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It's always a challenge to come up with new topics that might pique some interest. I was browsing our blog when I noticed it had been more than 4 years since I posted about other blogs written by my Fair Trade Federation colleagues. That was a popular and very well-read entry. Since it's been that long, it definitely makes sense to do this update! I noticed on review, there were companies listed that are no longer affiliated with FTF. And there are others that haven't made any posts for more than a year. I just scoured all the FTF member websites so I could create an updated list of Fair Trade Federation blogs. Since 2020, there are many new members actively blogging. I'm amazed to find 14 new blogs that are active and worthy of this list. If a blog hasn't been updated in nearly a year, they've been dropped from my list.
I check in on my colleague's blogs from time to time. I share their stories on X and Threads. When I click to read blogs, I want to discover recent posts. I have to believe that's what other people want to find as well. I know sometimes companies/people pause on writing, and then get back to it. If you start writing again, let me know and I'll add you to this list.
In no particular order, check out the blogs of Fair Trade Federation members. Mine is listed last. (But it is also linked in the first paragraph above.)
MAYAN HANDS - A few years back I became aware of Mayan Hands' blog when they wrote an article that touched me deeply. This particular entry delved into how many vendors in Guatemala call their designs recycled, when in reality, poor people desperate for money are selling them their family textile heirlooms. These in turn are sewn into bags, hats and coin purses. Ever since reading that post, I know Mayan Hands always has something important to say.
FAIR TRADE WINDS
- I love that Fair Trade Winds often writes about the lines they sell in
their stores. They're so supportive and informative. In fact, they interviewed me not to long ago to commemorate Women's History Month. They also post some
fabulous fair trade recipes that will make you drool. (I always pin them to
our Fair Trade Recipes
board on Pinterest.)
LAADI DESIGNS - It was fun for me to see Laadi Designs latest blog post
which reflects on 2024 fashion colors. I take color trends quite
seriously, although I don't always agree with what some of the experts
project. Do you remember when Pantone suggested gray and yellow were
going to dominate? I really enjoyed browsing Laadi Design's blog posts
that have a strong fashion bent.
CAFE CAMPESINO
- Lovely posts. Lovely photos. In June of this year they wrote about the process of making and the evolution of decaf Coffee. Seriously folks. There's always something new to learn about coffee and how it is made!
MOSAIC - (a
blog from Ten Thousand Villages) - Now here is a site where you can read
about every possible topic that interests you. Yoga. Fashion. Travel. Maker
Stories. This site is actually quite overwhelming.
BUNYAAD - Here's
a blog you can relate to. Reading lists. Recipes. How to clean wine from a rug.
Even tips for choosing the right rug. (and they
should know!) This is all info that just about anyone can benefit from. And I'm drooling over the Gulab Jamun Bundt Cake recipe they've written about.
HOONARTS -
HoonArts blog addresses topics that specifically relate to Central Asia. And
this is a good thing because I think most of us know very little about this
part of the world. After checking out HoonArts blog, you can read my post where
I interviewed Rikki Quintana,
the woman behind this company. Rikki will also tease you with photos from her recent tour (you can go on the next one) to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
SERRV - Read about eyeglass initiatives
or snag a recipe or two. There are posts that will warm your heart. Yes, I
posted from their blog to the Dunitz Pinterest recipe page, yet again!
HUMANKIND SLO
- Check out Humankind's blog. It's fun to read their stories about the lines
they carry. They also write about topics that are specific to their community.
Maybe one day soon, they'll interview me. In the meantime, I actually
wrote a post on this blog where you can learn a bit more about LynAnne Wiest, their
store manager.
RAVEN & LILY
- It looks like Raven & Lily's blog, noted as "the Journal" covers many topics. Most recently they wrote about gemstones. You'll find interviews with makers, reading
recommendations and a bit about their home base of Austin, TX. I'm going
to keep my eye on this journal, for sure.
DR. BRONNER
- You'll need an afternoon to read
through all of Dr. Bronner's entries. You'll find thoughtful articles
addressing current events. And you'll find great tips for how to use their
wonderful products. I vote for their Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap. Learn more on their blog.
MAYAMAM WEAVERS
- I am always drooling over the photos Mayamam Weavers posts on Instagram. Now
I can drool more when checking out their blog. And since they work in
Guatemala (where I've been working for almost
forever,) I really adore seeing their images. I see faces and
designs that have become part of me.
(Figuratively. Not literally.) I really enjoyed reading their
post about the ceramics of San Antonio
Palopo. I remember in the 90's I hiked to
this community with my niece, who joined me on one of my working trips. We took
some time off to hunt for these ceramics, which at that point in time, were not
yet widely available. Thank you Mayamam for
reminding me of this wonderful day spent with my niece many moons ago.
FAIR TRADE DECOR
- Fair Trade Decor, a retailer in Coronado, CA has a blog perfect for their
customers. They share stories of their products and producers. Most recently they blogged about Planet vs. Plastic which was the focus for this year's Earth Day. We're right there with them in trying to do things that make our planet a better and healthier place.
EQUAL EXCHANGE - This might be one of the best blogs I've seen from our membership. It's thorough covering so many topics. (Yes! Recipes!) It's super easy to navigate. Seriously, I can't pin-point one entry worth missing. Definitely check it out.
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GANESH HIMAL TRADING - Learn a bit more about Ganesh Himal and their activities
domestically and in Nepal when you check out their blog. They post regularly and I was touched by their recent blog post "How Life Happens When We Support Each Other." I think this is a good lesson for all of us. Ganesh Himal also operates a non-profit Conscious Connections Foundation which has their very own blog. Learn all the good being done in Nepal from these their two blogs.
