Introduction

My name is Duane Nicol and I am a 32 year old resident of Selkirk, Manitoba. During the day I am the Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility for a credit union headquartered in Winnipeg. Outside of my work life, I serve on Selkirk City Council as the Deputy Mayor, and on a number of other committees and non-profit boards. This blog is devoted to chronicling my experience as I take the 2011 Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge.

Basically the challenge is that for one month (Feb 14-Mar 15), I must consume only fairly traded coffee, tea and chocolate. This is my third year participating in this challenge...and I'll be honest with you it's gotten pretty easy since the first time I took it. In the beginning, the coffee in my office wasn't fair trade, but now it is. The coffee my wife and I bought at home wasn't fair trade...but now it is. And it was difficult to find fair trade coffee in regular grocery stores or in restaurants....but now, it's pretty simple. In fact, the vast majority of the coffee and tea that I drink every day of the year is certified Fair Trade.

To me, Fair Trade is not just a product label...but it is more about the world view that I hold. The principles of Fair Trade are simple - purchase goods at a price that allows the producer to earn an income that is sustainable for their family, the community and the environment. One that provides hope and opportunity and ensures that their family isn't relegated to a life of permanent poverty. One that provides enough income so that they can contribute to the development of their community, and one that allows them use sustainable farming, harvesting and production practices.

Purchasing Fair Trade products is my way of recognizing the humanity of people who produce the food I consume. Rather than simply making a donation to charity - purchasing Fair Trade products empowers people to be self-sufficient and to create new opportunities for themselves. To put it bluntly - it is the way I expect to be treated in my employment, so why should I expect anyone else to deserve less?

Over the next month I will be posting short comments on my experiences taking the challenge. I’ll try to make them more interesting than this introduction!

For more information on Fair Trade visit http://www.fairtrademanitoba.ca/