Fairtrade USA First CEO – Hans Theyer

Fairtrade America the new organization in place of the Fairtrade International system (FIS) in the United State., today announces the appointment of Hans P. Theyer as its executive director. Prior to joining Fairtrade USA, Hans helped create and run a consult practice specialize in developing social impact strategy for businesses. 

He earlier served as Executive Director of Agros International (EDAI), a non-profit organization devoted to rural poverty alleviation throughout Central America and Mexico. Hans was a leader in Microsoft Rural Computing effort, an initiative to empower emerging markets throughout the rural, developing world with access to information and communications technology.

First from Chile, Hans holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from UK Business School. He has 20 years of experience in business including sales, marketing and business development positions with Microsoft and leading international banking institutions.

The real benefit for farmers and workers

The Fairtrade system provides real benefits to small farmers and workers, consumers and the surroundings. 

1. Small farmers and workers: about 1.2 million workers and farmers in 58 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from Fairtrade. Some of the benefits of Fairtrade include:

• Increased power improved role in the trade of their make

• Improved access to low or no-interest loans

• Technical assistance for building communications to improve production

• Communications systems, and collectively-owned transport and processing tools

• Better health care and education

2. Consumers: The Fairtrade system benefits consumers by 

• Having the chance to buy in line with their principles 

• Being empower them to play their part in addressing global trade inequity

• Getting in exchange high feature products

3. Environment: Fairtrade rewards and encourage farming and production practices that are environmentally sustainable as,

Integrated farm management systems which minimize pollutants, pesticide and herbicides

• Organic farming techniques

• Banning the use of most dangerous pesticide

The Fairtrade premium for development

Whether the minimum price has been activate or not, producer organizations are always paid a Fairtrade premium this is a mandatory amount above the cost of the goods that producers themselves make a decision how to spend, according to their needs. The premium is most often invested in farm improvements to increase yield and excellence, processing facilities to increase income, and teaching and healthcare projects. 

The use of the Fairtrade premium is decided democratically. Members of producer organizations formed of small scale farmers decide in their general assembly meeting. On a farm or farm using hired labour, a democratically selected Joint Body made up of management and a majority of selected worker legislature decides how to use the premium. The premium can only be used for the social and economic advantage of the workers, their families and communities, not for company owners.

Producers are at the heart of Fairtrade

 

Producers jointly own and manage Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International, the global body for Fairtrade. They are representing on the Board of Directors. Through the Board and its committees, producers are involved in decisions on overall policy and setting prices, premiums and standards.

Market leader

Since Fair trades beginnings in the 1980s and the launch of the present FAIRTRADE Mark in 2002, Fairtrade has become the most widely recognized ethical label in the world. Sales of Fairtrade certified products have been growing at an average of 40% per year over the last 5 years. 

Fairtrade has achieved extremely strong market share in certain markets, including 53% of bananas in Switzerland and 22% of ground coffee in the UK. There are now over 10,000 Fairtrade products sold in over 70 countries. Sales of Fairtrade products are currently taking off in new markets including Eastern Europe and South Africa.

Independent certification

FLO CERT, the independent certification body for Fairtrade is the only ISO 65 accredited ethical certification scheme. Three out of 4 consumers believe independent certification is the best way to verify a product’s ethical claims.

The Fair Trade Developing Villages side

Ten Thousand Villages is an excellent source for unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serve ware and personal accessories in place of the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. One of the world largest fair trade organizations and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization the company strive to develop the living of 10000 of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries.

Ten Thousand Villages accomplishes this by establishing a sustainable market for handmade products in North America, and building long term buying relationships in places where skilled artisan partners lack opportunity for stable income. Product sales help pay for food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.

Our Vision

One day all artisans in the developing countries will earn a fair wage, be treated with dignity and deference and be able to live a life of quality.

Our Mission

Ten Thousand Villages mission is to create opportunity for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long term fair trading relationships.

Our Name

The inspiration for our name Ten Thousand Villages came from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages we have hardly always paused to query if these folks get sufficient to eat and clothe themselves with. To us, each village in the world represents a unique, distinctive people offering surprising products born of their rich cultures and traditions.

Our Logo

Our logo represents the values we want to invest in the name 10000 Villages. The continuous line of rooftops reminds us we are all linked together as we live on this earth. The light in the doors and windows reminds us of homes of people with whom we work in many villages. The warm red color and hand etched edge stand for the materials and methods used to make the excellence handicrafts we sell. Multiply the village idea by 10000 and it represents the world we are working to build.

Fairtrade Fortune Cookies Products

Cookies-4 U Chocó has affected Fairtrade Fortune Cookies for well over 10 years. In this time we have full-grown to be one of the leading suppliers within the promotional industry. Our developed partners have supplied Cookies to the restaurant trade for well over 20 years. 

Our factory operates on a 24 hour cycle, enabling us to process and deliver orders in fast time. Our website contains a 24 hour ordering system, which enables our meting out system to run seamlessly. Cookies4U are specialist suppliers of Own Message fortune cookies to all types of organization. An ideal innovative promotional product for promotions, exhibitions, conferences, free draws competition and events. 

All our fortune cookie products have a 9 month shelf life as they come per-packed in a strong foil package. The outer foil can be printed to contain your corporate logo and company message.

