http://coopcoffees.com Here are articles that are taking a look fair trade, its place in the marketplace and as a tool for sustainable development. daily 1 2007-07-31T19:28:09Z http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/Dispatches%20Fair%20Trade.mp3 Long-time Fair Trade promoter and practitioner, Frans van der Hoff, who is best known for co-founding Max Havelaar (precursor to FLO International), recently made a visit to Canada. He was the key-note speaker in York University's "Sustainable Purchasing Symposium", which took place on Sept 24 in Toronto. He also sat down with CBC Radio's host of the program "Dispatches" to discuss the current "crisis" of the movement as large corporations' interests threaten to undermine the reason fair trade came to be in the first place: to empower and protect small-scale farmers. Note: fastforward to 10:35 min No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade 2009-10-16T15:08:35Z File http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/fair-trade-panel In the current Fair Trade market, as box stores move in and companies all claim a stake in corporate social responsibility, the consumer is often left with confusing or mixed messages as to which claim or label is "legitimate." With all the different definitions of "fair" and "responsible," it's quite the challenge for businesses to know what they want to be associated with and for consumers to know what to trust. In a discussion hosted by a local NGO in Montreal, key actors of the Fair Trade and responsible consumption movements -- Coop Coffees included -- addressed these issues and the various perspectives at play. No publisher shannonripley Cooperative Coffees Fair Trade 2009-06-17T14:46:14Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/announcements/announcement-archive/world-fair-trade-day-report Every year, Fair Traders all over the world join forces for "World Fair Trade Day." This year, May 9 was the special day and the Fair Trade Resource Network worked very hard to organize and promote the largest FT Coffee Break in North America. They surpassed their lofty goal of 55,000 participants and successfully reached thousands of consumers all over the continent! Congratulations FTRN and keep up the good work! No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade event 2010-02-12T16:10:37Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/announcements/announcement-archive/peace-coffee-launches-mapmybeans.com A key principle of Fair Trade is traceability; the consumer should be able to follow the path of a delicious cup of joe, bar of chocolate, or sprinkle of sugar back to the farm and coop behind the product. Peace Coffee recently launched a bright, fun, user-friendly website for people to dig deeper into their daily brew and learn about where the coffee comes from and who produces it. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade Members 2010-02-12T16:10:37Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/announcements/announcement-archive/ftf-elects-new-board-2009 Earlier in May, the Fair Trade Federation - the association of dedicated Fair Trade organizations in North America - held elections for their 2009 Board of Directors. They've posted the results and we're thrilled to see that Coop Coffees' own Monika Firl will be joining the other new and remaining members for what will surely be a productive and collaborative year of Fair Trade! No publisher shannonripley Announce Fair Trade 2010-02-12T16:10:37Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/news_item.2009-05-01.6470635881 Cadbury, the British company responsable for the U.K.'s top-selling chocolate bar (the Dairy Milk) has announced that they will increase their purchases of Fair Trade certified cocoa to 15,000 tonnes by summer 2009. The company is jumping on the Fair Trade bandwagon that has caught the attention of many big shot coffee and chocolate companies. They've set up a blog devoted to the "Cadbury Cocoa Partnership" -- the name they've given their initiative to enter the Fair Trade market. Below, an article from BBC News gives further details of the announcement. No publisher shannonripley News Fair Trade 2009-05-01T17:35:25Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/fair-trade-on-npr It's not often that Fair Trade takes the spotlight in mainstream news and media. On April 20, NPR broadcasted a short report about Fair Trade on their popular program "Morning Edition." After recent announcements from chocolate kings Mars and Cadbury that they will buy cocoa sourced with "certain environmental and labor standards" in practice, NPR examines the movement and its potential drive into more mass-marketed arenas. No publisher shannonripley News Fair Trade 2009-05-14T16:32:01Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/quebec-documentary Tortuga Films, a local Quebec independent film company, recently released a poignant and charming film that features the stories of three children living in farming cooperatives in Central America. "Campesinos...la terre nous va rester" (we will inherit the earth) has gotten much attention in Quebec, entering a number of film festivals and won a couple of local awards in filmmaking. The film was featured in the Quebec film festival in February by the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal and was sold out within minutes of the ticket booth's opening. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade 2009-03-18T00:56:20Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/announcements/announcement-archive/ifat-becomes-wfto During the IFAT annual general assembly held in Sri Lanka in October 2008, the decision was made by a 91% majority to change the organization's name to World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). The following article appears on the WFTO's newly revamped website in February and the organization will be in a period of transition over the next several months. No publisher shannonripley Announce Fair Trade 2010-02-12T16:10:35Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/announcements/announcement-archive/world-fair-trade-day Coop Coffees is a proud sponsor of World Fair Trade Day (WFTD), an international celebration of Fair Trade. This year’s events will be taking place in over 80 countries worldwide and in North America, Fair Traders plan on breaking the record number of participants (50,000!) in the Fair Trade Coffee Break! The theme of this year’s World Fair Trade Day is Everything is better when it’s fair. No publisher shannonripley Announce Fair Trade event 2010-02-12T16:10:36Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/obama-and-fair-trade As the newly inaugurated President of the United States steps up to the plate to fill one of the most powerful positions in our day, the world anxiously awaits to see what will become of his ambitious plans – and promises – for change. Promoters of Fair Trade are just as eager to see what will become of Obama’s rhetorical shift towards fairer and more equal terms of international commerce. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade 2009-02-17T20:26:45Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/flo-reviews-business-model Nearly 10 years into its development, FLO has fallen increasingly under scrutiny as actors in the world of Fair Trade are becoming more and more wary of the organization's commitment to the well-being of small-scale producers. In response to the criticism, FLO has recently agreed that change should happen...now we all wait with eager anticipation to see how their plans unfold. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade Newsletter 2008-12-19T19:43:17Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/credit-crisis-and-fair-trade The "tsunami" of financial troubles that has ripped through Wall Street and sent panic and fear into Main Street poses several tough questions and situations for the Fair Trade business. In a commentary released in September, authors at Fair Trade Federation notify readers of the direct impacts of the crisis as well as advice for those involved in Fair Trade businesses. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade 2008-09-29T15:34:31Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/ifat-s-standard-just-another-label IFAT believes that “a modern, voluntary, worldwide standard is needed to identify and define the rules of Fair Trade.” In August 2008, IFAT announced a new certification process (SFTMS) that is expected to help FTO’s differentiate themselves further from conventional buyers and sellers by providing the “seel” for corporate social responsibility. They’ve posted a series of notes and explanations on their website and have invited the public to comment on the Standard’s draft. No publisher shannonripley Fair Trade IFAT 2008-10-22T13:33:31Z News Item http://coopcoffees.com/all_news/media/articles/a-response-to-a-fair-trade-naysayer An unfortunate, although increasingly common response to new, against-the-grain ideas (like Fair Trade) is the outcry from skeptical naysayers who’d prefer to put a stop to anything that challenges their view of the world. So, with Fair Trade gaining momentum worldwide, more folks have started paying attention to it, which also means that more people are looking for an excuse to call Fair Trade “bad”. No publisher sylvietrottier Fair Trade 2008-08-25T19:33:49Z News Item