, to arrange for a dumpster to be brought in.  It would cost over $1,000 they told me and then refused the service.  I was flabbergasted, a company saying “no” to a paid job?  They were firm.  I needed to post my items on freecycle first, then I could pay them to collect anything that was still left.

Freecycle (freecycle.org) is a free listserve and non profit started in 2003 by Arizona’s Deron Beal.  It is joined through google groups.  One needs to have something to offer to give away in order to join but once they are in they can request items they are seeking and of course take others’ offers as well.  Instead of hoping to find, or get rid of, an item curbside, now people could swap from the ease of their own home.  Plus items would not be getting ruined as they sat outside waiting for a new home.

I was dubious.  Who would ever want what was in the attic and what exactly was in the attic anyway?  I went upstairs with a clipboard and began making a list and posted it online.  The cribs and mattresses went first, there was actually a line of people wanting them.  Other things started going too, an old fashioned telephone with a broken wire, a dot matrix printer, chipped pottery and crocks, boxes of old, dusty books.  I was amazed. 

After just two weeks, I was down to the old squirrel-eaten roll of threadbare rugs.  No one would ever want these I thought.  But I was wrong.  A gentleman cheerfully arrived at my home and dragged the massive rolls of soiled carpet down from my third floor attic into his truck.  My curiosity got the best of me, I had to ask what he planned to do with them.  I pointed out that they were soiled and in poor shape (I had noted this in the freecycle posting too).  The gentleman laughed and explained that he was a hunter and rugs like these were perfect for insulating his hunting cabin in the winter.

Now I was on the list.  Daily, dozens of freecycle announcements filled my mailbox.  People were giving away furniture, pets, tools, clothes, toys, camping gear...  It was wonderful.  My children got the cutest furry ferrets, I got houseplants, we stocked up on arts and crafts supplies for the winter, and continued to clean out the house.  The best part about offering products for sale on freecycle, was that the takers would come to your place and haul it out themselves.  It is part of the Freecycle rules.  And it was a great help to me when items were bulky and heavy, like those awful rugs.

The takers turned out to be wonderful local people.  They were always so grateful and thankful though I felt more grateful for them taking the items off my hands and not making me haul them to the dump.  A young lady came and took some old metal sign posts we had unearthed in an excavation and gave me a glass of freshly picked dahlias.  It was great fun visiting people who had items for pick up too.  We made friends with a houseful of birds when picking up some picture frames. 

Beal estimates that 30-40 tons of products are traded daily on freecycle.  He started freecycle when his Tuscon, Arizona trash recycling company began receiving non-recyclable, but useable products from the businesses he was serving.  Rather than hauling the old computers and office furniture to the landfill, Beal began calling around the community looking for homes for the unwanted goods.  He then began e-mailing friends .  The e-mail messages were forwarded around the community and thus began freecycle.  "I just sent the information out to my friends and 10 to 15 nonprofits and said, 'Spread the word,'" he told Christian Science Monitor writer Tim King. "You get free stuff, and you get to give away the junk in your garage."

Within two years, Freecycle grew to be a global network of more than 900,000 members. There are Freecycle communities in Germany, Japan, and Australia.  In the United States Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas, have the highest number of members.   Today, the Freecycle webstie claims, “the Freecycle concept has spread to over 85 countries, where there are thousands of local groups representing millions of members.”  As a result, freecycle is keeping over 500 tons of product a day out of landfills. This, they say, amounts to, “five times the height of Mt. Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks.”

Freecycle’s mission is to, “build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."  Operating on a budget of just than $200,000 a year, it seems freecycle is doing just that.  I know my attic, wallet and heart has benefitted from Freecycle and the wonderful people (larger community) I met through it.  The Windham Solid Waste Management District also benefitted as they were saved from a dumpster full of “good stuff” that I almost accidently dumped on them.  For more information about Freecycle or to join our local yahoo group please go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brattleborofreecycle/

Economic Models of Fair Trade

Here’s some economic models of Fair Trade from my thesis.  I would be happy to continue to make models based on different Fair Trade arguments and understanding.  If someone would like to suggest a few or talk about this more, I would be happy to work on it.  I work so much in Fair Trade, sometimes it is hard for me to imagine how much someone might know (or not) – and where to start with a model... Send me suggestions and we'll see what happens.

