Fair Trade Project News: Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State

"Now please have a heart and buy only Fair Trade chocolate"
Several eighth grade students at Brentwood West Middle School in Bayside, NY recently wrote to the CEOs of the Hershey and Nestle Companies urging them to use only Fair Trade cocoa in their candy. [Click here to view samples of their work in PDF form.]

LRC Fair Trade Coordinator Anne Kelly visited Brentwood classes in November 2009 to answer students' questions about the daily lives of children in West African countres such as Ivory Coast and Ghana. Often low prices for cocoa force children to work in cocoa production which means that they regularly miss school, perform dangerous tasks and suffer injury and sickness.

Brentwood teachers have developed lessons about Fair Trade through their interaction with the LRC Fair Trade Project. To learn more about Fair Trade resources for teachers and students, see NYSUT's online Social Justice and Labor Center.

Fair Trade Curiculum Resources promoted by NYSUT
The Social Justice and Labor Center section at www.nysut.org includes a newly compiled resource list for teachers who are involving students with Fair Trade. New York State United Teachers, a union with over 500,000 members, has resolved to partner with the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS to promote and support Fair Trade and international solidarity. The list is also available here [PDF] and as part of the Resources section on this site.

In cooperation with Equal Exchange, Fair Trade Promoter Anne Kelly led a small delegation of NYSUT union leaders to see fair trade in action here in the United States. Southern Alternatives is the first domestic Fair Trade project and the first African-American owned and operated pecan facility--and it is run by women. The cooperative buys pecans from its own member growers, African-American farmers like Diann Johnson.

"Through Equal Exchange, we know that we'll receive a set price, and we can count on that income.... Also, through Equal Exchange we can receive pre-harvest loans," said Ms Johnson.

Delegates to the NYSUT Representative Assembly in Buffalo, NY, April 1-3, 2009, had the opportunity to meet Ms. Johnson and three other Fair Trade pecan producers, Carrie Thomas, Gussie Bess and Ruby Hawkins. They are among the women who grow and process the pecans you purchase from Equal Exchange through this link!

To remind us of the positive relationships between growers and consumers that are central to fair trade, the above image is now available on a magnet. (Click here to send us a message, and we will mail your magnet.) The magnet was distributed at the Representative Assembly of New York State United Teachers, April 9-12, 2008.

Rehima Hussein, twelve years old in this photo, is one of 15 children. She and her coffee-farming family live in Ethiopia, far from town. Thanks to the economic benefits of Fair Trade, Rehima graduated from high school and now attends college. Fair trade premiums benefit the entire community and allow farmers to support their families. Parents can afford to keep their children in school rather than sending them to work in the fields.

Rehima's family is a member of the Orimia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Ethiopia. “Before Fair Trade, people might walk 15-30 kilometers (9-18 miles) to a nearby school,” said Tadesse Meskela, the cooperative general manager. “Because of Fair Trade, there is now a health center in the village, a school and a clean water station. But this is just a start. There are only four cooperatives that benefit from the school and the health center, and we have more than 100 cooperatives.”

“We don’t ask for charity,” said Meskela. “We ask for the right price for our product.”

The cost of a cup of coffee
Diane DiChiara, a teacher in the Wappingers Central School district writes about her quest for that perfect cup of coffee – Fair Trade style. Diane is a member of New York State United Teachers which, by committing to promote and educate about Fair Trade, shows solidarity and support for workers around the world.

Click here to read her article (PDF) from the Wappingers Congress of Teachers newsletter (Sept. 12, 2008). Diane learned about the LRC Fair Trade Project at the NYSUT Summer Leadership Conference in August where she attended a workshop titled "Social Justice Issues in the Classroom and Beyond."

During her quest, Diane was informed that all Starbucks coffee is Fair Trade, though not labeled as such. However, only 6% of Starbucks coffee is certified Fair Trade.

She also mentions Dean’s Beans coffee as a source for internet purchases. Dean’s Beans is a 100% Fair Trade company and a business partner of the Labor-Religion Coalition's Fair Trade Project. If a customer orders by clicking on any Dean's Beans link on this site, Dean will make a donation of 10% of the order total to the Labor-Religion so that we can continue and expand the work of the Fair Trade Project.

NYSUT Task Force member witnesses profound impact of Fair Trade in the Dominican Republic

As a member of the NYSUT Fair Trade Task Force, Quinn joined LRC staff members Anne Kelly and Maureen Casey and others in a visit to the CONACADO cooperative from April 16-23, 2008. Read more from the September issue of The Voice—"Unions: Cacao farmers deserve fair shake through Fair Trade"

Anne Kelly, LRC Fair Trade Promoter (and photographer), has created a series of posters to illustrate basic Fair Trade principles and show how Fair Trade makes a difference. Click here to see the images and print a set to display. These four photos were taken on a delegation led by Equal Exchange to the Dominican Republic in April 2008. For a more detailed history, visit the Equal Exchange website or go right to CONACADO's website .

A resolution to promote and facilitate the use of Fair Trade products in the 17 regional offices in the NYSUT network passed at the 2008 New York State United Teachers Representative Assembly in April. The path-breaking resolution also calls on the union to negotiate with facilities housing NYSUT functions to serve only fair trade products during the events.

The third Labor-Religion Coalition Fair Trade Eyewitness Delegation to Nicaragua coffee cooperatives is set for February 14-21, 2010! Call International Project Coordinator Maureen Casey to learn more: 518/ 213-6000, ext. 6294. For details, click here.

A grant of $10,000 from the Presbyterian Hunger Program will support the growth of the Coalition's Fair Trade Project.

Tthe Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) advocates for fair trade policies and has committed to serving and/ or selling fair trade products in congregations. Voting delegates at the 213th General Assembly (2001) passed a resolution concerning fair trade coffee and tea as well as organic sugar. Visit the Just Trade section of the PCUSA Web site for more.