The Love of Food...

"I just can't stand people who do not take food seriously" thank you Oscar Wilde for saying it so well...I personally feel so ecstatic when I step into a restaurant and get surprised by delicious food. The complete opposite happens when I taste average, boring ingredients, most of time fatty things, mixed together in a non-harmonic way...what a waste.

Food should perfectly melt into your mouth, it should be prepared with a lot of delicatesse and it must be planned. A good chef stays up all night thinking about the new recipe he wants to try out.
As I write this post, I'm already thinking of all the tasty summer snacks and refreshments, I feel like having some crunchy bread, topped with chickpeas and some cold yoghurt...yum, and all of it garnished with a couple of mint leaves....oh my, this is so fresh and mouth-watering...

Dear readers, in my next post I'll introduce you to Jim and to the Lebanese Fatteh...you must stay tuned...

Fair Trade for Women Producers...Portraits of Hope and Determination

The Women’s Economic Empowerment project was launched in 2009 and is funded by the MDG3 Global Fund by the Government of the Netherlands. Through the project, WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing) and its partners are advocating for the needs of informal workers, especially women. The project seeks to promote the voice, visibility and validity of working poor women across different countries, sectors and issues in the informal economy. As part of this project, WIEGO’s Global Trade Programme, in partnership with leading Fair Trade organizations in seven countries, initiated Fair Trade for Women Producers with a focus on documenting, analyzing and disseminating key success factors of fair trade by involving women producers in all stages of development.


They have coordinated and organized their 2 year research with several country networks: In India, Nepal, Nicaragua, Mexico, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In each country, they have chosen a few women groups and have followed them in their daily life, searching for information and common trends. The groups were given video and digital cameras and were asked to be their own messengers, so they began to interview themselves and use their own words to tell their unique stories.

I personally watched in Kenya the series of small documentaries that WIEGO produced for each country...I enjoyed each second of them and realized that sometimes we could be extremely ungrateful in regard to what we have, or what we think we don't have. I was struck by the courage and the motivation of these women struggling to put food on the table and make a decent living for themselves and their families. Some of them are marginalized by their respective societies because they happen to be widows or with special needs...These women producers chose to fight against their tremendous poverty and oppression, by organizing themselves and increasing their power and performance as a group.

The below videos would give you a broader vision of what Fair Trade or Women Producers really represents:

As stated by WIEGO... these are "portraits of hope and determination".

Bijaipur, India: part I

Bijaipur, India: part II

All the documentaries and analysis are available on the blog of Fair Trade for Women Producers (under the country pages), click here to access the home page.

Thank you Elaine, Carole and Sofia for the beautiful work...and a bigger thanks to all these noble ladies who, by speaking out, remind us that life is really what you make of it...

Outstanding businesswoman

Ethiopian Fair Trade pioneer and World Economic Forum’s 2011 Young Global Leader Mrs. Bethlehem Tilahum Alemu has been named Outstanding Businesswoman for this year’s African Business Awards. Bethlehem, founder of the soleRebels footwear brand, is the first fair trader to receive the tribute.

“Bethlehem is truly a remarkable entrepreneur and leader. She has built an incredibly successful company and a global brand from scratch. At the same time she has empowered her community and her country while presenting a galvanized, dynamic face of African creativity to the global market. With that in mind we are excited and honored to name her Outstanding Business Woman of the year,” Omar Ben Yedder, publisher of African Business magazine, commented on her award.

The African Business Awards is organized by the African Business magazine and the Commonwealth Business Council, as a platform to give recognition of the excellence and best practices in the African business communities.

Congratulations to Bethlehem and soleRebels!

Source: WFTO july 2011 newsletter.

Small producers struggle to earn a fair price...

“In Lebanon, the price of wheat is protected by the government, as for the other crops, small farmers struggle to earn the right and fair price for their goods. Middle-men are the ones who collect the big margins, leaving out the real growers” – says M. Sleilati.

M. Sleilati has founded his family business 10 years ago in the region of Kob Elias. He has a few employees in his mill where he produces bulgur, and sells all types of local seeds and pulses. He congratulates himself for his perseverance and for the improvement of the business. Over the years, he was able to successfully increase his production and his sales. According to him, we must find solutions to the two most urgent issues facing our agriculture: unemployment in the countryside, and rural exodus….

This summer...careful with the sun and keep your skin hydrated!

If you think that pollution is the number one cause to harm your skin…
think twice.
Researches show that sun is actually the first cause behind skin cancer, wrinkles, eczema and other types of irritations…

According to the WebMd advice:
“You might like the look of tanned skin, but the sun takes a heavy toll on your health and your appearance. Sunlight consists of UVA rays, which can lead to premature aging and skin cancer, and UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburn. A broad-spectrum sunscreen will protect you against both types. Make sure to coat the skin generously, and don't forget to use a protective lip balm.”

Our recommendation for you this summer, is to give yourself the easy-crucial-responsible treatment! Hmmm, so what does it consist of?