Supply (S) Opportunities Deprivation             (F1)                                 Freedom (F)                                     Capabilities

Figure 1. A Model of the Capabilities Approach

Explanation:  This is a model I made based on the work of Amartya Sen (image did not come across clearly). It should show how Opportunities and Capabilities relate to Freedom.  Sen equates freedom with justice.  In Fair Trade, producers are able to realize more Capabilities through skills and management training.  They are able to grow their Opportunities through Fair Trade’s market access and sales.  This leads to an expansion of Freedom, and ultimately justice.  Thus Fair Trade grows justice.  Ideally this is how the Fair Trade model is set up to work.  But it does not always happen this way.

If something happens and skills are developed but not the Fair Trade markets (i.e. there is a glut of Fair Trade coffee, or US/European customers are experiencing negative economic growth and not buying as much as they usually do, or a country is at war), then a producer has grown their Capabilities without realizing Opportunity.  They now enter into a place I labeled “Deprivation.”  Deprivation is a place where people realize that they are being denied their basic freedoms due to circumstances often beyond their control.   It is important to note that people know when they are in Deprivation.  They are aware that things are not working out for them in a fair and just way.

The same scenario holds true for a producer who may have market access (Opportunity) but not the skills or capacity needed for that market (i.e. they can not produce enough garments quickly enough for a western client who is buying in bulk for a large chain of stores, or the rains came early and they can not dry the coffee quickly enough to make the container ship date).  They have the Opportunity but their Capabilities have not grown accordingly.  The producer in this scenario would experience increased Opportunity but not increased Capabilities.  They too would enter into Deprivation. 

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Figure 2. Costs for knitting an adult KUSIKUY sweater.

From KUSIKUY Clothing Co., LLC, 2011.  Adapted with permission.

Fair Trade enables prices to be determined by the producers and supported by Fair Trade buyers.  The KUSIKUY Fair Trade knitters (my company, www.kusikuy.com) price their production in accordance to the model seen above.  This is the pricing structure they created.  It translates to double minimum wage for producers, and an important opportunity for farm women to enter into the wage market.  Fair Trade tends to serve the most underpriviledged of the developign world, in my case (KUSIKUY) it is the indigenous farm woman (Fig. 2).

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Figure 3. Costs of a Fair Trade sweater sold retail in the US.

From T. Stenn, 2011.  Adapted with permission.

However (as we discussed at the conference), the retail side of Fair Trade is not at as evenly structured or transparent (Fig. 3).   Most goods in the US are sold at “keystone” which means a 100% mark-up from the wholesale price.  Some retailers mark up their product even higher than keystone, while others also mark them up less.  Sometimes there are multiple levels of distribution until the client gets the Fair Trade product (i.e. the raw, green, Fair Trade coffee is purchased and roasted by a wholesale buyer and then sold to a distributor who private labels it for sale at a small coffee house) These distribution steps can result in coffee that is sold for 8 to 10 times its original Fair Trade market price of $1.26 a pound.  Some of these product costs are legitimate costs for services, packaging and marketing, though others are added on because the “ethical consumer” market will tolerate the higher costs. 

Consumers assume that a higher Fair Trade retail price means that more money is going to producers.  It is rational for an ethical consumer to purchase a more expensive product against their own economic self interests because of the satisfaction (personal gain) they receive in being able to “give back” and help others through their Fair Trade purchasing.

-------------------------------------------------

Two Last Things…

Fair Trade is made up Four Pillars:  Producers, Consumers, Institutions, and Governments.  All four have to work together in full transparency, reciprocity and trust for Fair trade to truly be fair.  I don’t have a model for this yet – but I can make one…

I also have a Game Theory scenario for producer support in their home country – this would fit into a feminist argument in Fair Trade - look for this coming soon!

