What We Learned: Fair Trade
In recent months, Umbra’s fair trade interns have been busy organizing events and educating the community about issues in fair trade around the world. With the semester coming to a close, we asked them a few questions about their experiences.
How has volunteering at the Monimbo Bottega informed your understanding of fair trade? Being in the shop was definitely valuable – we learned a lot by talking to the customers, the volunteers, and the paid workers. We gained insight into how these shops are run at a local level and the challenges that come with maintaining small businesses. We were also able to observe how the employees interact with the customers by informing them about the different products.
What has been the most memorable aspect of your internship experience?
Our meeting with Augustino and Michele (the president of the Monimbo Association) and the chocolate tasting events were the most memorable and rewarding. We also really enjoyed learning about global business and marketing.
How do you think you will use what you’ve learned through this experience when you return home?
We will definitely check out the fair trade issues in our respective towns, and be much more aware when buying groceries by looking at where and how they were produced. We also learned that it is important to buy locally – it is better for the local economies and, in the case of fair trade, it is better for the global economy as well.
To find out more about Umbra’s internship in fair trade, visit its page on our website.