We’ve chosen our three winners for this Month’s Fair Trade Clothing Giveaway!
#1 Grand Prize goes to Pam R, who will receive a $100 Gift Certificate to Jute and Jackfruit for the items of her choice! Pam wrote to us with this lovely comment:
I like that fair trade is ensuring that people in disadvantaged countries aren’t being taken advantage of so that we can get a “good deal”. I’m rather partial to fair trade cocoa….
Runner Up – 2 Rebecca wins an organic cotton and fair trade T-shirt or Tank top of her choice. Rebecca has chosen this lovely organic cotton and fair trade cross back tank by Indigenous Designs.
Rebecca wrote, I like that fair trade doesn’t take advantage of people. I <3 fair trade cocoa!
Runner Up – 3 Nabihah also wins an organic cotton and fair trade T-shirt or Tank top of her choice. Rebecca has chosen the same organic cotton and fair trade cross back tank by Indigenous Designs, but in the pink color.
Nabihah wrote I love that fair trade supports those that are underprivileged. It creates equality to those that need it most and ensures they have a good quality of life, as they definitely deserve. I’d say fair trade coffee and cocoa would be my favourites – as a drinker of both, I’d like to know that I’m participating in something that’s good for everyone.
As we mentioned earlier this month, May is Fair Trade Month and it is also one of our favorite months to celebrate Spring and the warmer weather. To invite you to join in the fun, we are offering a $100 Gift Certificate to Jute and Jackfruit good toward any of our clothing items. In addition, we are giving away two organic cotton T-shirts or tanks of your choice for a total of three (3) lucky winners.
How to Enter: Participation is easy. Simply submit a comment on this blog post with the the following:
(1) What it is you like about fair trade, and
(2) Your favorite fair trade product (maybe its fair trade coffee, or cocoa, or maybe its even clothing (!) such as one of our items by Indigenous Designs.
In addition, we’d like to invite you to help Jute and Jackfruit win a website make-over this month through Volusion’s Supermompreneur Contest. Please check out our entry to this contest to learn more about our company and the founder. After reading this, please click on the “like” button to help us win! Your vote really does count! We also encourage you to join our Facebook page so you can be the first to learn of our big sales, contests and other news. Neither of these are mandatory for the contest, but we encourage you to do this (if you have not already done so) to be a larger part of Jute and Jackfruit.
Special Fair Trade Month Sale. As part of our commemoration of Fair Trade Month we are featuring our leading organic cotton and fair trade clothing label, Indigenous Designs. For a limited time, our entire collection is listed at 35% off. If you have not already tried this line, we encourage you to do so. And if you happen to be one of the lucky winners for the Giveaway we encourage you to give them a try with your prize. Featured below is the organic cotton and Tencel Melange Hoodie and Tank dress) as an example of easy-to-wear dresses and premium knitwear.
Indigenous Designs ~ Organic Fair Trade Apparel 35% for May
Contest Details
Start Date: Today, Sunday May 22, 2011
End Date: June 10th, 2011
All three Winners Announced: June 12, 2011
Grand Prize: $100 Gift Certificate to Jute and Jackfruit which can be used toward any of our clothing merchandise. Must be redeemed within 30 days.
Runners Up (2): There will be two runners up chosen and each will have the choice of any one of our organic cotton T-shirts or Tanks. Choose from a wide variety of beautiful, super soft, comfortable tees and tanks at Jute and Jackfruit. Perfect for yoga or every day wear. Valued up to $58 each retail.
Winners will be selected by Random.org as we have done in the past. We will announce the winners on our blog and we will email the winners directly as well.
We look forward to hearing from you!
World Fair Trade Day was officially yesterday (May 14th), but as we mentioned in our opening post on fair trade month, May is a celebration of fair trade worldwide. So we are making the push for fair trade breakfasts for the rest of this month. For World Fair Trade day, Fair Trade USA and other organizations are promoting bringing fair trade into breakfast under their campaign, “Wake up the World”, partly because it is so easy to do! Now that the quantity and quality of fair trade products on the market now has expanded dramatically, there is no need to compromise on quality nor price. From delicious morning brews, to exotic and familiar teas, cocoa, bananas, pineapples and more, there are lots of options to bring a taste of fair trade into your morning start.
If you have not tried fair trade, organic products coffee or tea yet, this is the time to do. My personal favorite is Love Buzz by Equal Exchange, but another stellar pick is Uprising by Dean’s Beans, and the Organic Fair Trade Peruvian blend at Trader Joe’s. What is your favorite? We’d love to know.
