An Austin business has joined a campaign to make the White House a fair trade household.
Handmade Expressions is a part of the nationwide “Fair Trade the White House” campaign to invite Michelle Obama to support the movement by using fair trade products in her home.
The fair trade movement aims to promote sustainability and better working conditions by guaranteeing a pay standard for producers and artisans in developing countries.
The fair trade movement began in the United States in 1946, campaign spokeswoman Karen Snyder said. Since its inception, Europe has surpassed the U.S. in awareness and repeat purchases of fair trade products, she said.
This campaign aims to raise awareness for the movement and directly cut down on poverty, Snyder said.
Snyder said Obama could be an effective advocate for the movement.
“Her husband loves Honest Tea, a fair trade tea,” she said. “She has a heart to impact poverty.”
Juan Portillo, a spokesman for Handmade Expressions, said a lot of the problems in the economy can be traced back to unsustainable products.
“We have to become conscious buyers,” Portillo said.
Kitty Bird, the manager of Ten Thousand Villages, another fair trade store in Austin, said her store is involved in educating people about the principles of fair trade through schools and churches. Bird said the store plans to support the White House campaign.
“Fair trade is vital to disadvantaged artisans globally,” Bird said. “If we treat people fairly by paying them what their labor is worth, we can all be treated equally.”
Bird said she sees Obama as a good candidate for the movement because she has become a role model to both adults and children.
The movement is important because it helps to sustain poor communities, said Oxfam UT President Lauren Deanna.
“Fair trade requires that a certain amount of the profits go back into the community for schools and infrastructure,” Deanna said.
Oxfam UT, a group that aids communities in developing countries, has shifted its focus from fair trade issues to climate change this year, Deanna said.
Ana Portillo, a social work graduate student, said she sees the value in fair trade, but doesn’t expect that many college students will commit to the idea.
Since fair trade products tend to be expensive, it is a big — but worthwhile — sacrifice for most college students to make, AnaPortillo said.
She said she would not be affected by Obama’s decision to make the White House a fair trade household.
“I don’t need a public figure to do it — I understand why it’s important,” she said. “But hopefully, it will inspire others. It could have a trickle-down effect.”
Juan Portillo and Bird feel that if Obama adopts the philosophy of fair trade, she could serve as a pivotal advocate for it.
“What she has done for J. Crew, we could only hope she could do for fair trade,” Bird said.
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