Welcome to THE COMMONS -- News and Views for Windham County, Vermont

Time Trade is another great tool to help build a sustainable economy. Here's an article examining my recent experience with it.

Welcome to THE COMMONS -- News and Views for Windham County, Vermont

SEEKING DONATIONS

 SEEKING DONATIONS (tax deductible)

I'm now fundraising for $5,000 (to cover travel expenses) for my post doc research. 

I'm returning to Bolivia (and Peru) in May 2012 to further explore the effects of trade on indigenous women - through comparative studies:  Peru vs Bolivia, informal sector vs fair trade, and to look at a larger group of knitters to see if my initial findings still hold true. 

All will be published in a book I'm writing this summer.  Donations will cover travel costs. 

Donors will be thanked in the book and receive a signed copy(s).  Any amount is appreciated $20, $50, $100...? and tax deductible.  Please send payments to Ayllu, Inc., PO Box 2154, Brattleboro, VT  05303.

Please pass this along - thanks! 

More information on Ayllu:  http://www.jadejourneys.org/ayllu/test.html

Meet a KUSIKUY Knitter

KUSIKUY is proud to announce that Emilia Laime will be visiting universities in the US in November - sharing her experiences with Fair Trade, climate change, community organizing and women's rights.  See her at:
Keene State College, Keene, NH http://sites.keene.edu/symposium2011/schedule/
Antioch, Keene, NH http://sites.keene.edu/symposium2011/schedule/
Sienna College: http://www.siena.edu
And more...
Special thanks to Keene State College for funding Emilia's travel.

Fair Trade Towns » brattleboro-vt

Fair Trade Towns » brattleboro-vt

Do you want to talk Fair Trade? Meet at Mocha Joe's on Main St., Brattleboro VT to talk and plan. Wednesdays 8:45am - 9:45am. Brattleboro, VT is the 2nd Fair Trade Town in the US.

Buy Local - Buy Fair

Buy Local, Buy Fair is the new theme for our 2012 KUSIKUY Collection.  The catalog photo shoot took place at the Brattleboro Farmers' Market, where farmers such as Lilac Ridge, Duttons, and Dwight Miller sell their local, organic produce.  Learn about our local market here: http://www.brattleborofarmersmarket.com/  Visit http://www.kusikuy.com to browse KUSIKUY's newest eco-ethical designs for 2012.

KUSIKUY, always Fair Trade,  links global communities - farmer to farmer and global citizens - people to people.  As we understand and support each other, we move closer to creating a just and fair world.

Our newest product, THE ALPACA WRAPPER, is a celebration of the whimsy and thrift of the KUSIKUY knitters.  Hand knit of of extra alpaca yarn, it is an eco-alternative to paper coffee cup sleeves.  It can be saved and reused hundreds of time and naturally felts and improves with age.  The ALPACA WRAPPER keeps beverages hot and hands cool.  It also doubles as a wrist warmer and a great conversation starter.

Learn more at http://www.kusikuy.com/product.php?productid=16734&cat=282&page=1

Trading time instead of a dime

Trade can be fair in many ways, even within our own local communities.  Here's a recent experience I had with a different type of "fair trade."

I needed some light electrical work done in my house, the installation of a new closet light, porch light and outdoor outlet.  I called a local electrician and received a quote of $65 an hour with the promise of a few hours of work plus materials.  Hmmm.  Then I went to Brattleboro Time trade and listed my electrical installation needs.  Within a few days two local men offered to do the work, for free.  Well almost for free.  They would be getting paid in time.

However much time it took them to do the job, plus travel (I live in Marlboro), was how much time I would deposit into their online time bank account.  The fact that I recently joined the Brattleboro Time Trade and had less than two hours in my account (for attending the orientation meeting and setting up my online account) did not matter.  Like the rest of the country, I was entering into a deficit and the Time Bank was willing to take me on. 

