Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFair, but does anybody care?: Both on-campus and around town fair trade products are available, but face limited demand
By Jessica Goldberg
Posted: 4/11/07, 10:14 PM EST Section: News
Mctyre-Watts said quite a few SU students shop there, but more students from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry patron her establishment. The most popular items students tend to buy are handbags, jewelry and coffee, she added.
Christiana Kaiser, founder of Bluetree Studios, has a similar view. Kaiser sells a style of baskets called bolga baskets and other crafted goods made by Ghanaian artisans. She started her business with the intention of bringing business to the weavers she befriending during a 2003 internship in Ghana.
Kaiser emphasized that she is not selling the idea of fair trade; however, she is just selling the baskets and paying the artisans fair prices for them. "The emphasis is on partnership with the artists," she said.
"What I'm selling is the baskets," she said, "and I'm providing the service of bringing them to the U.S. But I'm not selling the idea that I'm helping other people, that African people are helpless and can't help themselves."
Christiana Kaiser, founder of Bluetree Studios, has a similar view. Kaiser sells a style of baskets called bolga baskets and other crafted goods made by Ghanaian artisans. She started her business with the intention of bringing business to the weavers she befriending during a 2003 internship in Ghana.
Kaiser emphasized that she is not selling the idea of fair trade; however, she is just selling the baskets and paying the artisans fair prices for them. "The emphasis is on partnership with the artists," she said.
"What I'm selling is the baskets," she said, "and I'm providing the service of bringing them to the U.S. But I'm not selling the idea that I'm helping other people, that African people are helpless and can't help themselves."
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