Mirembe Kawomera & Thanksgiving Coffee on YouTube

One of FTLA’s very first events was a visit from JJ Keki and Seth Jonadev, two coffee farmers from the Mirembe Kawomera co-op in Uganda. In addition to the community benefits of organizing and producing FT coffee, the co-op brings together Jewish, Muslim, and Christian farmers. And Mirembe Kawomera? It means Delicious Peace.

Check out the video above, a sneak peek at an upcoming documentary on the co-op. And you can find Mirembe Kawomera coffee at Thanksgiving Coffee. (Plus look for more on both the film and the coffee at our Just Lives Festival coming September 30 to the Hollywood Farmers Market!)

Interview with TransFair USA CEO Paul Rice

The website for the documentary Buyer Be Fair has posted an interview with Paul Rice, CEO of TransFair USA, about Fair Trade certification.

Check out both the interview and the film!

Pasadena Independent covers Ten Thousand Villages

The Pasadena Independent wrote about the newly-opened fair trade store, Ten Thousand Villages, Pasadena.

“This is not about handouts,” said store manager Kate Wentland. “It’s about jobs that let them make something beautiful with their hands and then have some dignity at the end of the day knowing they made something someone else can enjoy. This is very different than making something in a factory. ”

Ten Thousand Villages is located at 496 S. Lake Ave. For more information, call Eric and Sarah Clarke at (626) 229-9892 or email them at: eclarke@pasadenavillages.com.

Los Angeles Times writes about fair trade

Finally — LAT gives fair trade some space!

No mention of our grassroots group Fair Trade LA, though the new Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena gets a couple paras

Most of the article’s actually about Pangea Artisan Market & Cafe, a new venture from people at the International Finance Corp., the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group. The shop’s on the ground floor of IFC’s Washington headquarters. Not really a local angle, though if this first store’s successful, Pangea might expand to LA and San Francisco…

For now — A quick list of where you can get fair trade stuff in LA:

Coffee – By the lb, or by the cup.

Chocolate bars, ice cream, or energy bars.

Sugar – Look for Wholesome Sweeteners, which has made a big switch over to fair trade! You can find its stuff even in the big grocery chains like Albertson’s.

Other stuff — Ten Thousand Villages, Pasadena has lots of accessories and household stuff. So does Artisan’s Exchange in Claremont. You might also try your fave museum store — I’ve found some great fair trade goods at the Hammer, MOCA, and LACMA –

Fair trade: An economy built on relationships

From the Tidings
http://www.the-tidings.com/2006/0317/fairtrade.htm