Fair Trade Certified Coffee What is fair trade certification? Much like organic certification, fair trade certification lets you know about the origin of a product. Fair trade certified products come from all over the world, but share a common history. Farmers who grow fair trade products receive a fair price, and their communities and the environment benefit as well. Fair trade certified coffee directly supports a better life for farming families in the developing world through fair prices, community development and environmental stewardship. Fair trade farmers market their own harvests through direct, long-term contracts with international buyers, learning how to manage their businesses and compete in the global marketplace. The Fair for Life label guarantees: Fair price: Family farmers receive fair prices for their harvest, and premiums specifically earmarked for community development projects; even higher premiums are given for certified organic products. Examples of community projects include:
FREE TRADE VS FAIR TRADE | Globalization & You All the advances that have been made in terms of transportation and technology in the last decades have not only allowed countries to expand their cultural frontiers, but commercial as well. Today, Colombian consumers can have the “world” at their fingertips. The current dynamics of the Colombian economy gives them the chance to take home the best of Mexican gastronomy, make a toast with the widely known Chilean wine, or get connected with the world with American high-tech devices. All this is now possible thanks to the different free trade agreements Colombia has signed in the early 90s. These agreements allow countries to trade goods or services with other nations by reducing or abolishing import taxes. The treaty signed with the United States is one of the most recent agreements (and just one of many the U.S. has with developing countries). The Office of the United States Trade Representative It is FAIR enough, isn’t it? How can this be totally FAIR for both parties? Sources Like this:
Fair Trade: What is Fair Trade? What is Fair Trade? Fair Trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities, consumers, and the environment. It is a model for the global economy rooted in people-to-people connections, justice, and sustainability. A Fair Price for Products For Fair Trade Certified™ products, a base price for the commodity is set by the international Fair Trade Labeling Organization. cover the cost of production and a living wage to cover the basics of food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care. Investment in People and Communities Many Fair Trade producer cooperatives and artisan collectives reinvest their revenues into strengthening their businesses and their communities. Environmental Sustainability Fair Trade farmers and artisans respect the natural habitat and are encouraged to engage in sustainable production methods. Direct Trade Fair Labor Conditions Workers are guaranteed freedom of association and safe working conditions. Promote Fair Trade in your community!
Country Brand Index The value of measuring countries as brands The Country Brand Index has historically studied perceptions of 118 countries around the world in the same way we measure consumer or corporate brands – ranking them according to strength of perception across association dimensions. This year, FutureBrand’s research has revealed that not all of the 75 countries studied qualify as ‘brands’. The Country Brand Index 2014-15 report includes an overall ranking of the 75 countries, rankings by dimension, complete perception dashboards for the top five country brands, regional leaders and averages and 'ones to watch' for the future. An introduction from Tom Adams, Global Head of Strategy for FutureBrand Worldwide Key Findings Japan tops the ranking for the first time. Not all countries are country brands Of the 75 countries included in our survey, only 22 qualify as ‘country brands’ by our measures. Country brands have a competitive advantage The key drivers of a country brand Download the report here:
Fair Trade Organizations and Certifying Agencies - Fair Trade Wholesale - Handmade Expressions There are many organizations dedicated to the promotion of fair trade and its values around the world. In North America, the leading organizations are the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), TransFair USA, and the Fair Trade Resource Network, among others. Internationally, the World Fair Trade Organization (formerly known as IFAT) and FLO International are widely known. The following list has a description of the different organizations and what they specialize in. On the other hand, there are only 2 certifying agencies in this list: TransFair USA in the United States, and FLO-CERT in Europe. Certification is an interesting topic. NOTE: Fair Trade Federation and the World Fair Trade Organization are NOT certifying agencies. The certification agencies you will more than likely come across are TransFair USA and FLO-CERT GmbH. In this section, we will expose the benefits of certification and the controversies as well. Benefits of Certification Certification also helps create standards.
The Good Country Index The Good Country Index, a new way of looking at the world. The idea of the Good Country Index is pretty simple: to measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away. Using a wide range of data from the U.N. and other international organisations, we’ve given each country a balance-sheet to show at a glance whether it’s a net creditor to mankind, a burden on the planet, or something in between. It’s important to explain that we are not making any moral judgments about countries. What I mean by a Good Country is something much simpler: it’s a country that contributes to the greater good. The Good Country Index is one of a series of projects I’ll be launching over the coming months and years to start a global debate about what countries are really for. The Good Country Index doesn’t measure what countries do at home: not because I think these things don’t matter, of course, but because there are plenty of surveys that already do that.