Both men were from my local community and one was a semi-retired electrical engineer.  I took up the engineer’s offer and once he returned from his trip to Cuba and I from Canada, he was in my home wiring, drilling, and making that electrical magic happen.  But it was not just electrical magic which was happening, a change took place.  He was not just a contractor to me.   I was not paying him money for his services.  So the informal niceties, hoping he does a good quick job, and “let me know how I can help” while the dollar meter is ticking in my head and I’m secretly hoping this guy leaves quickly so my bill is not so high, does not happen.   Instead there is a feeling of camaraderie, wonder, and appreciation. 

I think to myself, “this person is here to help me.”  This was a person who I only casually knew in town and now he was in my home doing me a big favor.  The time I was paying did have some of the same feeling as money, because often I feel that I do not have enough time – just like sometimes I feel I do not have enough money.   I did find myself on several occasions calculating the time cost of the job and wondering how I would ever re-pay it, but it was a different feeling.  I felt equal in our ability to share and work together.  Money creates great inequality, someone might have more than someone else, it is hard to change that.  With time, it is always there, albeit however busy we are.   Each day we start out with 24 hours - every day guaranteed, no matter what our educational background or socio-economic condition, the time is there.   We all begin with the same 24-hour deposit into our daily account.  This creates a feeling of abundance, rather than the feelings of scarcity, which monetary funds (or a lack of) bring.

So the relationship shifted.  Though I had planned to do my own work when he was working, I found I could not concentrate.  My curiosity was killing me.  Who was this person?  Why was he in the Time Trade?  What had he traded? (a ride to the airport) How had it been?  How did he learn to work with electricity?  Suddenly I was intrigued.  I wondered over to chat and we chatted for hours.  It was delightful.  We found we were alma matter from the same grad school (SIT), shared a love of travel, laughed over the trials and tribulations of both having been Brattleboro landlords, and had similar political views.  The job took hours longer than I had thought it would.  I made him snack, we shared lunch together out on the porch, I offered him vegetables from our garden, played with his dog.  It was great.  I felt like I made a new friend.

            After five hours had passed, “we” were almost finished.  I had begun to feel a responsibility for the job too.  I felt bad about “using up” so much of his time, though he assured me it was OK, it was what he wanted to be doing.   My closet finally had a light, the porch light was wired and just about ready to go.  He would have to come back to finish, we had about an hour left. I found myself looking forward to his return as much as I was looking forward to being able to finally see my front steps at night.

Researching Time Trade I learned that it was dreamed up in the 1980s by Antioch law School founder, Dr. Edgar S. Cahn, as he recovered from a heart attack at age 46.  He saw Time Dollars as a “new currency” which would provide a solution to the massive cuts in government spending on social welfare which were taking place then (as is now).  It was a process, but the idea evolved to become a growing global model.  There are now Time Banks in Canada, Chile, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. 

The US Time trade mission, according to their web site, www.timebanks.org, is about rebuilding communities through economic and social system reform, human empowerment and a contribution to each other’s well-being.   This is summed up as, “strengthening communities through reciprocity.”  The language was familiar.  I had just finished my doctoral thesis on the Effects of Fair Trade on Bolivia’s Indigenous Women.  While the US Fair Trade model helped to bring greater social and economic justice to these women, it was a hollow monetary benefit.  There was something more which was missing. 

Bolivia recently re-wrote their constitution centered around the indigenous concept of “Suma Qamana” or “good living” (as opposed to the “good life” which US people are thought to pursue – better cars, bigger houses, more things).  Good living was associated with well-being – it was having community, support and food, getting basic needs met both physically and socially.  This, claimed the Bolivians, was achieved through reciprocity.  Until now, I found this hard to define.

