Shopping ethically: An Interview with Carmen Iezzi of Fair Trade Federation

greenlagirl — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:00:30 -0500

Shiny purses made of upcycled candy wrappers, gorgeous handmade journals, intricate baskets woven from telephone wires. All of these are eco-friendly, handmade items that were on display at the California Gift Show, where buyers milled about deciding what gift-worthy items to carry in their stores. This year, an entire section of the show was dedicated to about 20 members of the Fair Trade Federation, a trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to just and sustainable trade.

I sat down with Carmen Iezzi, executive director of the Fair Trade Federation, at the show to discuss why fair trade products are so inexpensive, how fair trade relates to the buy local movement, and what power consumers have in these economic times.

For fair trade newbies, how would you describe the Fair Trade Federation?

We are the association of fully-committed North American fair trade organizations -- people who use businesses as a tool for sustainable development. All those catchphrases you read now in the press -- business-led development, private-public partnerships, transparency and accountability and advance payment -- I have to laugh. We've been doing this for 60 years! We know that these things create the kind of change that's possible, and they're starting to notice us because it's dawning on all these other communities that the model we have really does work.

So many fair trade products are intricately handmade -- but priced extremely competitively -- which sometimes makes people wonder if the trade's actually fair! Why's it so cheap?

It's the direct relationships our members have. When you see a similar product in a conventional store, one of the things we need to get better about educating people about is how long that chain is -- the 10 - 15 people that are in between you and the person who actually made that item. In fair trade, if I can take those 15 and really make it 5, then I can both return a dignified compensation to the person who made the product, but keep the price competitive to the consumer. It enables both ends to be treated fairly.

How do you see fair trade in relation to buy local movements? For example, a U.S.-made organic T-shirt, in general, is going to be more expensive than a fair trade T-shirt made in India. How do you deal with some of those issues -- especially with people who are making things in the U.S., who feel they're not getting a fair trade.

Some fair trade items that simply don't come from the U.S. Cocoa doesn't grow here. So in some cases, I would say -- You have to import it anyway -- So why would you not want to do it in a way that's based on dialogue and transparency and respect? And for a lot of products -- They come from cultures and traditions that aren't represented here, so it's a similar case.

For items that do have an overlap or similarity, I would say that, first of all, we are both on the same quest to get people to ask more questions about where their products come. So if in the end, if they choose an organic T-shirt made in L.A., versus one that's made in Nicaragua, it's still a victory for both of us, because we got a consumer to say -- What is the impact of the decision that I have made? What kind of power do I have to make this choice? And if they like the T-shirt better that's made in L.A., then that's the way they should go.

We also want people to recognize that sometimes what happens in the U.S. isn't always naturally so perfect. There's a lot of challenges to sourcing fairly here too. If someone chooses a $5 T-shirt from Nicaragua over a $15 T-shirt from L.A., then we need people to understand: Why is this one this way and that one that way? Who is the organization that's brought this to me? That's a long way to say that if there are products that are similar, ask the questions that need to be asked, understand the impacts of the choices that you're making. Maximize the positive impact that you can make.

How does a company become a Fair Trade Federation member?

We have a rigorous application process. Companies have to answer a number of questions under each of our 9 principles. Then we in the office take an initial look at it, then contact references pretty much on the ground, and try to collect data and information as to what's going on at the artisinal or farmer level. All of that information goes to one of our two screening committees, and the committees will decide to admit, not admit, or perhaps sometimes request even more information. In all the process can take 6 - 9 weeks. We have a bout a 50 - 60 percent pass rate, and we currently have 270 members from US and Canada.

Does Fair Trade Federation do on-site inspections at the countries of origin?

Sadly no. We do collect those references on the ground, and we have our colleagues and counterparts, so if we get additional information or we want to gather a different perspective, we will do that occasionally, but we don't get to go to every site.

TransFair USA, which certifies some fair trade products, gets a lot of criticism about whether their standards are too high, too low, too not this or too much that.... Do you have to deal with the same things? Fair Trade Federation offers a membership and not a certification process, but your logo being on a storefront does mean something -- and there is a rigorous application process. Are there any controversies about what role you take and how you make determinations?

There's a lot of confusion, certainly, and a lot of people who still need to be educated about what we do, and what TransFair does. There's not necessarily a controversy, but there is a confusion.

There are people who say that bar's too high: "Why do you only want members who only source according to fair trade principles? You should be happy with the 5 - 10% that I do!" And I say yes, that's very nice and we hope that one day that'll be 20, and we want to inspire to to let that 20 be 40 and 40 be 60 and so forth. But the companies that I want to dedicate my time to, that I want to hold up as the people that you as the 10% should emulate are the folks who really put this at the heart of what they do. A lot of people think that the bar is too high and untenable, and I'd say we've got 270 organizations who've made it possible, and we want you to be 271.

What do you say to customers who ask about companies that say they practice fair trade but aren't Fair Trade Federation members?

I say I really have no idea what that company's up to. A lot of companies say a lot of things, and a lot of people use those two words to next to each other, and a lot of people will say, what we do is better than fair trade -- and they may very well might be. I absolutely have no idea.

I think the beginnings of our success come when people just start to ask more questions. FTF member or not an FTF member, we just want people to understand the power that they have. We have tremendous power, especially in an economy like this -- that we don't use!

So if a company says we import directly from artisans in Guatemala , say, tell me more about them. I can speak to the processes of our members, because we've really put them through the wringer. Our folks have answered all of that for us, so we know they've got great responses. But if a company that says, I don't need to join, then you as the consumer have to do the due diligence. So the onus is on you. We want you to ask.

What brought you to fair trade?

I was in grad school at American University in D.C. studying development, and was really frustrated with what I saw as a cycle of dependency and charity and handouts. It didn't seem to change anything and it was making me nuts. A good friend of mine was working for SERRV International, and he said: "You need to learn about the fair trade thing. I think this might address some of the stuff that's got you upset and it's about ending that cycle."

And I learned more about it and started volunteering for the Ten Thousand Villages in that area, eventually became the chair of the community of the outreach committee. And when this job became open in June 2006, they picked me!

Find out more about Fair Trade Federation and how you can get more involved in the movement through the Fair Trade Federation website. And to find the cute fair trade products featured in these photos, follow the links to the fair trade companies at the California Gift Show.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

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Shopping ethically: An Interview with Carmen Iezzi of Fair Trade Federation