ZAMBEEZI - Have
you tried Zambeezi's lip balm? It's fabulous. I discovered Zambeezi
had a blog when they posted an interview a few years back with LeeAnne McCoy from the fab
website Change The World By How You Shop.
You can read our interview with LeeAnne
on our blog, posted in February 2019.
GOEX - GOEX blog often goes within
sharing information about their business. We call that transparency. They
also write about issues affecting all business, and topics that are
educational. If you're up on the news, you know things are quite politically unstable in Haiti. And that's where GOEX works. It's really informative to read their posts about their work there. Recently they posted a message from their manager based in Haiti.
LUCUMA - The
Lucuma blog is really fun and collaborative. I like the way they remind us and teach everyone about the fair trade principles we follow. Most recently they focused on FTF's principle #9. Respect cultural, racial and ethnic Identity. Honor people. Read their post to get their take on it while working to better the lives of artisans in Peru.
PASSION LILIE - This company refers to their blog as a 'Designer's Journal.' I like that many of their posts make you think. Their most recent post (worth sharing to X, I might add), lets us discover how "fast fashion" hurts our minds and doesn't add to our wardrobes in a positive way.
QUILLING CARD - Are you a fan of Quilling Card? Check out their blog to learn
more about their most recent beautiful cards.
GLOBAL MAMAS - Global Mamas has a robust blog and it is well worth
visiting. Great photos. And posts that share more about the Mamas and
just about everything else from health and fashion to volunteering in Ghana.
Recently they wrote about their new journals. And since blogging is about writing, I decided to highlight that entry here.
SEVYA - The women of
Sevya are always so thoughtful. And their blog entries also prove this point.
When I was younger, I spent some time in Indonesia learning about batik and
batik making. Because of this, I found their article about Block Printing in India of particular interest.
AWAMAKI - If you have the time, check out this blog. Awamaki's post from earlier this year shares photos of weavings that have wonderful patterns of geometric shapes and all sorts of animals. Artisans weave what they see. And there are animals everywhere in Peru where they work. The colors the artists use all have meaning too. Read the post to get more insight. Every morsel of information allows us to love the art even more. It's a VERY informative post. Kudos.
DEAN'S BEANS - Who doesn't love fair trade coffee? After checking out the Dean's Beans blog, I just learned that the founder Dean, just retired and now this company is a worker owned coop. Learn more about this on their recent blog post. It's so cool. What a difference Dean made with the business he grew over the last 30 years. I'm impressed.
IT'S CACTUS - I wasn't familiar with It's Cactus until I scrolled through the FTF member list to create this post. They work in Central America and South America. And they have a very active blog! Their latest blog highlights the life of Frida Kahlo - and the products they offer inspired by Frida. We know something about that! Who doesn't love Frida Kahlo?
HANDSPUN HOPE -Were you around and remember the news reports that covered the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda? It seems like yesterday, and it's been 30 years. Read one story of hope and healing on the Handspun Hope blog. Out of such unthinkable tragedy there are often heartfelt stories worth hearing about.
MATA TRADERS - Here's the thing. I belong to a virtual book club - sorority sisters I went to college with at the University of Michigan. #goblue (I had to get that in there.) When I saw that Mata Traders latest blog post was a thoughtful list of books worth reading, I couldn't have been more pleased. I'm sure I'll find something I'd like to read, and suggest to my group. On their list, Pachinko is the only book I've already read. Are you in a book club? Maybe you have a recommendation? (Hmmmm. Maybe I should recommend some good reads for a future blog post.)
WORLD FINDS - World Finds blog is new to my list. And browsing it gave me some good ideas for things I might blog about in the future. Their latest post celebrates influential women and their quotes. Melissa Gates. Michelle Obama. Maya Angelou. Good for blog posts. Good for Instagram posts. Someone over there is thinking!
UPAVIM - Upavim works with artisans in Guatemala. We've been doing the same since 1989. I didn't know that they had sponsored a tour to Guatemala. It was fun for me to read their posts about their stops along the way. So many good photos. So many good stories. If you've never been to this beautiful country, reading their blog posts might whet your appetite.
CRAZY LOVE AFRICA - Crazy Love Africa posts company "updates" on a regular basis. Did you know they're planning a group trip to Uganda for September 2024 that sounds amazing. It might not be too late to join in.
FAIR ANITA - Another fantastic blog from a FTF member! Fair Anita tackles many controversial topics that will make your brain really think. You must click through and read some of what they offer. I have a date planned with their blog for this weekend!
SPAZA -SpaZa focuses on eco-living and their latest blog post shares ideas for doing just that. They actually link to other blog posts. One from Good Housekeeping shares how you might make your own home cleaners. After you've got your cleaning solutions, they share more about the handmade and knit cloths they offer that are wonderful alternatives to sponges and microfibers. They're attractive, useful and fair trade. What could be better? They support producer groups near Cape Town, South Africa.
TULIA'S - Maker's stories. Chicago fair trade news. Tulia's blog was created last year with only a few posts so far. There latest post was in November 2023, so I'm hoping they'll be posting more soon. I vaguely remember reading something about a new Fair Trade Museum. And it was great to learn more about it on their blog. Did you know about? Have you been?
DUNITZ & COMPANY - Yup! That's us. 'Nuff said. After all, this is our blog post you're reading.
I am so pleased I took on the chore of updating this list. As mentioned earlier, I discovered many new member blogs that are active and worthy of note. After reading some of my colleagues recent posts, I want to reiterate that you should definitely pop in from time to time and check out what FTFers have to say. I'm almost certain these blogs are being under-read, under-shared (hint hint) and not acknowledged enough. Without question, there are many posts that took the contributors hours to prepare. I know how much time I spend writing some posts for the Dunitz & Company blog. Our colleague's blogs deserve our eyes.
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