Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade

Hard core Fair Traders often say that the power of the movement is not just about the price of a product...

As Catholic Relief Services expands its work with small-holder coffee farmers, we’re learning more and more about the benefits and limitations of certification systems and returning to the question of how to make coffee the means to a sustainable livelihood for coffee farmers...

There’s nothing like a healthy, fun competition to get Fair Traders going. Last month, in honor of World Fair Trade Day, 56,892 participants in more than 450 U.S. events (and the Fair Trade Resource Network is still counting) surpassed Finland’s 2008 record of world’s largest Fair Trade break...

Our first World Fair Trade Day dispatch from Jeanine Boucher-Colbert, Youth Programs Officer in Catholic Relief Services-West: Nearly 2,000 Catholic women and a few brave men gathered for the fourth Northwest Women’s Convocation in Bellevue, WA on May 1-2, 2009...

I’m feeling pretty fortunate at the moment, although the story doesn’t start out so good: This week Katy and I received an email from somebody who was clearly dubious about the value of Fair Trade...

A big question for any social movement is “Does it actually make an impact?” Next month, consumers in Colorado,Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will have a chance to hear directly from Peruvian artisans about the difference Fair Trade has made in their lives...

A note from SERRV, CRS’ partner on the Work of Human Hands project SERRV’s Madison office was honored to host two guests from our partner MCCH Ecuador...

A very timely greeting from our colleague Michael Sheridan, based in Guatemala: Happy Earth Day from Latin America! Today Green Mountain Coffee Roasters announced it selected our entry in the Changing Climate Change as one of four winners...

We thank Dan Misleh of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for this Earth Day call to action: As the United States marks Earth Day, USCCB and CRS are among the national Catholic organizations calling on Catholic individuals and families, parishes and schools, religious communities,...

While Katy and I are on the road, returning from the Specialty Coffee Association conference, we share this press release about the work of our colleagues overseas: Today Catholic Relief Services is launching a worldwide agricultural strategy that adopts a holistic, market-oriented approach to...

As folks transition into Easter weekend, I want to ask a quick favor: please let us know why you read this blog and why you visit our CRS Fair Trade website...

Last week we e-mailed our Fair Trader newsletter that comes out every two months. If you didn’t receive it, please subscribe...

In recent weeks, CRS Fair Trade partners have received a lot of attention. Katy told you about our coffee partner, Pura Vida, being featured on the PBS News Hour...

Join Divine Chocolate and ‘egg on’ a politician to keep fair trade for Africa on the agenda at the upcoming G20 summit in London on April 2nd. Play their online game at www.eggapolitician.com...

You may be thinking, “Raise Money Right…, that’s old news. It’s been around for a while.” Well, get ready for some new Raise Money Right news. Raise Money Right has a new partner, new materials and new zeal to help you reach your fundraising goals...

Global poverty is a complex problem. While Fair Trade is one way to help small-scale farmers and artisans have a more secure income and a voice in their community, there are many other pieces to the puzzle that forms a truly sustainable livelihood...

When you turn on the radio and hear about nation-wide job loss, perhaps even in your own family, or when you read about long-standing struggles with diseases like TB, you may feel discouraged and uncertain...

Catholic Relief Services works in about 100 countries and in many of those same places tens of thousands of people will take a Fair Trade break on May 9: World Fair Trade Day...

As we build solidarity through economic justice, the CRS Fair Trade program offers you a variety of ways to pray, learn, act, give (and receive!) all year long. This weekend brings a special opportunity to your parish: the Catholic Relief Services Collection that happens at Mass...

It’s no secret that I think our coffee partners are the best in the land, but if you need more than my word Nectar of Life has got it for you. They are launching a program called Feed The Farmers that helps folks in the U.S...