Free and Fair Trade.
Starting in 2007, ENGAGE has been involved in trade justice, supporting multiple projects and trade justice campaigns around the U.S. We have worked closely with Thai farmers on promoting free and fair trade, including speaking tours on rice and organic farming practices, and we continue to work on this issue and look for new campaign projects.
2013 - Free Trade Agreements and Potential Threats to Thai Farmers
2008 - Food Justice Tour
In 2008, ENGAGE sponsored Thanya Sangubon, coordinator of the Surin Farmers Support (SFS) in Thailand, to tour throughout the United States on a Food Justice Tour. Ms. Sangubon spoke on topics ranging from sustainable local agriculture to international free and fair trade at a number of campus and community events, and exchanged with bio-fuel cooperatives and local farming initiatives around the country. Since 1985, SFS has supported local farmers’ groups in creating sustainable agriculture and alternative trade relationships. These farmers’ groups make up the members of Rice Fund Surin, a Fair Trade certified rice cooperative that mills, packages and exports organic Jasmine rice. For SFS and Rice Fund, Fair Trade happens both globally and locally, by developing relationships with Fair Trade importers in Europe and the U.S, and organizing the Surin Green Market for the past 5 years.
Working alongside the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN), SFS also campaigns about the social and environmental impacts of Thailand’s trade and agricultural policies, including the potential U.S-Thai Free Trade Agreement and the Thai government’s promotion of “green” biofuel crop production. Ms. Sangubon is currently involved with a research project on ways to reduce rural community energy consumption and generate sustainable energy alternatives.
Working alongside the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN), SFS also campaigns about the social and environmental impacts of Thailand’s trade and agricultural policies, including the potential U.S-Thai Free Trade Agreement and the Thai government’s promotion of “green” biofuel crop production. Ms. Sangubon is currently involved with a research project on ways to reduce rural community energy consumption and generate sustainable energy alternatives.
2007 - Fair Trade Rice Speaking Tour
In 2007, ENGAGE sponsored fair trade rice farmers from Thailand to travel and speak around the United States, promoting sustainable agriculture and fair trade rice. While rice farmers essentially feed much of the world's population, depressed world prices coupled with increasing agricultural costs have left many landless, in debt, and unable to provide for their own families. In Thailand, 68% of farmers in the main rice-growing region face debts that are three times their annual incomes, forcing many to flee their farms and seek employment in factories, construction, or the commercial sex industry in Bangkok or abroad.
Fair trade jasmine rice has been widely accepted in the United States, but these Thai farmers came to the United States with the aim of increasing the number of distributors and marketing outlets of fair trade rice on the East Coast. Due to students’ strong sense of solidarity, progressive and energetic campuses are prime communities to begin the process of receiving fair trade products. The speakers discussed the struggle to sustain agricultural livelihoods in developing countries, the threat of unjust free trade agreements, and the need to support emerging solutions such as sustainable agriculture and fair trade.
Fair trade jasmine rice has been widely accepted in the United States, but these Thai farmers came to the United States with the aim of increasing the number of distributors and marketing outlets of fair trade rice on the East Coast. Due to students’ strong sense of solidarity, progressive and energetic campuses are prime communities to begin the process of receiving fair trade products. The speakers discussed the struggle to sustain agricultural livelihoods in developing countries, the threat of unjust free trade agreements, and the need to support emerging solutions such as sustainable agriculture and fair trade.