Face of Fair Trade: Joyce Kushner of Coco-Zen

by Zarah Patriana

Published February 19, 2009 @ 07:49AM PT

I haven't done a Face of Fair Trade in a while. The idea behind Faces of Fair Trade is to highlight the different people or groups behind the Fair Trade movement. These are the people that make it happen and help spread the movement and make it such a vibrant community. These stories make up the collective face of Fair Trade, be it organizations, activists, coffee drinkers, veterans, newbies and you. For this installment of Face of Fair Trade, I spoke with Joyce Kushner, founder of the Fair Trade chocolate company Coco-Zen. What struck me most about her story was her introduction into the Fair Trade movement and how her role as being a parent deepened her commitment. After you hearing her stories of being a momtrepreneur (people say that right?), you can keep up with her at her blog and also check out her Fair Trade chocolate offerings. Or you can be like me and sit and stare at the photo of her amazingly adorable son, Max.

What is your role in the Fair Trade movement?

As a chocolate confectioner, I've committed to using only Fair Trade (and organic) chocolate in everything we make. As a mom, blogger, and member of the human race, I do what I can to help educate and spread the word about Fair Trade, especially with regards to chocolate and cocoa production.

How did you first get involved with Fair Trade?

The truth is, I really hadn't heard of Fair Trade until I decided to go into the chocolate business about 2 years ago. When I was researching about different chocolates to use in my recipes I came across Fair Trade. It intrigued me, so I started to look into it. I was horrified when I learned about the issues of child labor/slavery on modern cocoa plantations, as well as about the devastation it causes to the land. Being a true chocoholic who has bought and eaten a LOT of chocolate, I couldn't help but feel guilty...without ever once understanding what went into the making of the stuff I loved so much. I decided that going forward I would use only Fair Trade chocolate in all of Coco-Zen's treats. Plus, I figured since I myself was so uneducated about Fair Trade, the general public might not really know about it either. I'm certain that most people don't realize the harm that modern cocoa farming practices have on humans and the planet - I like to call it "chocolate's dirty little secret". Because of this, I decided it was important to talk about Fair Trade and help spread the word.

Why is Fair Trade important to you/in general?

Well, I've always subscribed to a "planet & people friendly" philosophy to a certain degree, but it was when I became a mom that it truly became important to me, and I really started to look at how my behaviors and actions affect the world around me. They say having a kid changes your perspective - I know, cliched - but for me it really did. Up until having our son, I had spent my career in retail marketing, and I admit to having been a true retail princess. I pretty much had to have the newest fads and fashions, and while I tried to be a responsible citizen, I can't say that I had always considered the impact my purchases had on people and environment. Then, when our son Max came along, I went through all the anxieties of being a new parent. I started asking myself, what kind of parent would I be, what kind of person would I raise, and what kind of world would he grow up in? This pretty much colored everything I did from then on. I realized that I needed to behave in a more socially and environmentally responsible manner, and Fair Trade falls into that.

What do you see as the challenges of the Fair Trade movement?

The biggest challenges with Fair Trade, to me, is it's relative obscurity within the general public, and it's much higher price in terms of goods. These are the same obstacles that organic movement faced in the beginning. I think that as more people learn about Fair Trade and understand what goes into the products they buy and as more Fair Trade options are made available, we will see the movement go more mainstream (again, just like organics).

Any background/general information about yourself?

I was born and raised in San Diego to immigrant parents from Taiwan. Growing up, I studied classical piano (like most little Chinese girls), yet yearned to be a dancer. I did manage to study dance during junior high and high school (along with piano and academics), actively participating in school dance teams and dance clubs. During college, I studied business and economics at UCLA while pursuing dance in Los Angeles. I ended up dancing with a modern dance company while still in school, and continued with them after graduating, much to my parents' dismay. Yes, while my friends went on to accounting, finance and MBA's, I decided to follow my heart and dance. I eventually fell into retail as a way to support myself while dancing (living the life of a starving artist is not always what it's cracked up to be). Once I hit my late twenties, I decided to get serious about a "real" career - I was getting older and the dancers seem to be getting younger. I left the dance company and moved into retail visuals and marketing. I eventually moved to San Francisco (with my soon to be fiance) to work for the retail giant named Gap. I married a year later, went to go work for a jewelry company as it's Marketing/Visual director, got pregnant, and...the rest is history.

I've lived in California all my life - worshipped it's gorgeous beaches, hiked it's breathtaking mountains, and lived, worked and played with amazing people from a vast variety of cultures. Now, all I want is for my son to be able to enjoy what I did. Doesn't every parent?

Anything you want to add about Fair Trade and the movement in general?

I know that there has been ongoing debate and conversation pitting Fair Trade against "free trade". Well, I believe that the two can and should exist together - after all, I am a business woman selling a product, who studied business and economics. I wrote a blog post about this last year, where you can find it under "Now for my rant..."

This may not jive with all the Fair Trade advocates out there, but it's just my opinion. The free market system is just that, merely a system - a tool for people to trade goods and services with. It's not inherently good or evil. Rather, it's the people using that system are good or evil. And, like I said in my post, I believe that people are for the most part good.

Thanks so much Joyce for sharing your words and your stories. Hopefully they can inspire other mothers out there when trying to make a difference. Once again, you can continue to follow Joyce's words at her blog and be sure to check out her delicious Fair Trade chocolate creations.