Let’s say you are a Mom living in a rural village in Guatemala, and make hand-woven dolls. This is your only income. A large retailer has discovered your product and wants your merchandise, but they set a very low price they will pay you, without regard for the scant margin this leaves you for your family. And on top of this, they won’t pay you until after they are sold at retail, leaving an brutal gap between your labor and the income you are due. Now comes along Tagua Fair Trade, a store in Fresno’s Fig Garden Village, that will pay you a fair price for your high quality dolls, and pay you immediately. And because Tagua educates customers about fair trade, the purchaser is essentially saying to the artisan, “We recognize your talent; We recognize your worth as a human being.” In addition to the sense of dignity this conveys, now you can afford electricity, adequate food, medicine, afford to improve your housing, and buy school supplies for your kids. Fair Trade leads to full blessing.
When you stabilize a family’s economic situation, you automatically embed key aspects of the shalom that God wants to grow in families and communities (Jeremiah 4:1-7). This is at the heart of the mission of the CCT’s Spark Tank Social Enterprise pitch fest. Tagua Fair Trade was an award winner in 2016, and it’s still going strong. Five new winners of the 2022 Spark Tank will be awarded at our upcoming Spark Tank Expo, June 16, to be held in the new FPU Culture and Arts Center, and many previous award winners will be present to show their businesses as well. 2022-spark-tank-expo.eventbrite.com
