What is "Fair Trade"?
"Fair Trade" is a different way for
consumers in North American markets
to interact with producers of goods in underdeveloped countries.
Fair trade organizations offer a fair price to artisans, craftsmen, and
farmers and work to improve their living and working conditions.
Expenses are kept low, and there is no exorbitant markup by the "middle
man." People who purchase items through fair trade partnerships
can be assured that they are directly supporting poor and struggling
artists and farmers.
Why buy fair trade goods?
Ever worry that the clothes you buy are
made in sweatshops? Or that your shoes were made by children
earning mere pennies? Or that the makers of the coffee you drink
have been exploiting the farmers who grow it, not to mention exploiting
the earth itself? Well, with fair trade products, you don't have
to worry about any of those concerns.
The fair trade name is given to products which have been produced
according to fair trade standards. It's about working people
earning a living wage; it's about healthier and safer working
conditions; it's about providing people the means to help themselves;
it's about environmentally friendly cultivation; it's about sustainable
development; it's about equal opportunity; it's about social justice;
it's about fairness!
Fair trade is not a handout - it is not charity. It is better
than aid: it is a way for people in underdeveloped areas to take more
control of their lives and work their way out of poverty.
Where do I find fair trade goods?
There's a good chance you can already find
a sampling of fair trade foods in your local supermarket - not just in
specialty high-end groceries. And if your market doesn't carry
fair trade items, ask them to! Look for a fair trade logo to know
that the foodstuffs you are buying have been certified "fair trade."
Many fair trade items are available for purchase through catalogs and
web sites online; some retail establishments also offer fair trade
products. Each year, at our church's Global Holiday Faire, we
offer hundreds of
items (everything from food to jewelry to clothing to home decor) for
purchase through fair trade organizations, some of which
are listed below. (Click here to visit the web page of the Global
Holiday Faire.)
Explore the links at the bottom of the page to find places to shop for
fair trade goods.
How
do I learn more?
Here are links to fair trade
cooperatives and certifying agencies, along with some fair trade
partnerships which offer goods for sale. You can learn much more
about fair trade by visiting these sites. So check them out!
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The Global Holiday Faire is held each December in Vallejo. |