I re-read the Time Trade mission; “strengthening communities through reciprocity.”  There was that elusive word again.  I had understood it as a vague “give and take.”  The Brattleboro Time Trade site explained reciprocity more deeply.  While reciprocity was a “two-way street,” they elaborated that, “people that only receive end up feeling dis-empowered, as though they have nothing to offer. People that only give often gain an inflated sense of their own importance. Reciprocity leads to mutual respect.” 

I remembered feeling guilty as I saw my poor Time Trade helper sweating as he worked on my porch light, black jeans and shirt on a hot summer day.  I quickly ran to my garden to see if there were vegetables I could offer him (he did not cook).  I realize now, I had been trying to counter the feeling of “dis-empowernment” I felt at the moment, as I solely received.  This was the same feeling the knitters felt as they were well paid for their work through the Fair Trade model.  The knitters were grateful for their monetary earnings, but like me, they wanted to be able to give something back, to engage in reciprocity and develop that sense of mutual respect. 

And so on a quiet Sunday morning I awoke with these thoughts drifting in from an already forgotten dream.  Waking up while tapping on my keypad, the thoughts solidified to this article.  Now two hours later, I feel a sense of awe at our great community and the things we bring to each other.  The Time Banks web page is peppered with the names of local supporters, SoverNet, Post Oil Solutions, Brattleboro Savings & Loan, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, Delta Energy Group, Vermont Community Foundation, the Thomas Thompson Trust and many more.  On a personal level, I feel I just found a new friend in our community and in the Time Bank and the people who are a part of it.  I also feel a welling sense of generosity, gratefulness, support and caring as I realize that this is a community that can be relied upon.  After living here ten years, Brattleboro still brings surprises, new faces and wonderful connections.  And in the most enjoyable, joyful way, through writing which I love to do, I just earned two hours of time for my Time Bank account. 

For more information or to join Time Trade please call 802-246-1699, or visit www. brattlebortimetrade.org, or stop by their office at 15 Grove Street, Brattleboro.

The effects of Fair Trade on indigenous Knitters - abstract

I examined Fair Trade and its effect on the experiences of Bolivian women knitters within the context of justice as theorized by Amartya Sen. 

Sen’s theory of justice revolved around three arguments; justice needed to be broadly understood – encompassing conflicting ideas and experiences; expanding capabilities and opportunities brought greater freedom and more justice; public reasoning and democracy smoothed out justice’s inconsistencies enabling it to be more fully realized.

Fair Trade is held up by four pillars.  US and European Fair Trade institutions set the rules and impetus for Fair Trade to take place.  Fair Trade producers create goods in accordance to Fair Trade guidelines.  Consumers purchase these goods.  Governments, policy, and democracy support the space in which this trade is experienced. 

Knitters’ own understanding of Fair Trade was captured through field research and ethnographic study.  Research tools such as the Talking Stick and Participatory Rural Appraisal were engaged to enable knitters to guide and define the study. The researcher’s 15 years of experience in Fair Trade knitting in Bolivia brought a deep knowledge of the people and customs. 

My study found that Fair Trade increased justice for the knitters, to a degree.  Women reported positive economic outcomes; growth in self-esteem and leadership skills; and pride in new skills learned.  They were challenged by inconsistent orders; stress from deadlines coupled with family responsibilities; and physical ailments - eye strain, repetitive motion injuries, and respiratory ailments - from knitting long hours at home.

I also  found, through ethnographic methods, that by taking the time to listen to producers, the negative effects of Fair Trade could be better understood and made more positive.  Aligned with  Sen’s theory of justice, I found that more engagement by all parties would make Fair Trade more just.  This work is significant in that it creates a new understanding of justice and trade and enables women’s voices to be heard. 

