One of my very favorite places to purchase fair trade products is from the GreaterGood Network website,
Our websites bring together communities that care, giving you the power to make a difference in the world with simple, every day actions. You can benefit leading nonprofit organizations by choosing from a range of activities including clicking on the free contribution button daily, and shopping for gifts, apparel, jewelry, and home décor in our do-good stores to give even more funding.
Since 1999, the GreaterGood Network has raised and given more than $20 million dollars to charities across the United States and around the world. Grants are currently distributed through GreaterGood.org, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Click here to see a small sample of the kinds of grants GreaterGood Network and its customers and contributors made possible.
There is also a great local Fair Trade store here in Salt Lake City called Ten Thousand Villages that I love. They are always getting in new products and even have samples of their fair trade coffees and teas.
On green LA girl there is a link to fair trade coffee shops in the US, even some McDonalds serve fair trade cafe products.
I recently read a great article by Alex Zorach titled Fair Trade Tea- What it is and Why it is Important? I didn’t even want to try and compete with how well Alex describes what Free Trade is as I couldn’t have said it any better myself.
What is Fair Trade?
"Fair trade is a complex and diverse social movement, and is hard to pin down and define concisely. This movement aims to ensure that workers are paid a fair living wage, have good working conditions, and work within democratic and transparent organizations. The movement achieves these goals by issuing certification to groups of producers meeting certain standards. The standards encompass working conditions, price, pay, and organization of businesses, and are chosen so as to promote the values and goals of fair trade: community development, environmental conservation, and economic justice.
Different organizations offer such certification and there are various labels associated with these organizations. By far the best-known certifying organization and label in the U.S. is TransFair. Some companies, such as Equal Exchange, are TransFair certified, but go above and beyond the requirements for certification, undertaking additional efforts and setting stricter standards for supporting small farmers and democratically-run cooperatives. Supporting small farmers and small cooperatives is an issue of key importance in tea production, as most tea is currently produced on large plantations, and the large plantation structure lends itself to poor environmental and human rights practices.
Other companies may not yet have achieved certification for all their products, but may still undertake some efforts to promote similar values and effects even for products that are not certified. Beyond certification, some companies also donate a portion of their profits to causes promoting human rights and environmental protection."
If you interested I would recommend reading his article here it's very reader friendly and doesn't use too much political or economical jargon that tends to go over my head and lose me.
If your unsure whether a product is fair trade or not look for either of these symbols on the packaging.
The Free Trade Federation (FTF) is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to Fair Trade. They also lists nine principles their members fully commit to in their transactions:
1) Create Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers- Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
2) Develop Transparent and Accountable Relationships- Fair Trade involves relationships that are open, fair, consistent, and respectful.
3) Build Capacity- Fair Trade is a means to develop producers' independence.
5) Promote Fair Trade- Fair Trade encourages an understanding by all participants of their role in world trade.
6) Pay Promptly and Fairly- Fair Trade empowers producers to set prices within the framework of the true costs of labor time, materials, sustainable growth, and related factors.
7) Support Safe and Empowering Working Conditions – Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment free of forced labor.
8) Ensure the Rights of Children – Fair Trade means that all children have the right to security, education, and play.
9) Respect Cultural Identity – Fair Trade celebrates the cultural diversity of communities, while seeking to create positive and equitable change.
For more information about fair trade read here and if you'd like to learn more about the above nine principles go here
Are there any fair trade stores you frequent? have an opinion on fair trade, I'd love to hear your comments!
