BY JOHN S. NIBLOCK

Alaina Paradise is happy to go from zero to 90. That’s the number of customers her One World Flowers import and distributing company has attracted with its Fair Trade offerings in its first two years. The economic skies were cloudy when Ms. Paradise began operations in May 2008, but as she put it, “we could only go up.” Not only were times hard, but she was beginning a new company with a premium product yet to find a reliable niche in retail markets.

One World Flowers is a licensed importer of Fair Trade flowers from Ecuador and Colombia. The company sells them nationwide to supermarkets, co-op grocers, and retail florists who have customers looking for more than just green options in the floral department. “More consumers are becoming aware of the human rights issues surrounding the products they buy,” said Ms. Paradise, “and they’re learning to look for labels that take care of people as well as the environment.”

The Fair Trade label is what Ms. Paradise calls a “complete sustainability” label. It guarantees not only environmental protection, but also human rights standards. Components include controls on pesticide use, safe working conditions, and fair wages for workers. “A big part of the Fair Trade program is direct and long-term relationships between the farms and importers,” Ms. Paradise stated in a phone interview. “We work together in marketing initiatives, sales efforts and in daily operations.”

In addition to the fair wages and benefits that are paid to workers, One World Flowers pays an additional 10 percent of the purchase price into a separate fund managed by workers, who vote on how the money will be used to improve their communities. “So far our farms have built an on-site daycare center, paid for lots of scholarships for workers and their children, and started a micro-loan program,” she said.

Awareness of the benefits of Fair Trade has grown, and One World Flowers sales have grown with it. It offers retail customers a way to compete on the basis of sustainability by offering customers products that match their values. “I am a Christian and Fair Trade is my way of taking my values to the marketplace,” Ms. Paradise elaborated. “Every human being does the same thing in their own way. Those who value money will look for a good deal. Those who value fashion will buy the best brands. Those who value human rights and well-rounded sustainability will buy Fair Trade. An increasing number of customers are demanding well rounded sustainability and we sell flowers that achieve that.”

Many of her competitors have found Fair Trade to be a much harder sell than their regular green products, she said. There are limited Fair Trade varieties, the cost is higher and there is a lot of reporting involved to stay compliant. “We remain committed to making the program work,” she said. “As a result, our margins are much lower than those of the average floral importer. That’s so our Fair Trade flowers can be available to as many people as possible.” To help its retail customers communicate the benefits of Fair Trade, One World Flowers offers free point-of-sale posters and signage, customized tags for flowers, and staff materials like “Ask Me About Fair Trade” buttons and training sheets with answers to frequently asked questions. The company also provides press releases, and photos for use in newsletters or on retail web sites.

Customers got free Fair Trade roses at City Market

The City Market / Onion River Coop in Burlington, Vermont recently delighted customers with an in-store promotion of Fair Trade Certified™ Flowers. By teaming up with One World Flowers, City Market gave away 100 free Fair Trade roses to customers who came in to shop. The roses each had a custom tag on them that educated customers about the benefits of Fair Trade for flower farms in developing nations.

“The promotion helped raise awareness of the Fair Trade flowers that we carry,” said James, City Market’s Produce Manager. “It’s a great way to promote a socially sustainable product around big floral holidays.” The increased awareness of the flowers translates into higher and more consistent sales at the store. 

One World Flowers routinely supports Fair Trade flower promotional activities at retail customers’ locations to educate consumers and raise awareness of the availability and benefits of Fair Trade Flowers. For more information about special promotional activities, please contact the Marketing department at One World Flowers: (505) 489-1117.

“Now listen you rich oppressors, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you… Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the Lord Almighty. “ ~ James 5:1,4

The Bible is clear that God detests injustice and oppression. This verse from the book of James speaks of unfair treatment of workers who have earned their wages through hard work but are not paid. Unfortunately, this is an injustice that is happening all over the world, even today. Agricultural workers are not paid for their hours, they are forced into unpaid overtime, or required to reach outrageous harvest quotas before getting minimum pay. In many cases, women suffer physical or sexual harassment and abuse. The environment is polluted with harsh chemicals and fertilizers, and workers are not given proper protection from these harmful agents.

In contrast, Fair Trade is a powerful and practical model to help build economic justice, promote human rights, and support responsible stewardship of the earth. Fair Trade ensures that workers are paid a living wage, which is far beyond the minimum wage in most countries. Human rights are protected and guaranteed. Workers are able to report abuses and receive remediation through an overseeing human rights organization. In addition, the most harmful agrochemicals are banned from use and replaced with integrated pest management. In the event that a chemical or pesticide must be used, workers are provided with protective gear to prevent chemical poisoning, and proper precautions are taken to close the fields until it is safe to enter.

Fair Trade is a way to do business God’s way; showing compassion and respect while enjoying products grown with love and care for people. The values and principles of Fair Trade business fit so perfectly into a Christian life. True Christianity is a committed lifestyle of identifying with Christ – not merely a Sunday morning religion. So, Christians of the true kind will strive to apply biblical values to every area of their lives and in each role that they play. One of the most overlooked but powerful roles that we all play is that of consumers.

