By Tania Reuben
This is the month to take a few moments to think about the people that are making & growing much of the “stuff” we consume in our daily lives. The scope is quite remarkable, think; coffee, tea, rice, cocoa, cotton, sugar, honey, bananas, fruit juices, nuts, fresh fruit, herbs and spices, wine, magoes, quinoa footballs, etc.
In general Fair Trade seeks to ensure better wages for workers, it seeks to educate workers with the knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives. Additionally it is intended to guarantee that no child labor has been employed in the productions of goods.
CLICK HERE to read more about The Fair Trade Certified™ label guarantee.
Over the past years more attention has been given to this issue. As a result the market share of fair trade products is growing. They generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories.
Throughout the month PND will be featuring a few fair trade products and hosting a few fair trade giveaways. We hope you participate.
We hope by featuring these companies, products we can help generate further awareness about the fair trade options available to consumers. At the same time it’s a chance to pause, thinking about the working conditions that are a reality to workers around the world and how choosing fair trade can make a difference to them.
Learn more about the impact of choosing fair trade CLICK HERE.
Throughout the month as you shop for your family look for fair trade certification and when you can buy fair trade.
Fair Trade Organizations:
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International
TransFair – United States USA
Click Here to learn more about the history of fair trade.
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I didn’t even about this with all the Nestle drama. I’m not always great about getting fair trade by I try. The tea I drink a ton of is, most chocolate I eat is, etc… But I slip at times, I wish more and more would go to fair trade to make it easier.
Thanks for communicating about Fair Trade Month. It’s so important for people to have access to Fair Trade foods, as well as an understanding of how diverse and available these goods now are. In honor of Fair Trade Month, Alter Eco is launching the Fair Trade Community Cookbook where chefs of every skill level can create and submit their fair-minded recipes for a chance to win Alter Eco prizes and goods. The cookbook will feature participants recipes for others to review, review, and try themselves. The top rated recipes will be review by a local chef and first and second place prizes will be given out. Please help support Fair Trade, and help others support Fair Trade by participating in Alter Eco’s challenge. Offering Organic, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Fair Trade goods, Alter Eco works with small farming cooperatives throughout the global South, helping to ensure direct trade, fair wages, and global collective progress. Visit http://www.altereco-usa.com/community/ to submit, review, and enjoy Fair Trade recipes.
Great article!! We also wrote about fair trade month: http://fashionableearth.org/blog/2009/10/28/fair-trade-month/