Ep. 202 - Cashier to C-Level with Brian Lew, COO of FairTrade America

We’ve had a couple of Fairtrade focused episodes such as Kim Chackal from Equifruit, so familiarize yourself with that episode if you haven’t already. Now we’re going to the East Coast and we’ll be talking about the amazing effect Fair Trade has on farmers and why big companies such as KIND are buying fair trade products.

Learn about Bryan Lew’s career path and his advice for anyone when it comes to climbing to the top. You can do it too, even if you’re a cashier at a small grocery store.

About Bryan

Bryan Lew is the chief operating officer for Fairtrade America, where he leads the effort to expand awareness of Fairtrade America’s mission among U.S. businesses and consumers to ultimately increase revenue and grow the organization. Bryan brings expertise in the natural foods industry from his previous roles leading operations for Sur la Table and MOM’s Organic Market. Bryan was also an executive vice president at Whole Foods Market. 

Show Notes

Whole Foods (first started when there were 10 stores) Why did you decide to join Whole Foods?: Something felt different. They took advice to heart. What do you do?: Fair trade is simple. We try and balance the value of trade for things that we all love to eat. Chief Operating Officer: We mainly talk with other companies and see how we can streamline the process KIND BARK: They use fair trade cocoa in their product exclusively Most popular Fair Trade Product: Coffee!! Trip to origin Endangered Species Chocolate: a chocolate company who went to West Africa to see the process. How do you get Fair Trade?: For the farmer, it’s not super hard. When you’re ina  community of Farmers, people see the differences when Farmers can build a school or a hospital with a  fair trade certified. Why is coffee so cheap?: Brazil and other countries have invested very heavily in coffee What makes Fair Trade appealing?: Consumers want it, brands think it’s valuable and stores want it My Food Job Rocks: I love being in something my daughter can be proud of What trend or technology, is exciting you right now?: LOFT-Local, Organic or Fair Trade. On transparency: What are the tools to better communicate transparency? QR codes didn’t work. We have an App that might help too. What’s one thing in the food industry that you’d like to know more about?: Blockchain. I think it will do really well in showing where or food comes from The brand map that shows all of the companies owning something Greenwashing Leadership Books: Good to Great by Jim Collins Any advice for the food industry?: There are a few skills that are indespensible in any industry. The ability to Hustle is really important. You have to continue to follow up. What do you consider a finish?: Simplify, focus and execute. Sometimes it can take a while

 

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