Fair Trade Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
Sustainability + community empowerment + poverty alleviation
www.fairtradela.org

Since 2005, Fair Trade Los Angeles (FTLA) has worked to enhance Southern California’s knowledge of fair trade. By educational events, participating in community gatherings to share quality fair trade products, unifying fair trade merchants and mobilizing people of faith to the moral imperatives of fair trade, FTLA is expanding the demand for fair trade products. In the past two years, FTLA launched the Fair Trade Towns initiative in the region. With collaborative support for fair trade by businesses, government, community organizations and diverse faith traditions, Claremont, Irvine, Long Beach, Pasadena and South Pasadena are working to meet the criteria to achieve Fair Trade Town status.

The Fair Trade model works towards economic and environmental justice but needs local communities to spread the word. With one half of the world living on $2 a day or less, their lives become a struggle for survival. When their communities unify in a cooperative to sell agricultural or artisan goods in the world market place, the fair trade model offers resources to provide the necessities of life and enhance neighborhoods with schools and health care facilities. Annually, over $4 billion of fair trade goods are produced through 3000 cooperatives. By not exploiting workers in seeking the cheapest price, they uphold the moral, social contract of standing in solidarity with all people. Environmentally, fair trade encourages organic, sustainable crops and recycling. Without the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, farmers are protected from exposure to toxins in the fields and consumers from products they eat. Land is respected with composting, terracing and reforestation to minimize soil erosion. Usually, fair trade crops increase biodiversity in the food chain as farmers select historical, regional varieties to plant and this provides the added benefit of offering habitat for birds and animals. Furthermore, many artisans use recycled materials to make jewelry, tote bags and baskets. By promoting natural sustainability and diversity, fair trade promotes a greener planet. Nonetheless fair trade needs people to buy into it, so FTLA works to share this amazing movement with our local community.

FLTA has worked with many other green organizations and events to promote Fair Trade. For instance, Pasadena recently worked with C.I.C.L.E. during Bike to Work Week; they held a “Taste of Fair Trade” bike ride in different stores and cafes in Pasadena to sample fair trade products and learn more about the movement. The event as a whole promoted living responsibly on a local and global level. Also, Long Beach has been working with the Long Beach City College Fashion Department to design fashionable clothes that the fair trade/ sweat-free/ organic sewing cooperative Nueva Vida in Nicaragua could make and sell. FTLA was able to fly two women from the cooperative to Long Beach to see the fashion show and attend Fair Trade events around Los Angeles. This not only helped these women in Nicaragua live economically sustainable lives, but taught students and the community about how and where the clothing they purchase is made.

With the green grant, Fair Trade Los Angeles’ activities will further promote Fair Trade Towns, distribute educational resources and engage people in the movement. The overlying objective will work towards making fair trade a mainstream option with a diversity of goods for consumers in Southern California, while the lives of people in another continent or hemisphere move beyond poverty and sustainability for the earth benefits in a greener planet for all.

Joan Harper, FTLA Coordinator, and Theo Chocolate Representative Kim Phan at the World Fair Trade Day Caravan in Long Beach.

The Nueva Vida Sewing Cooperative, the Fair Trade, sweat-free, organic Nicaraguan women’s sewing cooperative that works with the Long Beach City College’s Fashion Department and FTLA.

FTLA and Nueva Vida at fair trade wine tasting event in South Pasadena.

The “A Taste of Fair Trade” bike ride event was held in conjunction with C.I.C.L.E. during Bike to Work Week in Pasadena. The bike ride’s last stop at Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena. Bikers are learning about fair trade.