Many of us do not realize the power we hold when we make decisions at the grocery store or when shopping for the home. We have in our wallets the power to make a difference for workers around the world. If you are a Christian seeking to apply Biblical principles of living into every area of life, it is important to reflect on the choices we are making with our money.

By purchasing Fair Trade Certified™ products, we are making a statement that we agree with the values behind the label – justice, sustainability, stewardship, and the value of human life. All of these things are pleasing to Christ and reflect His character. Fair Trade is a practical way of taking Christian beliefs to the marketplace, and a means of “putting your money where your mouth is.” Fair Trade is not a substitute to a saving relationship with Christ, nor is it the answer to all of the world’s woes, but it is one more way of reflecting Him to the world around us.

Here’s what you can do:

• Purchase Fair Trade Certified products when you shop—look for an expanding product line including coffee, tea, chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, vanilla, rice, and flowers. Fair Trade flowers and chocolates can be sold at church fundraisers for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

• Serve Fair Trade coffee, tea, and cocoa at coffee hour, congregational meetings, and events—make justice a part of fellowship.

• Give Fair Trade items as wonderful gifts.

• Host a Fair Trade House Party and include a Fair Trade products tasting.

• Share the Fair Trade story with family, friends, and coworkers— publish an article in your church newsletter.

• Celebrate Fair Trade Month every October and World Fair Trade Day every second Saturday in May—special times to promote Fair Trade.

 “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” —Micah 6:8

Written by Alaina Paradise:

I agree that the statistics in this post are very well researched; however the frustration about Fair Trade’s carbon footprint might be misdirected. As the owner of a Fair Trade licensed flower business, One World Flowers, I believe you missed two key points and one other consideration that’s more based on personal beliefs/values:

1) Sustainability is NOT an environmental concept only.

Sustainability also includes people and profitability, which you can read more about in “The Triple Bottom Line” by Savitz. If companies are not making money, they cannot be sustained. Also, if people and societies are leached of HUMAN resources, no business is sustained. Fair Trade is the best possible sustainable option for consumers when buying certain products. I won’t argue this for all products, but let’s take flowers for example.

In the United States, 70 – 80% (depending on which year and report you’re looking at) of all cut flowers sold in the market are imported from other countries. These countries include Ecuador, Colombia, Holland, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and even India. The 20 – 30 % of flowers produced within the United States could very well have a lower carbon footprint than those that are imported; however, they are only available in peak growing seasons.

My first point is this: What are consumers supposed to do 80% of the time; stop buying flowers all together? No! Fair Trade offers consumers a sustainable option for purchasing flowers in off-seasons. While they might not be the most sustainable carbon option, Fair Trade makes a huge impact in decreasing environmental pollution in foreign countries. It is also SOCIALLY sustainable because it creates jobs that pay living wages and provide human rights protections to workers, raising their quality of life, providing education, stopping poverty cycles,  and putting food on the table for children of floral farm workers.

Your article stated that, “Fairtrade produce[r]s generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product category in Europe and North America.” If the volume is so low, why attack Fair Trade? Bad form. Why not go after the companies who are doing nothing in the way of sustainability, and dominate 80+% of the market sales?

2) Carbon Reduction and Fair Trade are NOT opposed to one another.

As you said in your article above, “The principles of fair trade already discussed have touched the compassionate nerve of the nation and the supermarkets are exploiting it for all its worth. It’s a shame that with every ‘fair-trade’ item they don’t put a ‘carbon footprint’ label.” I’ll start by saying that if supermarkets were exploiting Fair Trade for all it’s worth, this world would be a much happier place for agricultural workers (over 90% of whom still work in non Fair Trade conditions), and all farms would be Fair Trade Certified.

There are many Fair Trade Certified companies who go to great lengths to offset their carbon footprint. Many donate to various Carbon Funds. Our company, One World Flowers, has office recycling programs, uses only hybrid delivery vehicles, and is powered for electricity by a wind farm in our state. We make very conscious choices to reduce our carbon footprint in various ways.

I would like to suggest that you take a less myopic view of Fair Trade as taking away from environmental sustainability, and try to view it as an integral piece of the sustainability puzzle. That brings me to my last point, which is more about personal beliefs and values.

There is much to do to improve this world we all call home. Being competitive and adversarial with one another is not going to accomplish anything, but rather tear us  both down. True sustainability and health in this planet is only found where people and the environment are both well cared for. People function in societies, societies have economies, and economies need healthy businesses to be sustainable.

If you are committed to reducing Carbon Footprints, more power to you! If you are committed to other environmental causes, please give it all you’ve got! But please don’t forget that life is human, too. Our business is wholly focused on making business sustainable for people who have been abused, who live in depleted societies sucked of their resources, with failing and struggling economies as a result. We can’t do it all, but we’d like your support in doing what we can to make the entire planet a better place to be.