Photosource: http://www.trumbullcongregational.org
Now on the market for many years, the quality and flavor of many of these products– from coffee and tea to cocoa, bananas, chocolate, and other fruits has grown so high. I sometimes do taste tests with the comparable conventional brands, and a majority of time, the fair trade organic brand wins out on flavor and quality. What is great too is that the prices have dropped substantially over the past several years due to the increase in demand and also supply. So there is no reason not to make change with your breakfast, by voting for the most economically, socially and environmentally responsible choice available on the market. Most of these choices are available at even the most mainstream of supermarkets now (no need to go to a health food store), or if you are like me and dont have any time to shop any more, you can simply order online.
For another fun, refreshing way to start out the day with some fair trade “fare”, try this delicious oatmeal recipe.
Makes 4 servings
Cooking + Preparation time: 12-15 minutes)
This hearty and nutritional oatmeal breakfast with fair trade cacao and blueberries is an excellent first meal to start the day. Not only will it will keep you satisfied until lunch, but will also provide the necessary nutrients, protein and fiber to keep you highly energized and productive! Add a cup of fair trade coffee and you will be well on your way to a fantastic fair trade day!
4 cups of water
2 cups of rolled oats
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Fair Trade Certified Casacao Cacao Powder
½ cup of blueberries
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Almond, soy, rice, or regular milk (optional)
1. Combine water, oatmeal, and salt in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until water has been reduced, or oatmeal has been cooked to the consistency of your liking (about 7-8 minutes).
3.Take oatmeal off the heat and stir in Casacao Cacao Powder (a little goes a long way!).
(Add the optional Soy, rice, almond milk)
4.Serve oatmeal in a bowl and add the blueberries and sprinkle ground cinnamon (equal parts per serving).
Add or substitute with other great fruits, such as bananas and strawberries for variety. If you choose bananas, bananas are increasingly available in almost all grocery stores now as a fair trade (or whole trade) option. If your local store does not carry them, do inquire, because even the major banana companies offer fair trade and organic options. Whole Foods often carries fair trade and organic bananas. My personal favorite is Equal Exchange. I trust that company in terms of their core values (both organic and fair trade always), plus their bananas are really good! If you have never tried an organic banana, give it a try– I even recommend a taste test, they have a lot of flavor!
Enjoy!!
Photosource: GoNomad Blog
Buying and supporting fair trade apparel is a core value for Jute and Jackfruit, and we aim to carry the highest quality, ethical and sustainable fashion available. Emphasizing quality over quantity, we want you, our customers, to love what you buy so that it’s worn again and again, and not thrown away after one season or use.
May is fair trade month, and we look forward to commemorating it every year by reaching out to all our fellow fair trade companies in other industries so that we can embrace the fair trade movement. This is a time for companies, individuals, organizations, schools, and churches to celebrate fair trade and to spark a dialogue among peers.
Therefore, we’re taking this opportunity to spark a dialogue with our readers, to reflect on what fair trade means to Jute and Jackfruit, and to ask you to think about what it means to you.
Defining Fair Trade:
Quality Products, Improving Lives, Protecting the Planet
TransFair: Fair Trade USA Logo
TransFair, which is known in the USA as Fair Trade USA, is the official certifying body for Fair Trade products in the United States. According to Fair Trade USA, Fair Trade goods are just that: quality products that improve lives and protect the planet. They are Fair in all aspects (define what this means: Fair with respect to wages, work conditions, etc.). Products that bear the Transfair logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated. Fair Trade USA helps farmers in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities. The term Fair Trade signifies investments in non-U.S. communities that are working to get out of poverty. (Meanwhile, there are certainly many communities in the US that are also working hard to get out of poverty, but the terms we would use in that case would be a combination of fair wages, community empowerment, and/or micro-lending programs.)
Although Fair Trade USA is not-for-profit, they are quick to point out that they are not a charity. Instead, the organization teaches disadvantaged communities how to use the free market to support and improve their communities. With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can and does improve the lives in an entire community.
Fair Trade in the United States began modestly in the 1940s when a few small North American and European organizations reached out to poverty stricken communities to help them sell their handicrafts to well-off markets. Later, according to Fair Trade USA, “a fictional Dutch character, Max Havelaar, was developed as an advocate for exploited coffee pickers”.