Fortune cookie messages can be printed in color and contain your corporate logo. All messages are produced in an exclusive manner to make them effective in reaching your target audience. For special occasion we can supply fortune cookies for marriage proposals, competition and prize draws with a unique message mixed with standard messages.

Our customers include schools, universities and major organizations such as Self ridges, Shell Petroleum and Lloyd TSB. We support charity such as Oxfam and Fairtrade and have supplied Trade craft in support of the Make shortage History campaign.

Brand awareness is a main aspect for any business by utilizing unique methods your brand will become more terrific. Personalized cookies are certainly a cost useful unique way of reaching your target audience.

Fairtrade Fortnight Used

The Fairtrade organization was set up to create opportunity for farmers and workers in the developing globe, to ensure they get a fair deal. The Fairtrade premium from products sold goes towards supporting communities, invest in local projects and helping to develop working conditions for many farmers.

There is a wide range of Fair trade-certified goods available at Tesco, with all from finest tea, coffee and fruit, wine and chocolate. Working with producers from community around the globe, the organization makes a positive giving to each and each one. Here are a few of our new Fairtrade products that we have added to our line in the last (2012) year.

Fairtrade Fruits with Alphonso Mango Smoothie

Our Tropical Smoothie is making a difference by offering great tasting quality, from products sourced from some of the global smallest and most remote producers plus Brazil, Ecuador and Sierra Leone.

Fairtrade certification for bananas, and other fruits such as mangoes and pineapples, ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their fruit and that farm workers have good working conditions. 

Our Banana producer, El Guabo, is a farmer-run co-operative with 450 small-scale banana farmers. Every farmer is committed to improving quality of life for themselves and their communities. El Guabo’s members voted to spend the premium on education, health care, environmental projects and communications improvement. The respect of people, honesty and integrity, transparency, environmental responsibility to harvest the ability to face big challenges and beat problems. 

Fairtrade Green Beans

Currently there are 2 regions in Kenya that Tesco are sourcing the Fairtrade green beans from and that is Menu and Mweiga all around the central part of Kenya.

The premium generated from the sale of Tesco green beans has resulted in the producers in Mweiga voting to carry out farmer capacity building training using local agriculture experts and Ministry of Agriculture while the producers in Menu voted to have an ago-pesticide store to support the farmers.

FAIR HILLS Fairtrade Wine

It is not often that you find a drink that makes you feel good about buying it. Fair hills Fair & Light is an uplifting wine cocktail with vibrant fruit flavors, and is low in alcohol. The grapes used for this wine are all Fairtrade Certified which means fairer trading and better opportunity for the communities. 

Ndali Vanilla

Because Ndali grow their vanilla at quite high altitudes, the beans take longer to mature and their vanilla tends to be more resolute, giving better flavor. Ndali Estate is a 1000 acre mixed tropical farm, placed near the crater lakes and volcanoes of Western Uganda.

Ten Main Fairtrade Products

1.Ice Cream – Ben and Jerry’s already have four different Fairtrade flavors’ and are presently working on sourcing Fairtrade ingredients for their whole range of ice creams and frozen yoghurts. Available in supermarkets, cinemas and level vending machines!

2. Beauty Products – Boots stock a full range of Fairtrade products plus moisturizers, exfoliating scrubs and bath wash. It’s one of the first total ranges of beauty care products to be certified as containing Fairtrade ingredients sourced from around the world to refresh, revitalize and moisturize.

3. Beer – Mongozo beer comes in 4 unique Fairtrade flavours. The word Mongozo means ‘to your health!’ in the language of the Choke people of Africa. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the exotic variety of Banana, Mango, Coconut and Quinoa. You can get Monogozo beer at exotic restaurants, festivals, beach bars and supermarkets. 

4. Flowers – Gift-givers can now choose from the growing range of beautiful bouquet of Fairtrade certified flowers now available in shops including Interflora, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. There are Fairtrade certified flower farms in countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka, Columbia and Ecuador. 

5. Clothes – Or more specially the cotton used to make the clothes. The Fairtrade Foundation works in 59 countries, touching the lives of around 7.5 million cotton farmers and their families. Clothing manufactures are using Fairtrade certified cotton in their clothing lines.

6. Footballs – Along with Basketballs, Volleyballs, Netballs and Rugby Balls, Ethletic produce high worth, hand stitched, Fairtrade balls made using rubber from reliably managed rubber plantations. They can even produce custom designed balls for sports teams, schools and charities.

7. Vodka – FAIR Vodka is not only the first Quinoa-based Vodka but also the 1st Fairtrade vodka in the world. Their Quinoa is refined by over 1,200 small producers in the Bolivian Altiplano.

8. Cake – everybody loves cake. The Co-Op has the biggest range of Fairtrade cakes, including Banana Loaf, Chocolate Sponge, Jaffa Mini Rolls and even Christmas pudding. And if you prefer baking your own cakes why not use Fairtrade sugar, syrups, jams and spreads.

9. Cola - Ubuntu Cola was the 1st cola in the UK to get the Fairtrade Mark and it fizzes with Fairtrade sugar from Malawi and Zambia.

10. Sweets – Burnt Sugar create delicious crumbly fudge made with Fairtrade Sugar. Trust us, this stuff tastes amazing! They make a great treat and can be buy at Waitrose, Tesco and Oxfam.