5 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade

It’s Fair
Fair trade is defined as a market-based approach to reducing global poverty and promoting sustainability across the globe. How does this work? For one, there is an emphasis on equal employment opportunities, with a chance for buyers and producers to trade directly and build long term relationships. It also allows producers, many of whom may have little start-up capital, to access financial and technical assistance. Another benefit is that all aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability.

It’s Good for the Planet—and You Too
Buying an item that is Fair Trade Certified guarantees a high quality, environmentally friendly product, produced with an emphasis on sustainable planet-saving methods. Buying Fair Trade allows you to enjoy things you would be purchasing anyway—coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, nuts, other foods, crafts, gifts and clothing—while also helping to support the standard of living of people in less developed countries. Start with your daily cup of coffee, making sure your dollar speaks in support of fair trade.

It’s Humane
Fair Trade offers a very humane system, especially compared with many working conditions around the globe. Perhaps most importantly if you are a parent, neither forced labor and exploitative child labor are allowed, and labor conditions for all must be healthy and safe. Fair Trade gives ‘the little guy’ in many countries a fair shake at last, ensuring a fair price for producers, and for commodities, farmers receive a stable, minimum price. In fact, according to the Global Exchange, the Fair Trade system benefits over 800,000 farmers organized into cooperatives and unions in 48 countries.

It’s Easy to Support
Buying Fair Trade is easy, especially if you like on-line shopping. And although costs may be slightly higher on some items, the high quality you can expect will more than make up for it. Here are just a few resources to start:

A great site for conscious consumers, with a marketplace link to purchase in many categories: http://www.newdream.org

Full of Fair Trade gifts, food, clothing and crafts and every purchase helps a cause: rainforests, children’s health, animal rescue, breast cancer, etc. You pick! http://www.thehungersite.com/

Great coffee array at reasonable prices: http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/shop/OurCoffees/FairTradeOrganic\

Supreme chocolates:
http://www.divinechocolateusa.com
/

Organic body care goes Fair Trade:
http://www.drbronner.com/usda_organic_body_care.html

Fair Trade Gifts and Crafts:
https://shop.therainforestsite.com/store

http://www.globalexchangestore.org

http://eco-friendly.novica.com/cellid

http://www.fairtradequilts.com/child.htm

It’s the Future
The future of Fair Trade is bright, given yet another gift from this election, a net increase in Congress of at least 30 seats by "fair trade" supporters. Lori Wallach—director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch division—called the 2008 election “a veritable tipping point for fair-trade issues” reinforcing what polls have increasingly shown: The public is concerned about the current race-to-the-bottom trade and globalization model, heavily voting against those who support it and for those who say they will replace it.