Yesterday, TransFair USA and the Fairtrade Labelling Organiations International (FLO) announced that

Starbucks, one of the largest buyers of Fair Trade Certified coffee, will double its purchases to 40 million pounds in 2009, making the company the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in the world. Marking a new phase in their nine-year relationship with Starbucks, TransFair USA and FLO will join Conservation International as key partners in the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to ethical sourcing.

In addition to doubling the amount of Fair Trade Coffee they purchase, Starbucks is also making a commitment to expand the work they do with the Fair Trade farmers. According to the press release

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The technical support offered to Fair Trade producers covers a vast array of programs, all with the end goal of helping producers achieve success. In agricultural produce this support can mean education on sustainable farming practices, help and funds to navigate the way to organic certification, and educational tools to create a successful, democratic co-op. Acording to TransFair USA (PDF), “Fair Trade co-ops often invest in technical training in soil improvement, agroforestry, organic production, composting and environmentally-friendly processing techniques.”

In the craft arena, this means providing important information about consumer market trends and developing products which simultaneously express the culture in which they are produced and appeal to consumers in other communities. The Crafts Center is an organization which provides these resources to artisans and importers. The Crafts Center contributes to economic development through field programs and coordination of an international network dedicated to supporting low-income artisans. They provide an annual trends report and a library of resources covering aspects ranging from how to import to intellectual property rights. They also have item specific resources available to members.

To support Crafts Center, you can offer a donation or become involved in raising consumer awareness through a Crafts Center event in your home, such as a slide-lecture on a cultural preservation project, demonstration by a visiting artisan or a fundraising dinner to help spread the word about the importance of supporting low-income artisans worldwide.

Providing technical support and training to artisans is a key aspect of the Fair Trade relationship as it helps build toward the goals of sustainable production and achieving competitiveness in the open marketplace.

This is the fourth in a series of posts discussing the Fair Trade criteria. Also check out Fair Trade: Transparency, Fair Trade: Fair Wages, Fair Trade: Environment and Fair Trade: Financial Assistance.