Political Theory - Habermas and Rawls 10 films from Africa that will change the way you think about poverty Did you know that each year, more movies come out of Nigeria’s ‘Nollywood’ than Hollywood? We’ve picked our top 10 films and documentaries from across Africa that you simply have to see. Special shout-out to our @ONEinAfrica followers for their suggestions! We’ve linked each film on our list to one of the #GlobalGoals – click on the Goal for more information about each issue! 1. Directed by ‘the father of African film,’ Senegalese Ousmane Sembène, Moolaadé addresses the subject of female genital mutilation. Global Goal #3 – Good Health and Wellbeing 2. Based on the true story of Kimani Maruge, a Kenyan farmer who enrolled in elementary school at the age of 84 following the government’s announcement of free universal primary education in 2003. Global Goal # 4 – Quality Education 3. The 90s is seen as the golden age of ‘Zollywood’ and Neria is the most critically-acclaimed film of this decade and highest-grossing film of all time from the country. Global Goal # 5 – Gender Equality 4. 5. 6.
What are Poverty Thresholds and Poverty Guidelines? | Institute for Research on Poverty | University of Wisconsin–Madison Each fall, typically in September, the U.S. Census Bureau issues a public report on the level of poverty in the previous year and trends in the level and composition of the poor from year to year. The "poverty report" receives widespread media attention because it provides the nation's latest official statistics on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States. It indicates how many people are poor; the poverty rate, or percentage of people who are below the poverty threshold; and how poverty is distributed by age, by race or ethnicity, by region, and by family type. Individuals or families are "poor" if their annual pretax cash income falls below a dollar amount, or poverty threshold, that the Census Bureau determines using a federal measure of poverty that is recalculated each year. Since 1965, there have been two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: What are poverty thresholds? What are poverty guidelines? Are there alternative models?
The Economic History of the Last 2,000 Years in 1 Little Graph Update: Read Part II and Part III That headline is a big promise. But here it is: The economic history of the world going back to Year 1 showing the major powers' share of world GDP, from a research letter written by Michael Cembalest, chairman of market and investment strategy at JP Morgan. I'm guessing that your first question, if you started scanning from the left, is: Wait, India was by far the biggest economy at the dawn of AD? In Year 1, India and China were home to one-third and one-quarter of the world's population, respectively. Before the Industrial Revolution, there wasn't really any such thing as lasting income growth from productivity. The industrial revolution(s) changed all that. (via Paul Kedrosky)
Defining Women’s Oppression: The Burka vs. the Bikini - Sociological Images The cartoon added below inspired me to revive this post from 2008. Many believe that the U.S. is at the pinnacle of social and political evolution. One of the consequences of this belief is the tendency to define whatever holds in the U.S. as ideal and, insofar as other countries deviate from that, define them as problematic. (If you’re interested, I have a paper showing how Americans make these arguments called Defining Gendered Oppression in U.S. I offer these thoughts are a preface to a postcard from PostSecret. Cartoonist Malcolm Evans drew a similarly compelling illustration of this point, sent along by David B
Four Waves of Feminism | Pacific University This piece was originally published in the Fall 2008 issue of Pacific magazine. Martha Rampton is a professor of history and director of the Center for Gender Equity at Pacific University. Her specialty is the early medieval period with an emphasis on social history and the activities and roles of women. She holds an MA in medieval history from the University of Utah and a doctorate in medieval history from the University of Virginia. It is common to speak of three phases of modern feminism; however, there is little consensus as to how to characterize these three waves or what to do with women's movements before the late nineteenth century. Making the landscape even harder to navigate, a new silhouette is emerging on the horizon and taking the shape of a fourth wave of feminism. Some thinkers have sought to locate the roots of feminism in ancient Greece with Sappho (d. c. 570 BCE), or the medieval world with Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179) or Christine de Pisan (d. 1434).
UN Rates Gender Equality Around The World. Where Does The US Stand? Recently, a UN task force arrived in the U.S. to assess women’s rights compared to the rest of the world, and their results may surprise you. Then again, if you’re a woman living in the States, they may be exactly what you would expect them to find. First off, women are at an economic disadvantage since the wage gap is still sitting around at 21 percent, and hasn’t changed significantly in a decade. The task force points to raising the minimum wage as one of the most effective ways to help close this wage gap. Women’s ability to earn a liveable income is also affected by the fact that women are most often caretakers of the people in their lives: kids, elderly family members, and folks with special needs. In addition, the task force noticed the massive disparity in representation of men and women in pretty much all areas of commerce and government. Another area of concern was access to reproductive healthcare and support. Their conclusion at the end of their trip was stark and damning: