World Fair Trade Day in San Diego

"Reach Across The World - Transforming Lives Through Fair Trade" with Keynote Speaker, Jackie DeCarlo, author of Fair Trade - A Beginner's Guide.

A giant thanks to those that came out to our World Fair Trade Day event on May 10th! We had a blast and best of all, we had the opportunity to meet so many folks from our community with an interest in Fair Trade. The enthusiasm, curiosity and discussion brought so much inspiration and excitement to the day!

We know many of you made sure to attend so you could raise your mug in solidarity and support for World Fair Trade Day and also to help us break the record for the World’s Largest Coffee Break.

Well…we did it! Our official tally here in San Diego at Café Moto was 111 people – awesome turn out! With your help, 12,128 people in more than 150 locations from coast to coast convened to set the record for the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break.

For a full-page slideshow of the SAN DIEGO World Fair Trade Event, click here.

Our day at Cafe Moto was chock full of info, festivities, feasts and friends. It was nearly endless fair trade fun with:

• continental breakfast and endless fair trade coffee and tea generously donated by Cafe Moto
• a very informative and engaging presentation and book signing by Jackie DeCarlo, author of Fair Trade - A Beginner's Guide
• a great skit illustrating the concept of fair trade, from the students at University of San Diego
• fabulous fair trade chocolate tasting with treats from Theo Chocolate, Alter Eco, Larabar, Divine Chocolate and Marcie Sweets
• heartfelt presentations from business, faith and non-profit leaders
• fun gift bags full of fair trade fare and info
• fair trade shopping from Karma Market, The Purpose, The Tomorrow Project, Marcie Sweets, Open Door Books and Cafe Justo
• fair trade rose bouquets just in time for Mother's Day
• soup and bread lunch with the help from The Tomorrow Project and Bread and Cie
• raffle prizes
• and of course – The Worlds Largest Coffee Break!

We are already looking forward to next year!

Watch the Video Clip of the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break

To hear the kind words about our event from our Keynote Speaker, Jackie DeCarlo, please visit her blog at http://fairtrade.crs-blog.org/ . See post from May 11, 2008.

WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY - May 10th, 2008

World Fair Trade Day, May 10, 2008, is an international celebration and promotion of Fair Trade. Celebrations are spread throughout 70 countries worldwide.

World Fair Trade Day this year is accompanied by the theme, “For the Planet. For the People”, which explores Fair Trade’s links to the environment. Fair Trade is as an option that not only offers consumers the means by which to value the people who make our products, but also the opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint.

For more info visit http://www.fairtraderesource.org/

A FAIR TRADE VALENTINE'S DAY

Make the pledge to give only Fair Trade Certified flowers and chocolate this V-Day, and please pass it on to your friends.

A BETTER WORLD IS BLOOMING!

Valentine’s Day 2008 marks the launch of Fair Trade Certified flowers in the US. The Fair Trade Certified label on your bouquet means that flower workers, most of whom are women, can put food on their tables, send their children to school, invest in community development, and use sustainable farming methods.

See where you can buy fair trade flowers.

FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED CHOCOLATE.
This Valentine's Day chocolate indulgence can truly be guilt free with a gift of Fair Trade Certified Chocolate.

A list of companies offering FT chocolate.

You can also make Valentine's day educational and tasty with the Fair Trade V-Day Kit from from Global Exchange.

Next meeting

February 13th @ 7 p.m
San Diego Friends of Fair Trade invites you to its next general meeting, Weds. Feb. 13, 2008, at Open Door Books, 4761 Cass Street (corner of Missouri, part of Christ Lutheran Church campus), Pacific Beach. Meeting begins at 7 P.M.

Fair Trade Events

February 6th, 4:15 p.m - FAIR TRADE LECTURE @ UCSD

Fair Trade, Transfair and Corporate Responsibility
Presented by Paul Rice, President and CEO Transfair.

Paul Rice is the founding President & CEO of TransFair USA, the only Fair Trade certification organization in the U.S. today. Since launching the Fair Trade Certified label eight years ago, TransFair has established FairTrade as the fastest growing segment of the $19 billion coffee industry.

Location: Robinson Building Complex, Robinson Auditorium
http://esi.ucsd.edu/esiportal/images/events/paul%20rice-1.pdf