South Florida Fair Trade Alliance

October is FAIR TRADE MONTH!

2011-10-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Support your local Fair Trade, even if it means going out of your way! It's worth it!
People wonder WHY they don't see more Fair Trade stores and products in South Florida. ??
It's because of the high cost of living here, the high cost of overhead expenses, and the lack of knowledge amongst the general public as to WHAT Fair Trade is. So, if you are AWARE, show that you CARE, and help promote FAIR TRADE IN SOUTH FLORIDA! Thank you~

Mission Gifts

2010-02-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

After more than 20 years of doing development work in Asia, Mission Gifts has just opened it's first full-scale retail store, on Las Olas Blvd. in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Mission Gift's focus is on providing employment for rescue centers around the world, working with victims of human trafficking, street children, people leaving prostitution, HIV-AIDS patients and dump dwellers. Pictured (top) are Puresa Organics cotton and jute handbags made in Nepal and India, Hagar bags made from recycled feed sacks/Cambodia & Viet Nam, and shorts made from recycled floursacks in the Philippines. Second picture: XSProject bag made from recycled toothpaste packaging, from Indonesia. Third picture: "Light of the World Lamps", sold exclusively through Mission Gifts and the Upper Room Art Gallery, contain bamboo and organic (tree-free) handmade paper from an economic development project among the poor in the Philippines. Last picture: organic handmade soaps, packaged in gift boxes made from handmade paper.

MISSION GIFTS is located at 1200 E. Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale 33301 and has free indoor parking just off of Tarpon Drive, for it's customers. 954-828-1505. http://www.missiongifts.net/

Current hours are: Tuesday-Thursday: 1:00-7:00pm, Friday: 2:00-10:30pm, Saturday: 4:00-10:30pm

Closed Sunday & Monday

Upper Room Art Gallery

2010-02-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

You don't normally hear of an Art Gallery being considered a "Fair Trade" institution, but the Upper Room falls into that category. All of the artists represented by the Upper Room Art Gallery are either employing people in the production of the artwork, or are funding economic development projects through the sale of their artwork. Architect and designer Wendy Fernando-Regalado creates incredible lamps from organic handmade paper that employs people in a resettlement area of the Philippines.

Fine Art furniture artist Benji Reyes of the Philippines creates employment for 17 men by hand-sanding the exotic hardwoods that he recycles from demolished buildings. His exquisite designs not only speak volumes about the need to stop deforestation, but he also cares for the craftsmen by providing healthy and caring working environments.

Artist Ann Wizer's work employs garbage pickers in Jakarta, Indonesia, through her foundation XSProject. Her chairs are made from non-biodegradable single use packaging which has been saved from going to the landfill. She employs workers to hand wash the packaging, then hand cut into thin strips, which are then formed into this amazingly comfortable and one-of-a-kind furniture. The Upper Room currently has one of these chairs for sale at the gallery.

http://www.upperroomartgallery.com/

also on Facebook

1200 E. Las Olas Blvd., downtown Ft. Lauderdale

954-828-1505

Current hours are: Tuesday-Thursday: 1:00-7:00pm, Friday: 2:00-10:30pm, Saturday: 4:00-10:30pm, Closed Sunday & Monday

SERRV at First Presbyterian Church, downtown Fort Lauderdale

2010-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

Most Sunday's you will find a table of Fair Trade goods for sale on the lawn of the First Presbyterian Church, next to the beautiful Colee Hammock Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Volunteers at this church have been dedicated to selling the products from SERRV International, for years now. They have successfully raised money, awareness, and have offered their congregation a means to buy socially conscious merchandise.

View more info at:http://www.firstpres.cc/local.asp

To find out more about SERVV products, visit their informative website at: http://www.serrv.org/
First Presbyterian is located at 401 SE 15th Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. phone: 954-462-6200

Kopali Organics

2010-02-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

Kopali Organics has their main headquarters in Miami, and can be reached at 305-751-7341. Their healthy snack products are available in all South Florida Whole Foods.

A delicious variety of organic and fair trade products mostly from Central America. Visit their website at http://www.kopaliorganics.com/ or find them on Facebook.

MarketPlace at Coral Gables Congregational Church

2010-02-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

Coral Gables Congregational Church has led the way in South Florida for advancing the cause of Fair Trade, and has been promoting it for years with their Fair Trade store "MarketPlace", which gets bigger and better every year.

Visit them at 3010 DeSoto Blvd, Coral Gables, Florida 33134.
Hours of operation: Sunday:10-2pm; Monday 11-1 pm, Tuesday 2-5pm; Wednesday 3-7:30pm, Thursday 3-5pm; Friday 11-5pm, Saturday 11 -5pm
Phone Number: 305.448.7421, ext. 165
e-mail: fairtrade@ucc-cgcc.org

Whole Foods

2010-02-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

Whole Foods has a large variety of Fair-Trade products. Just look for the various labels (more about labels in a separate post....)

Starbucks

2010-02-27T17:32:00.001-08:00

Starbucks carries a Fair Trade coffee called "Estima", which is a bold mixture from a variety of fair-trade farmers in Mexico and Central America. Read more about their involvement with Fair Trade, here: http://www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet/ethicalInternal.aspx?story=fairTrade