What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is an organized social movement whose goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. Fair Trade helps farmers build businesses that positively influence their communities and products that bear this logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.

Through Fair Trade, children are able to stay in school, farming and working families are able to eat better, improve health and housing and invest in the future. The Fair Trade model also requires rigorous protection of the local ecosystems and ensures that farmers receive a harvest price, which will allow them to practice sustainable agriculture.

It is hard for us living in this country to imagine what it is like having few rights as a worker. It is harder to imagine working 12 hour days and still not being able to support your family. But we all know that these situations and worse exist in the world. It is just hard to confront.

What can you do as a consumer? We all know the power of the dollar and we all have dollars to spend. Our dollars are our vote. When you buy your food at the grocery store, you are casting your vote. When you purchase coffee, you are casting your vote. When you buy jewelry, clothing or handbags, you are casting your vote. So look for the Fair Trade label on as many things as you can. With the power of your vote, you can help change the conditions in communities and villages. To find some Fair Trade companies as well as companies that are giving back, visit our directory at http://www.do-goodcreative.com/accessories/.

Common Fair Trade food items are coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit such as bananas, pineapples and mangos. When shopping look for these labels:

image source: http://www.pjcvt.org/