Well…first of all start your day with:

• A gentle and efficient facial cleanser, which would also exfoliate your skin
  


• Then apply a matt and odorless sunscreen on your face and neck! (Yes you will look much younger as the years go by…it’s the dermatologists best kept secret!).

Second clause: Remember to moisturize your skin everyday! Consider replacing your commercial shower gel with a natural soap, such as olive oil soap.
For that, we do have exactly what you need….

Our olive oil and bay leaf (5%) soap is made from 100% natural ingredients, according to the traditional Aleppo recipe. It is a natural antiseptic soap with vegetable fat and no chemical additives, ideal for sensitive skins.
Beauty experts highly recommend olive oil soap during summer and all year long for its moisturizing properties, it retains water and keeps the skin hydrated.
Exfoliating and moisturizing is definitely the recipe for smooth and soft body care!

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The Art of Italian Cooking...or how you can get involved!

The Art of Italian Cooking is launching a series of cooking workshops in collaboration with Fair Trade Lebanon, and is bringing you an exquisite menu made with fair trade products purchased from small Lebanese producers established in rural regions.

If you are bored of doing the same old things or just want to learn a few new recipes...then sign up for this fun cooking class, whether you are a group of friends (up to 8 people) or just a cozy couple, Nina will organize your workshop sur mesure and take you on a culinary trip through Italy and it's delicious recipes: Bitter orange peels à l'italienne, virgin olive oil and pizza dough, chicken slices in pomegranate marinade...and so much more!

Starting Wednesday the 22nd of June, Nina will use fair trade products in her menu and you will also be able to purchase those ingredients after the class is done.

How would you be getting involved?

The Art of Italian Cooking is actually raising funds for ALPHA (Association Libanaise pour la promotion Humaine et l'Alphabétisation), a Lebanese NGO founded in 1993 in the aim of promoting Human Rights and the development of our country through popular education.

By participating in this class you would be supporting two associations, ALPHA and Fair Trade Lebanon, and actively contributing to raising awareness for local and sustainable development.

Technical information:
Schedule of workshops:
Sundays from 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm
Tuesdays or Thursdays from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Session fee: $ 30/ 50.000 LBP (including cooking kit & ingredients)
Session duration: 2 hours.
For reservation:
Mobile: 71211891 (Nina)
Email: italiancookingworkshop@gmail.com

The Art of Italian cooking facebook page: become fan and stay up to date with the latest news!

The Garden Show Spring Festival 2011!

From May 24th until 28th, Fair Trade Lebanon was present at the yearly Garden Show Spring Festival taking place at the Beirut Hippodrome. We were very pleased by the outcome of this event. In the aim of raising awareness for Fair Trade, we are most importantly promoting a range of natural and top-quality products, sourced from some of the smallest food-processing cooperatives established in rural regions.

Group picture from WFTO conference in Mombasa, 2011

Be Inspired Before you Expire!

If you are a dreamer, a believer, a person looking for a meaning to your actions, then it's never too late to BE INSPIRED and to go for it.

The WFTO 11th biennial conference was launched with the theme of:
WFTO: A global partnership for a common good.

...What is a common good? It is the present, it is us, working together hand in hand and putting the interest of small producers in our hearts and minds, in order to walk towards the ultimate goal of reaching a fairer and more transparent trading system.

Despite the global shaky economy that affects our understanding of the "common good", we all gathered here in Mombasa to reaffirm the foundations, the principles and the beauty of an organization uniting more than 700 Fair Trade actors worldwide.

This global conference, of just a few days, was a great opportunity to share expertise and stories! I've met artisans from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland...as well as Asian participants from India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Nepal and the list goes on.

I can't describe the thrill that sprinkles in ones heart in such a rich gathering, but I can try and give you a small idea by quoting this sentence:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" -Eleanor Roosevelt.

WFTO 11th Biennial Global Conference

Today is registration day….By now, almost all the participants have arrived to Mombasa.
More info about the launching of the conference will be posted tomorrow, until then, I've added some pictures of the coastal view.

Pictures taken from the Sai Rock beach hotel...Ocean looks amazing.

Headed to Mombasa, KENYA!

So I left Lebanon today at 4:00 AM and headed to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya, renowned for its beautiful coastal view and its location by the Indian Ocean!

I’ve taken 3 flights:

Departure: BEIRUT -> to Doha, Qatar (3 hours) -> to Nairobi, capital of Kenya (5 hours) -> arrival to: Mombasa, internal flight (1 hour).

I got here at 4:00 PM, May 21st….total journey of 12 hours.

I’ll be staying in Kenya until the 28^th and representing Fair Trade Lebanon at the 11^th Biennial Global Conference of the WFTO.

I’m very excited to participate in this global gathering of worldwide Fair Trade actors. I’m also looking forward to witnessing the huge organizational effort that was done by the WFTO global office and the KEFAT NGO in order to put together the entire event. Not to mention, all the positive networking and outcome expected for Fair Trade Lebanon *fingers crossed*! J

More updates will be posted soon...