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| Local store supports fair trade practices I applaud your article on Conscious shopping this Hanukkah (“I’m Dreaming of a Green Hanukkah, November/December issue). I wanted to add a very important source for all fair trade items, or items bought directly from the producer. Our store, Peacecraft, has been in Albuquerque for more than 13 years selling only fair trade arts and crafts and foods. We are committed to making sure that artisans receive a living wage for their products. We buy from U.S. artisans as well as artisans in developing countries like Ghana, Kenya, Guatemala and Honduras to name a few. Instead of giving charity to these very impoverished countries, we create a marketplace where they can sell their crafts for a living wage and create a sustainable living for themselves. We deal mainly with co-operatives, which apply to us and then are researched for three to five months to make sure they are who they say they are. We work along side Sweatshop-Free Albuquerque and with La Montanita Co-op, which you mentioned in your article. At present we are beginning a campaign to urge the University of New Mexico to sell only fair trade coffee on campus. We have a web site that also gives links to other fair trade sources, . We have just moved to 3215 Central N.E., after losing our lease. We are a nonprofit retail business and rely almost totally on volunteers to run our store. I have tried to contact Congregation Nahalat Shalom in the past, seeking volunteers or to have an off-site sale at the temple, but have had no response. We have speakers that can talk about the issue of fair trade if you are interested in further information. Our number is 255-5229. Jill Singer The writer is a volunteer and manager of Peacecraft. | |||||||||
