Why public art?
Art has sparked conversations on social justice issues and hope for change for generations. That’s why we decided to create the Choose Fairtrade mural campaign – to celebrate the often unseen people who grow products we use everyday like coffee, cocoa and bananas and bring to light the challenges that they face because of unfair trade. By choosing Fairtrade, you are choosing a world where farmers and workers get a fair deal, women thrive and the environment is prioritized.
About Fairtrade America
We are the US branch of Fairtrade International – a network of nearly 2 million farmers and workers, 2,400+ businesses and countless shoppers worldwide. We work to create a world where all farmers and workers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods so that they can thrive and have the freedom to decide on their own futures.
We do this by supporting and challenging US businesses to prioritize the people and places that are behind the products we use every day. By improving the terms of trade – a notorious driver of inequality – we put money back in the hands of farmers and workers, which they choose how to spend.
Thank you to our partners!
Our third year of our Choose Fairtrade. Choose the world you want. campaign could not be possible without those who are part of the movement to rebalance trade.
Agnes Senesie, Deborah Osei-Mensah and Ranjana Maurya have been gracious to share their image with the world through this year’s murals. They join Assata Doumbia, Carmen Mueses, Eugénie Lago, Johnny Gabriel Navas Aquim, Natividad Vallejos, Rosine Bekoin, Sarah Larweh and Segundo Alejandro Guerrero Mondragón as the faces of our campaign. We are grateful for their partnership and their willingness to share their stories.
Thank you to this year’s artists Alex Chiu, Muhammad Yungai and Nova Czarnecki for bringing their talent and vision to these beautiful portraits.
Navitas Organics, Organic India and Tony’s Chocolonely have not only contributed time, expertise and gifts to the campaign, but they have also built their businesses with people and planet in mind.
We appreciate the continual efforts of our co-op partners Outpost Natural Foods, People’s Food Co-op and Sevananda Natural Foods Market. They have provided spaces for consumers to choose the world they want. They have also provided space to connect consumers with the farmers and workers by being a home to these murals.
We are proud of and appreciate our Fairtrade partners at The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC-Fairtrade), Fairtrade Africa, Fairtrade Network of Asia & Pacific Producers (NAPP) and Fairtrade India.
We are proud of the support of National Co+op Grocers (NCG). NCG is a business services cooperative, representing 149 food co-ops operating over 220 stores in 38 states with combined annual sales over $2.4 billion and serving over 1.3 million consumer-owners.
Fairtrade is only possible because it’s a collaboration of people, businesses, farmers, and more – all working together to see a more just and equitable society. The collective effort of everyone to make this campaign a reality reflects this and so much more. Thank you.
