Change the world with Global Exchange!
February 9th, 2012
Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice since 1988.They’re changing the rules across the globe from a profit-centered global economy to thriving people-centered local economies; from the politics of greed to a living democracy that respects the rights of workers and nature; and from currency to community.
Their holistic approach reaches thousands of members and supporters, through educating the U.S. public about root causes of injustice and the impacts of U.S. government policies and corporate practices. Global Exchange inspires change by building people-to-people ties, engaging grassroots education for action and linking social and environmental movements.
They also have their a committed Fair Trade Program, which has worked to promote Fair trade, end child and forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry, as well as educate and empower children and adults to advocate for and purchase Fair trade. Learn more here!
Thanks for hiihlightgng the importance of Fair Trade (coffee or otherwise!).I do want to quickly mention, however, that Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and other large chains advertise that they have Fair Trade Certified products, but the honest truth is that their sale of Fair Trade are less than 5% of their total sales. Whenever you get an espresso or a regular cup of coffee, you won’t get Fair Trade. Their predominant way to sell Fair Trade products are in pre-packaged coffee bags only.There are also concerns about how Starbucks (started in the West) and Dunkin Donuts (East Coast) muscle out local coffee shops because of their brand name and then up their prices much like Walmart. Even though they specialize in a narrow focus, they have the same strategy to dominate the marketplace.In a future post, I’ll attach articles and research, but trust me when I say that despite the Fair Trade label, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are not the way to go (Dean’s Beans, Green Mountain are MUCH better).