Beginner's Guide to Fair Trade

This is the first post in a short series about the value of fair trade products.

Why should you buy fair trade products?

Rather than consuming more and more in the all-out race to own the most, the best, and the newest products in America, imagine beginning to leave this competition. Purchasing products created and traded fairly is one way to do so. You can start small, with fair trade coffee or chocolate. As you learn more about fair trade, you will see the beauty in the process – something we hope to establish and encourage at A Global Friendship.

One of the artisans in the Peruvian community where AGF works

Ideally, buying fair trade products supports developing communities. At AGF, we work hard to ensure that this is actually the case – proceeds go back to the artisans we partner with, as well as their communities. Essentially, AGF is the liaison between our wonderful partners in the field and the stores that sell their products throughout America. Our work encompasses everything from product development, business development, and community development projects - all of which help improve quality of life for others on their own terms. As a liaison, we shorten the supply chain, cutting out the big box store or the retail giant. Profits can go back to partners in communities in Thailand, Indonesia, and Peru.

What should you look for in fair trade products?

                  Always look for products that are made with sustainable materials, like bamboo  or linen. Without sustainable materials, the materials may have been made in a factory somewhere. Unsustainable fabrics may be causing more damage to the environment, too, even if they are labeled fair trade. At AGF, many of our bracelets are made with waxed linen.

                  Always look for organizations that disclose how they fund their work and where they send donations. It’s even better if the organization is a certified non-profit, like AGF, that readily informs their buyers. AGF products are fun, beautiful, and stylish, but AGF takes trade seriously as well. We want our artisans to make money and do something they love!

                  The blog will be covering more about fair trade in coming weeks, and we can’t wait to tie this in with our holiday season blogging!

Indigenous Craftmanship Empowering Peruvian Women

Peru is another region of the world where A Global Friendship has partnered with artisans to produce our collections. Indigenous communities in Peru often practice weaving – especially in the mountains. It is a long-standing tradition that is aesthetically beautiful, as well as historically complex.  AGF works with our artisans in Peru to expand the markets they can reach. AGF is adding new accounts just about every week, often quite a few at a time. We hope that by displaying the works of these communities, we can help others begin their journeys to understanding the artistic technique and meaning of such designs.

In Peru, weavers are traditionally women.

At A Global Friendship, we have spent a lot of time discussing how to engage women in the regions where we work. Much of the discussion around women in developing regions fails to acknowledge the dearth of options  women can often face. All women deserve the opportunity not only to become wives and mothers, if they so desire, but also to grow their own businesses. When we work with our artisans, we do not simply ask for a certain amount of a design. We consult with the artists about what designs are most desirable and work around the available time and materials. AGF maintains a close line of communication with work in the field from the Brooklyn, N.Y. office.

Traditional crafts, photographed by our founder

Part of increasing opportunity for women involves encouraging and enabling them to expand their job opportunities, and we hope to give them the tools to do so. AGF’s founder, Elizabeth Firgeleski, has traveled to the communities where we work… and she has the altitude sickness to prove it! Talking to artisans and learning about their work is central to our philosophy at AGF: we are helping and hoping to redefine the value of traditional, indigenous craftwork. It’s even better if we can combine such work with a chance to compete in a global market, as well as assuring the funds go back to the community as higher wages or community health projects.  

Trouble in Thailand

The situation in Thailand has become worse and worse since the flooding began and AGF last blogged. Seeing the photos all over the news and hearing that over 700 people have died in the floods in Southeast Asia as a whole (BBC)  is shocking and disheartening for us at AGF. We are keeping Thailand in our thoughts at this time. We encourage you to donate to AGF as we try to rebuild efforts in the field and strengthen the communities we work with as they face the challenges of these floods.

A street in Bangkok! Credit: WSJ, "Submerged Thailand Slips Against Peers"

Thanks so much, AGF readers, for your continued support. Without clean, safe work spaces, sturdy materials, and roads that enable transportation and delivery, the artisans we work with in Chian Mai, Khon Khaen, and Mae Chaem cannot continue to grow their businesses and provide environmentally sustainable items.

Click here to join AGF and donate.

Thailand Floods

A message from the founder of A Global Friendship, Elizabeth Firgeleski:

“We are committed to helping our artisans recover.”

Natural disasters occur with regularity around the world, and the visibility of these events has as much to do with where the event occurs as it does the extent of damage. Although overshadowed by news developments of the past week, flooding in Thailand appears to be threatening the country's long-term economic health.  The after-shocks of the flooding in Thailand, described as the worst in years, will certainly be felt in farmer’s pockets. 

 Fifty-eight of seventy-seven Thai provinces have flooded, twenty-five severely. These provinces provide rice to Thailand, one of its major export crops. A very versatile crop, rice, can be exported in addition to sustaining a growing family. With major crop growth derailed by unexpected flooding, the Thai economy may suffer. Flooding has damaged a prominent Buddhist temple, an established World Heritage site, and other infrastructural damage is expected. The cultural and economic fabric of Thailand is at stake. 

Current flooding in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Credit: Getty Images

A Global Friendship’s mission aims to develop economic sustainability and self-management with its partners abroad. AGF’s contacts in the field have reported that the recent natural events in Thailand are preventing artisans from working. We hope that the Thai government and its partners are able to aid the population as quickly as possible in the coming weeks, and we at AGF hope to lend our support as well by continuing to invest in the artisans we work with there and future community development projects.

Please keep Thailand in your thoughts this week, including AGF artisans! If you are as touched by the recent events in Thailand as we at AGF are, there are a number of ways to ally with those in Thailand. Consider becoming a CSA member through AGF, or purchase AGF products – profits go to our artists and their growing businesses. You can help the people AGF works with recover through your support for our organization, as your activism can make a legitimate difference in the face of infrastructural damage and economic pressure.

AGF is branching out again

A Global Friendship is so excited to welcome twelve new vendors to the AGF family! Even more SoCal stores are carrying the AGF line now. Our bracelets are especially popular there, as they’re great to wear at the beach and can withstand the Pacific! If you’re in the LA area and looking for AGF, try any of these stores:  Hot Moon Collection, Goods, Illia, Co-Op 28 and Dustmuffin. Walking around Venice and Santa Monica is a classic LA activity, and there are so many quirky shops in the area - you can stop in at one of those stores to pick up an AGF bracelet with a rich fall color scheme. Shopping in the area is so fun after a trip to the beach and a stop at In-N-Out for a double double animal-style burger.

Credit: GoodsLA

Credit: dustmuffin

And for those who aren’t in smoggy SoCal? AGF is now carried at Moda, in Nashville, TN.  Bella Sophia is representing AGF in the South, too, with their store in Lafayette, Louisiana. Additionally, Adam Michael Jewelry, Tsuru, Blu Velvet and Rachel’s Boutique are all supplying the Nebraska area. Shakti Yoga is selling AGF for anyone who lives in the Keys. We’re so proud and excited to watch AGF grow and reach so many different stores and demographics. Beyond the aesthetic appeal of our items, each purchase helps fund AGF’s activities in the field.

Look for more information on our recent summer fieldwork in Peru in the coming weeks!