Knitters and Governance

Bolivian knitters, formally marginalized by their indigenousness, enjoy the new freedoms they experience through their positive recognition as indigenous people from their government.  They are also enjoying the new inclusion of women in government and share pride in the formation of a their new constitutions.  Knitters report being hopeful in their new government but day to day living has not changed much.  Traditions of male dominance and subordinate roles for women in the home still restrict man women’s access to opportunity (and subsequently freedom and justice), as does the constraints of poverty.  Though new social programs help to make school and health care more accessible, additional challenges have been felt with climate change.  Agriculture is failing and many rural families are now entering the cities, seeking wage income to offset their agricultural losses.  Here migrants live in a hybrid manner, performing labor in the countryside (farming) as well as the city (paid work).  Bolivian’s are also lured to cities by easier transportation (access) and better schools for their children (opportunity).  Fair Trade knitting, in some instances, offers new arrivals a secure place in which to start their urban lives.  In conclusion, there is confusion for knitters as political change has happened so quickly in Bolivia and people are still trying to understand their roles and identity in their country’s new ways of being. 

It will be interesting to continue to study Bolivia during this time of extreme transformation.  New ministries and programs are being developed and a decentralization of government is taking place as citizen groups are given more power and a role in self governance.  The Bolivian government is now focusing on the development of artisan production within its country as a way to offset dependence on raw material exports.  This sector is being developed using the CAN Comercio Justo proposed for the Bolivian Constitution and is being headed, in part, by Rodriguez and the Ministry of Productive Development.

Conclusion

The effect of Fair Trade on Bolivia’s indigenous knitters is the expansion of their capabilities and opportunities, and subsequently freedoms and justice, through the development of income generation, empowerment, and skills building.  This comes at a cost.  Knitters are subject to poor working conditions, little social support and time poverty.  Never-the-less, the benefits outweigh the challenges.  Western Fair Trade continues to grow in popularity though a re-examination of its structure and accessibility needs to be undertaken and changes made in order for it to continue operating in a just manner.  Fair Trade as an idea, is becoming a globally embraced concept as governments such as Bolivia’s CAN Comercio Justo and Solitarity Economy expand it into new trade possibilities.

Fair Trade and Governance

Public reasoning, explains Sen, is key in advancing justice.  The ability for all people – producers, consumers, institutions, and governments  - to openly discuss ideas brings greater understanding and justice.  Unfair labor conditions, fluctuating production schedules, women’s time constraints, consumer caution in light of mis-information, all can be openly shared and debated in a global forum through public reasoning.  By working together and hearing voices not easily heard, more understanding and appreciation of each others’ situations is created leading to a much more effective resolution of injustice than a code of laws, for example, and coercive legislation could achieve.  Discussion takes time and space and value needs to be lent to this.

Public reasoning is also dependent upon free and open media.  Free and open media has been greatly compromised in the US (and globally) through media consolidation, the ownership of the press by a few large corporations, the influence of advertising in news, a decline the quality of news, and a lack of diversity in reporters and news covered.  What was once called propaganda is now presented as facts.  This has resulted in a misinformed and complacent public, greater consumer mistrust, and an inability of people (especially minority people) to engage in meaningful public reasoning.  The quality of life in the US has declined due to a lack of personal freedoms associated with the loss of the free press.  Though it seems that new electronic and social media would fill the gap that the US’s compromised press left, there is a lack of cohesion and accuracy in this model too.  It is also not accessible by all.  Sen stressed that justice needs public reasoning.  New ways in which for this to take place on a meaningful, global and local scale need to be explored.

Fair Trade institutions, is was previously noted, can not bring justice on their own.  Government and consumers also need to be involved.  Bolivia created (with CAN) their own Fair Trade (Comercio Justo) guidelines which are similar to, but go further than, those being promoted by Fair Trade institutions today.  CAN Comercio Justo compliments the values of Suma Qamana, (well living) adopted into the Bolivian (and Ecuadorian) constitution. Suma Qamana focus on living in harmony with nature and each other in a shared, non competitive, environment.  It compliments the concept of Solidarty Economy which began in South America and is being rapidly embraced by countries around the world.  Fair Trade is part to of Comercio Justo which is part of Suma Qamana which is part of Soldiarity Economy – they are all complimentary, interrelated, and international.  This resonates with the indigenous way of being, where complex relationships and an openness for collaboration are key values.  It is networks like these which create expansiveness, public reasoning, diversity and lead, according to Sen’s interpretations, to a greater realization of justice. 

