October: Fair Trade Month

By
Did you know that October is Fair Trade Month? Well...it is.

Fair Trade seeks a regulated wage to be paid to coffee farmers, among other benefits and products. A short list:

  • Producers receive a fair price - a living wage. For commodities, farmers receive a stable, minimum price.
  • Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
  • Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
  • Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
  • Sustainable production techniques are encouraged
  • Working conditions are healthy and safe
  • Equal employment opportunities are provided for all
  • All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability

Read more about it here.

Related post: Coffee Talk

Order my books!













Sign up for my author newsletter!

powered by TinyLetter

Popular posts from this blog

Frequently Asked Questions about Prayer in Motion

By
Image
Now that Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times has been released into the world, here are answers to a few of the most common anticipated questions that might arise about it.

Wait, didn't you just release a new book in June? Why, yes, I did. The story goes that I sent a proposal for Wonder and Whiskey pretty much on a lark, just to see what would happen. When I didn't hear back for a while I assumed that nothing would come of it, and turned my attention to the idea for Prayer in Motion instead. Then in the middle of receiving some interest for the latter, I heard back from Wipf and Stock about publishing the former. So as strange as it seems for me to be publishing two books pretty much back to back, it's all due to a fortunate series of events and coincidental timing.

So, what's this book about? As a pastor and spiritual director, I've accumulated enough anecdotal evidence that a lot of people find prayer difficult either because they don't thi…
Read more

A Prayer for Opened Ears

By
Image
based on Mark 7:24-37

Faithful God, our ears are often closed to so much. We miss the needs around us because we're so preoccupied with our own desires. We don't heed the possibility of new things in our midst because we've become comfortably numb with what we've long been doing. We are unwilling to listen to your presence because acknowledging it might ask something of us that we're not ready to accept. Whether of our own making or due to complicating factors in our lives, we don't, can't, or won't hear what you wish to show us.

Our hope and prayer this day is that you take us aside to show us what we've been missing. Unstop our ears to your gifts. Speak your healing word of "Ephphatha" for us to be open to your speaking of renewing and grace-filled truths into our hearts. Through Jesus, show us what we've been ignoring whether in our own lives and in the lives of others so the movement of all your creation toward restoration and who…
Read more