Trade As One

Trade as One has been blessed with so many people who have given so much of their time and talent to support what we do. They’ve worked tirelessly to help us accomplish our goals, and we can honestly say that our success has hinged on their efforts. We call these people our stalwarts, and we’re going to profile them here on our blog so that you can see what they’ve done and why they do it. Next on the list: Steve Conrad. He posted on our blog a while back, but he’s given much more of his time and energy to create our Trade as One curriculum, which will be available this fall. He and his wife Emily live in Minnesota. If you’d like to volunteer with us, please send us an email at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

What sparked your interest in fair trade?

I lived in Eastern Congo for 3 months in 2006, working with a Congolese-run development organization.  One of the programs that they ran was for women who had been victims of sexual violence.  They taught these women how to sew and make dresses and purses that they could sell.  I saw how these opportunities transformed their lives.  Most of these women were afraid to return to their home villages, but as they began to understand that they could support themselves, their self-esteem increased and I saw smiles return to their faces.  I realized that the best thing that I could do to help these women was to tell their stories and find ways to get their products in front of people.
The more time I spend in developing countries, the more I became convinced that economic development and providing opportunities for people is at least as important as giving aid money.  The poorest people in the world want nothing more than to be able to work so that they can support themselves and their communities.

Being back home now, I see the other side of it as well. I love that Fair Trade addresses both issues of poverty on the other side of the world as well as issues of consumerism and materialism in my own world.  Through Fair Trade, I have the opportunity to make small sacrifices in order to help other people create a better life. It’s a practical and beautiful way of thinking about money and consuming.

How did you get hooked up with Trade as One?

I had some friends who had seen Trade as One at the Willow Creek Arts conference.  My friends knew my interest in Fair Trade and economic development and told me that I should check out this organization.  I looked at the website and I loved what I saw.  I sent an email to Nathan, asking how I could help and we ended up chatting on the phone.  I loved his perspectives and thoughts about Fair Trade, consumerism, and economic justice.  I volunteered to help write a curriculum that Trade as One could use to help educate people about issues of poverty and consumerism and how these issues connect to followers of Christ, like myself, and the call to love and serve others.

How have you incorporated fair trade into your life? how is your life different?

We do basic things like purchasing fair trade coffee and chocolate.  But my wife and I continually talk about how we can live this out in more significant ways.  We want to find more opportunities to invest in things that we use every day – clothing, food products, etc.
We are also trying to be more disciplined and think about what we buy and why we buy.  We try to think about how our purchases either hurt people or help people.  We try to think about those people that we will never meet that make what we consume.

What else are you equally passionate about?

I love the Minnesota Vikings.  Have since I was 2 years old. 

Where do you want Trade as One/fair trade to go in the future?

I hope that we see a broader range of products made available in more places.  I want to see Fair Trade options for everyday items - how about Fair Trade socks? I’d love to see a fair trade line of clothing at major retailers like Target.
I also hope that the church leads the way with Fair Trade.  As a Christian, I want to experience what it means to more simply and generously.  In a culture that is obsessed with getting things at the lowest possible price, I think it would be incredible if the church was characterized by people who think about ways that we can invest a little bit more so that others can live with dignity. 

Which product is your favorite?

I love the Fair Trade football. (see previous answer about the Minnesota Vikings)

Have you had any experiences sharing fair trade with friends and family?

We give a lot of Fair Trade gifts to people – Christmas, birthdays, etc.  People love to hear the stories of these products – and it’s a great feeling to know that a simple gift has helped a person on the other side of the world.