The CAN Comercio Justo goes further than western Fair Trade institutions in defining Fair Trade.  They include the important requirement for reciprocity which was missing in the western model.  This means that openness and transparency must be shared amongst producers and retailers and that a place for dialogue, discussion, and mutual benefit be built into the trade relationship.  CAN Comercio Justo also includes more specific language about the environment, granting human rights to the Pachamama (earth mother goddess).  These rights include the right against pollution, genetically modified products, exploitation and the protection of the creatures and plants which are a part of her.  Note: The Bolivian constitution also grants human rights to Mother Earth.  The United Nations recently adopted Bolivia’s language, renaming Earth Day as Mother Earth Day, recognizing the Pachamama (United Nations, 2010).

The ideas of CAN Comercio Justo and the work of Solidarity Economy, though promising in the study of justice, are still new.   It will be interesting to continue to study their implementation and impact to see how they unfold over time. 

Fair Trade, Knitters, and Leadership

Fair Trade, Knitters, and Leadership

Knitting leaders assumed their leadership roles after leaving traditional lifestyles, motivated by the desire to help other women become empowered, independent, and stand up for their rights.  All have a common grounding in the indigenous women’s rights group, Bartolina Sisa.  Despite common beginnings, there is strong competition and mistrust between knitting leaders, even though they come from an indigenous tradition that strongly support collectivism, solidarity and working together.  It seems knitting leaders are behaving in a manner inconsistent with their values and ethics.  This is area for further study.  A fair trade researcher recently told me a similar situation exists amongst women weaving leaders in Guatemala (though this has not been formally studied).  A broader study of leadership amongst Fair Trade women could help to create more understanding of the challenges they face and lead to the development, again, of a more just Fair Trade model.  Creating access for knitting leaders in Fair Trade policy development and governance will also help to create more justice in this system. 

Knitters as Fair Trade Producers

Knitters as Producers

The knitters had a bittersweet experience with Fair Trade.  One of the greatest impacts Fair Trade had on knitters was the expansion of their capabilities through the development of knitting and organizing skills and the building of self confidence (empowerment).  Fair Trade also helped knitters to realize more opportunities through income generation and the power of regular, group meetings (building public reasoning).  This growth of capabilities and opportunities led to greater freedom for the women (ability to meet outside of the home, control earnings, and manage the family) and a degree of justice was realized.  Knitting participation came at a cost.  There were long hours spent in poor working conditions, emotional stress from work overload (time poverty), unsupportive families, competition, and unpredictable and seasonal orders resulting in a lack of steady work.  Stability it was found is important for improving one’s Quality of Life and the realization of justice.

Though the majority of knitters reported good economic outcomes, the way they were realized, affected the level of which they were enjoyed.  Knitters overwhelmingly had difficulties with a six month payment model for production, even though it helped them to save money and be able to invest into larger things.  Ironically, the only group with this practice (the national norm is monthly pay for knitters and the general public) was the sole Fair Trade institution member.  This payment structure is in violation of the institutional guidelines of fair pay and transparency.  It would be worthwhile to explore this pay system more to understand why and how it came about.  Knitting earnings were invested into children’s wellbeing: education and nutrition, as well as household improvements.

The areas that had greatest positive impact on all knitters was the ability Fair Trade brought them to earn income, a leap in self confidence and empowerment, the development of better time management and knitting skills, and the social support gained from participating in knitting groups.  The greatest challenges were felt in the economic instability associated with irregular orders, a lack of access to regular pay and transparency in pay scales, stress and family strife caused by the need for time to knit and attend meetings, negative health outcomes including feelings of arthritis in hands and shoulders, vision strain, and respiratory ailments from inhaling yarn dust and fibers, and a general lack of understanding of what Fair Trade was and was supposed to do.  It was also noted that Fair Trade did not provide health or employment benefits.  Knitters thought these should be a part of Fair Trade too.

