Comments on: A Cup Of Fair Trade Coffee With Your Football? http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/ For People and Planet Earth Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:17:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Will http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-2235 Will Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:02:19 +0000 http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-2235 Thanks for that, Scott! And I am glad to hear you are finding that, for your company, after quality, price is not always the first priority. Besides, with your company model, you are probably not competing with WalMart, etc. anyway. That is a funny video and super publicity for FTS. That girl's got a bright future! -Will Thanks for that, Scott! And I am glad to hear you are finding that, for your company, after quality, price is not always the first priority. Besides, with your company model, you are probably not competing with WalMart, etc. anyway.

That is a funny video and super publicity for FTS. That girl’s got a bright future!

-Will

]]> By: Scott James http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-2233 Scott James Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:50:08 +0000 http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-2233 Good points, Will. But we're finding that price is not necessarily the #1 factor in buying decisions after quality. As evidence, I would point to the rise of high-end companies like Whole Foods and Gaiam, who certainly do not sell based on price. When we describe our certified Fair Trade sports balls as being price competitive, we always try to name the specific brand/model we are competing with...one that is at the same quality level as ours. You and your readers are correct that we'll likely never get our prices down to the level you find at your local team sports supply business or at your town's big-box stores. But that's not our goal. Many of the sports balls found at those big box stores are not only from dubious sources in social justice terms of labor, but they also tend to be the lower quality balls made of PVC, rather than polyurethane (synthetic leather). Polyurethane, although far from perfect, is significantly less harsh on our producers and the environment. As you described in your post, we now have the first eco-certified sports balls in North America as well. The latex air bladder inside every Fair Trade Sports ball now comes from our FSC-certified rubber tree forest in India (where the workers also receive a Fair Trade wage). And good news! We're making the basketball sku live on the website later today! Keep in mind, this is just a $20 training-quality street ball...not the $50 high-end ball you are likely used to playing with. But I am excited for the progress we are making to date! Stop by our <a href="http://www.fairtradesports.com/gearshop">gear shop</a> in a few hours and you should see the basketball live on the site. And for a sneak peek at it, check out this <a href= "http://www.fairtradesports.com/fair-trade-balls-on-viropop.htm">hilarious-yet-informative video</a> from ViroPOP which features the basketball. - Scott James Founder, Fair Trade Sports Blog: www.fairtradesports.com Fair Trade basketballs! Good points, Will. But we’re finding that price is not necessarily the #1 factor in buying decisions after quality. As evidence, I would point to the rise of high-end companies like Whole Foods and Gaiam, who certainly do not sell based on price.

When we describe our certified Fair Trade sports balls as being price competitive, we always try to name the specific brand/model we are competing with…one that is at the same quality level as ours.

You and your readers are correct that we’ll likely never get our prices down to the level you find at your local team sports supply business or at your town’s big-box stores. But that’s not our goal.

Many of the sports balls found at those big box stores are not only from dubious sources in social justice terms of labor, but they also tend to be the lower quality balls made of PVC, rather than polyurethane (synthetic leather). Polyurethane, although far from perfect, is significantly less harsh on our producers and the environment.

As you described in your post, we now have the first eco-certified sports balls in North America as well. The latex air bladder inside every Fair Trade Sports ball now comes from our FSC-certified rubber tree forest in India (where the workers also receive a Fair Trade wage).

And good news! We’re making the basketball sku live on the website later today! Keep in mind, this is just a $20 training-quality street ball…not the $50 high-end ball you are likely used to playing with. But I am excited for the progress we are making to date!

Stop by our gear shop in a few hours and you should see the basketball live on the site. And for a sneak peek at it, check out this hilarious-yet-informative video from ViroPOP which features the basketball.

- Scott James
Founder, Fair Trade Sports
Blog: http://www.fairtradesports.com
Fair Trade basketballs!

]]> By: Will http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1886 Will Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:05:41 +0000 http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1886 Yes, you are correct, JD. Some coffee producers are really abusing the "shade grown" label. If it is labeled "bird friendly" with the Smithsonian label, that is what you should buy. As JD noted, there is a lot more information in the original article I link to in the above post. Yes, you are correct, JD. Some coffee producers are really abusing the “shade grown” label. If it is labeled “bird friendly” with the Smithsonian label, that is what you should buy.

As JD noted, there is a lot more information in the original article I link to in the above post.

]]> By: Techfun http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1885 Techfun Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:47:39 +0000 http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1885 I mean to say that not ALL shade grown coffee is raised i the best possible manner, but its better than the alternative. I mean to say that not ALL shade grown coffee is raised i the best possible manner, but its better than the alternative.

]]> By: Techfun http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1884 Techfun Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:45:08 +0000 http://willtaft.com/sustainability/a-cup-of-fair-trade-coffee-with-your-football/#comment-1884 One easy term people can look for on labels when buying coffee is "shade grown". I know you go into that in your earlier post but in case people skip that, I wanted to mention it here. I first encountered bird friendly - shade grown - coffee at a store that sells bird feeders and bird seed in Marlton, NJ. I had stopped in to buy feed for my feeders and they had a small display by the register with a nice tutorial on how coffee can be produced with less impact on the land and wildlife. I've never gone back to mass produced coffee. As far as the price of those balls, and to a large extent, fair trade products in general, they will never be able to bring their prices down to the level of what you see in a Modells or Walmart. I'd rather they keep their prices at a level that makes them profitable and sell a smaller number of units, as long as it keeps them selling them period. To compete with prices offered by large scale retailers with their own very large and controlled supply chain is not possible without becoming more like them and I think thats the last thing we want. One easy term people can look for on labels when buying coffee is “shade grown”. I know you go into that in your earlier post but in case people skip that, I wanted to mention it here.

I first encountered bird friendly - shade grown - coffee at a store that sells bird feeders and bird seed in Marlton, NJ. I had stopped in to buy feed for my feeders and they had a small display by the register with a nice tutorial on how coffee can be produced with less impact on the land and wildlife. I’ve never gone back to mass produced coffee.

As far as the price of those balls, and to a large extent, fair trade products in general, they will never be able to bring their prices down to the level of what you see in a Modells or Walmart. I’d rather they keep their prices at a level that makes them profitable and sell a smaller number of units, as long as it keeps them selling them period.

To compete with prices offered by large scale retailers with their own very large and controlled supply chain is not possible without becoming more like them and I think thats the last thing we want.

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