Fair Trade is $hopping With a Conscience
By Wendy Priesnitz
 Where you shop and what you buy can create ripples around the world,
supporting cruel regimes and worker exploitation, and damaging the environment,
or helping local economies and being a positive force for social change. When
you purchase Fair Trade products, you know that you’re buying into a sustainable
model of international trade based on economic justice and environmental
sensitivity. With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as
directly as possible to eliminate unnecessary middlemen and empower farmers to
develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
Fair Trade criteria include:
- Paying a fair wage in the local context
- Offering employees opportunities for advancement
- Providing equal employment opportunities for all people with freedom of
association and no discrimination
- Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices
- Being democratic, transparent, and open to public accountability
- Building long-term trade relationships
- Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context
- Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible
- Ensuring that there is no child or forced labor
Fair Trade product certification ensures consumers that these principles are more than
encouraging words. Connecting producers with retailers around the world are a
variety of
fair trade certification initiatives in Europe, North America, and Japan.
Certified products can be identified by the use of a Fair Trade logo.
The number and types of products that are sold under Fair Trade labels
have mushroomed internationally over the past few years. They now
include coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, fruit, beans and grains, nuts, oils and
butters, wine, herbal products, crafts, sports balls, cotton clothing,
jewelry, cut flowers, and more. (Not all Fair Trade organizations certify
all product categories.)
In order to raise consumer awareness of Fair Trade, the second week of May
has been designated Fair Trade Week. Fair Trade producers and retailers hold
local events to highlight their products and educate the public. There are also
initiatives such as the Fair Trade Towns and Fair Trade Campus campaigns to
recognize communities and schools that actively support Fair Trade, increasing
both availability and awareness at the local level. Check out the websites
listed below for details about initiatives in your area,
and for listings of producers and retailers.
When you purchase Fair Trade products, you are making a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate
change, and the economic crisis that hit hardest on the world’s most
vulnerable populations.
Learn More
FairTrade USA
FairTrade Canada
European Fair Trade Association
Fair Trade International
World Fair Trade Association
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