Today, Fair Trade is a global movement. Fair Trade USA and the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), which is based in Europe, have extended their reach beyond crafts and coffee. Consumers can invest in developing countries by relieving exploitation and promoting environmental sustainability through their purchases of certified Fair Trade-labeled tea, cocoa, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, sugar, honey, wine, flowers, grains and rubber products.
Transfair began certifying U.S. products in the coffee industry, and that quickly spread to tea and cocoa. As on the movement has grown, the Transfair has begun certifying a whole host of food and beverage products.
Fair Trade Apparel
In the last 2 years, Transfair began a pilot program to certify apparel. So if you have not seen fair trade labels on clothing yet (including the black and white symbol above), this is why!
Jute and Jackfruit could not be more excited about this new initiative of certifying apparel, which is a much needed advancement in the clothing industry. One of our designers, Indigenous Designs, has been applying fair trade principles to their work for the last 15 years and is one of the first companies in the USA to sell fair trade-certified apparel.
Indigenous Designs is a member of Green America, Organic Trade Association, B Corporation, and Green Steps. Jute and Jackfruit is proud to carry their casual, chic lines, which are great for active lifestyles, travel, and layering for work and weekend wear. I personally LOVE their sweaters, which are hand loomed or knit from high-quality alpaca, merino wool, and organic cotton.
 Indigenous Designs Melange Hoodie |
 Indigenous Designs Halter Dress |
Since most apparel companies are not fair trade certified (and those that manufacture in developed countries are not eligible for the designation), it is our job as an ethical fashion boutique to do our diligence on how products are made and make sure that workers are treated well, paid fairly, and have some level of job security.
Presently at Jute and Jackfruit, most of our designers are USA-based, and make their clothing in the USA (for example, Feral Childe, Kelly Lane, Prairie Underground, Rebe).
One of the reasons why we carry designers who design, cut, and sew in the USA, is because a majority of the organic and ethical fashion movement is happening right here in the USA. It is difficult to find companies that are producing garments overseas in a fair trade manner and that are also using organic and sustainable fabrics.
We are proud to carry made in USA organic clothing, knowing that most of these garments are also small-batch, limited-edition, sewn by professional tailors in the USA, which also has the benefit of giving people here in the USA work opportunities in the apparel industry.
Indigenous Designs is one of the FEW companies that we have identified that use organic and sustainable materials and employ fair trade practices.
Fair Trade Fashion Accessories
Presently, many fashion accessories are not yet eligible for Fair Trade certification by Transfair. In the interim, the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) was formed to serve as a third-party auditing organization for companies or non-profits that want to be labeled fair trade. Several of Jute and Jackfruit’s designers are FTF members: Sevya, Escama Studio, Be Sweet are a few.
In addition to their FTF memberships, these companies also employ environmentally sustainable practices such as using organic and/or recycled materials. For example, Escama Studio, which makes recycled soda pull-tab handbags, gives a share of its profits back to the cooperative of women who crochet the handbags. (This profit sharing is in addition to the fair wages paid to the workers.) Be Sweet scarves and handbags are made from all natural fibers by a cooperative of women in Cape Town, South Africa. Finally, our Sevya Scarves (which make wonderful Mother’s Day gifts) are hand-loomed and dyed by a women’s cooperative in India, and all the proceeds go back to the Sevya Foundation.
Shop for Fair Trade and Ethical Products
We hope this overview gives you a better sense of what fair trade is and is not. We know it can be confusing, which is why we want to initiate this dialogue. There are so many terms being thrown around in the marketplace today that it is no wonder that consumers get confused.
In summary, we’d like to leave you with three thoughts– (1) if you are buying a food or beverage product, check to see if the Fair Trade logo (black and white) is on there. If it is not, then the product is NOT fair trade certified; (2) if you are buying a handicraft or other accessory, check to see if the company is a member of Fair Trade Federation. If not, see if there is any other evidence of empowering communities and fair trade; and (3) if you are buying apparel, do your diligence on the company and see if it is ethically sourced. If the company says nothing about this, or says only “Imported”, it’s not likely that the product was made using fair trade principles.
Let us know your thoughts and questions on this topic. We want to hear from you!
May 3rd, 2011 in
About,
Accessories,
Be Sweet,
Clothing,
Escama Studio,
Fair trade,
Feral Childe,
Indigenous Designs,
Kelly Lane,
Prairie Underground,
Rebe | tags:
FAIR TRADE MONTH |
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