Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Spotlight: Fair Trade USA's Paul Rice, Entrepreneur of 2012 Finalist Paul Rice's Fair Trade USA has helped improve the lives of agricultural workers worldwide. His inspirational story makes him a finalist for Entrepreneur of 2012.

By Purvi Thacker

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Paul Rice, CEO Fair Trade USA
Photo: R.Cruger - Paul Rice, CEO Fair Trade USA

Editor's Note: Each year, we honor a top entrepreneur in our annual Entrepreneur contest. Meet the finalists in the running for Entrepreneur of 2012. Here, a look at Paul Rice, founder of Fair Trade USA.

"There is this invisible dividend in the fair trade world that you can't see, but you know it when you talk to a farmer," says Rice, who founded his Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit in 1963. "It's hope, pride and dignity, because people are solving their own problems through fair trade."

Fair Trade USA works as a third-party certifier for fair-trade products and has helped improve conditions and empower the rights of agricultural farmers and laborers in emerging economies including areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Rice always had an entrepreneurial eye. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, "When he was 11, Rice shined shoes to make money. At age 12, he had a paper route. Two years later, he was mowing lawns, and by the time he was 16 he had so much business he hired a couple of kids to help out."

Related: Fair Trade's Growing Pains: Pivoting a Successful Model

Rice started Fair Trade USA after spending 11 years working and living with the farmers in the mountainous Segovias region of Nicaragua. "The laws protecting the workers are very weak or they are not enforced," he explains. "So for much of the agricultural working population around the world, life is very hard and its not very safe."

By offering an opportunity for farmers to earn a livable wage, Fair Trade USA has helped them create community projects for clean drinking water, schools for children and improvements in women's health care. "Fair Trade is all about improving lives, but we don't do that through charity," he says. "There is no handout in the fair trade movement."

Should Paul Rice be Entrepreneur of 2012? Vote for him here.

Related: Meet the Finalists for 'Entrepreneur of 2012' and Watch Their Inspirational Stories

Related: Acucela's Ryo Kubota, Entrepreneur of 2012 Finalist

Related: Sentek Global's Eric Basu, Entrepreneur of 2012 Finalist

Related: Adafruit Industries' Limor Fried, Entrepreneur of 2012 Finalist

Related: Justin's Nut Butter's Justin Gold, Entrepreneur of 2012 Finalist

Purvi Thacker is online editorial intern for Entrepreur Magazine. She is a recent graduate of Columbia Journalism School and previously worked with The Times of India and the United Nations.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Money & Finance

The Government Is Forcing Business Owners to Share Personal Data or Get Fined $10,000 — So Why Don't More People Know About It?

The Treasury Department wants to know who owns your business, and the smaller your business, the more attention you should pay.

Money & Finance

Customers Have a Favorite Payment Method — But 30% of Businesses Don't Accept It. Are You Driving Business Away?

This article examines the surprising gap between what consumers want in payment options and what small businesses currently offer. It also provides strategies for small business owners looking to adapt to these preferences and enhance customer loyalty.

Leadership

Could We Have The First Native American Woman Governor? DEI Expert Weighs In On What Allyship Should Look Like If History Is Made.

We can all learn more about what it means to be a better ally for those who are the "firsts" in their space. Here are three strategies around allyship this DEI expert recommends to her diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultancy clients.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'Additional Human Touch': Starbucks Has a Turnaround Plan That Includes Buying 200,000 Sharpies. Here's Why.

Faced with declining sales, Starbucks has a comeback plan that involves several changes to stores and menus. Here's a look at the changes coming to your store.