Further research is needed to understand if these benefits and challenges are felt by women Fair Traders in other industries and other countries.  A deeper understanding of the effects of Fair Trade on indigenous women, can help to create a more just and Fair Trade institutional model.  This model can be used as an example for the expansion of Fair Trade into other market sectors influencing government policy, and trade regulation and agreements.  This will be further explored in the next section.

Fair Trade Producers

Fair Trade Producers

Fair Trade benefits non Fair Trade farmers too.  Orthodox economic concerns about Fair Trade being a monopsony and causing lesser development to occur amongst non Fair Trade producers have proved unfounded.  Modeling Fair Trade as a monopsony shows it creates higher labor rates and price thresholds which benefit all regional producers, Fair Trade and non Fair Trade alike. 

According to Sen’s freedom based capabilities approach, Fair Trade leads to greater freedom and the realization of justice.  Fair Trade increases a producer’s capability to engage in something they value by teaching them skills they can use to generate an income with (i.e. knit for export).  Fair Trade grows opportunities by providing market access and income.

Fair Trade produces important non monetary benefits that are often unrecognized by orthodox economic models.    These benefits include a better quality of life, better education and nutrition for children, more positive outlook for self and children, organization and development skills, technical assistance, social support, better price negotiation skills, and medical attention.  The use of social premium funds have led to infrastructure and community improvements such as roads, vehicles, schools, and conservation programs, enjoyed by people outside of the Fair Trade system too.

Fair Trade producers though are feeling disenfranchised as large Fair Trade institutions pressure them for more production, yet give them little space to participate in discussions or decision making.  Large buyers with questionable trade practices are retailing Fair Trade products causing people to question the double standard of Fair Trade (the producers have to be fair but not the buyer).  This erodes Fair Trade’s ability to deliver justice for all.

Women are treaded equally by Fair Trade institutions yet, their lives are quite different than those of men’s.  Women suffer from time poverty, having many more hours of work to do a week than men.  Their participation in Fair Trade comes at a much larger cost as they also have reproductive labor and household work to balance as well.  Women in general, do not have access to decent work; secure, paid, safe labor.  Fair Trade does offer a degree of opportunity that many women might not otherwise have.  Most women realize agency freedom - the freedom not for one’s own self, but for something seen as important - in the educational opportunities they create for their children.  In Bolivia, some women are restricted from participating in Fair Trade by their families.  This minimizes Fair Trade’s ability to advance freedom (unless social reasoning is used to reverse the situation – this is discussed in the next section).  Bolivians experience a poorer quality of life as compared to other Latin American countries.  This is due to Bolivia’s extreme poverty and also effects Bolivian’s access to justice (though recently economic conditions do seem to be improving).

In order for Fair Trade to fully expand justice, the time inequalities in women’s and men’s lives need to be addressed.  It is unfair for women to assume the burden of home work while also working in Fair Trade and get the same compensation as a man without these responsibilities.  A gender premium paid to Fair Trade women by Fair Trade men, would help to alleviate some of this difference and enable the women to hire household help, or afford the option to work less in Fair Trade to have more time for leisure and home work.

Additional studies of other Fair Trade women artisans throughout different parts of the world are recommended to see if there are other obstacles or challenges in women’s lives that effect their ability to experience justice through Fair Trade.  This could be done through Fair Trade Federation memberships and in-country studies.  Keeping in mind that 60% of the Fair Trade knitters in this study were not directly affiliated with a Fair Trade institution, a larger comparative study could be done both between Bolivian and Peruvian Fair Trade groups, in institutions and not, to see 1. how different levels of country wealth and investment affect one’s experience of justice and 2. How access and participation in Fair Trade institutions effect one’s experience of justice. (Note:  The author worked with Fair Trade knitting groups in Peru for a few years and is familiar with knitters in that country too.)