So You Want to Support the Fair Trade Movement, Now What?

This year, World Fair Trade Day is May 13th, the day before Mother’s Day. It’s common knowledge that all moms love chocolate, flowers, soaps, and candles (okay #notallmoms), but before you go out and buy chocolate bars and soap for Mom, let’s do some research and find out how we can all be a bit more conscious of our purchases, for Mom this week, and for ourselves all year long.

SOURCE: Fair WORLD PROJECT

WHAT DOES FAIR TRADE MEAN?

From equalexchange.coop:

Fair Trade is a way of doing business that ultimately aims to keep small farmers an active part of the world marketplace, and aims to empower consumers to make purchases that support their values. Fair Trade is a set of business practices voluntarily adopted by the producers and buyers of agricultural commodities and hand-made crafts that are designed to advance many economic, social and environmental goals, including:

• Raising and stabilizing the incomes of small-scale farmers, farm workers, and artisans
• More equitably distributing the economic gains, opportunities and risks associated with the production and sale of these goods
• Increasing the organizational and commercial capacities of producer groups
• Supporting democratically owned and controlled producer organizations
• Promoting labor rights and the right of workers to organize
• Promoting safe and sustainable farming methods and working conditions
• Connecting consumers and producers
• Increasing consumer awareness and engagement with issues affecting producers

What is World Fair Trade Day?

From the fairworldproject.org:

World Fair Trade day is a global celebration which showcases the small-scale producers at the heart of the fair trade movement and the contributions they make to healthy and sustainable communities around the world. When we choose authentic fair trade goods, our purchases cast a vote for small-scale farmers, producers, and artisans around the world.

The theme for World Fair Trade Day this year is “Fair for Farmers & Soil,” and as someone who works on an organic farm, this issue hits close to home.  Small-scale farming can actually help to mitigate climate change through regenerative agricultural practices and efforts to promote soil fertility. This is one of the biggest reasons why supporting your local farmers, small-scale farmers, and the companies who partner with them is more important than ever. Check out this great infographic below for details on food, farming, and climate change.

Source: Fair World Project

So, how can you support the fair trade movement?

1. Visit your local fair trade shop, or if you don’t have one, start suggesting to your local stores that they carry more fair trade items.
2. Eat fair trade chocolate.
3. Drink fair trade coffee or tea at home.
4. Purchase fair trade body care items.
5. Encourage your office or workplace to serve fair trade coffee and tea.
6. Tell a friend about the Fair World Project or World Fair Trade Day.
7. Host a Fair Trade film screening! Have some friends over for a documentary and some fair trade snacks.
8. Find a Fair Trade event near you: click here.  Over 1,500 stores around the U.S. and Canada will feature World Fair Trade Day celebrations this May. Come on out and support small-scale farmers and their partners!
9. Donate to the Fair World Project: click here.
10. Stay informed and check out current petitions you can sign: click here.

a few of my favorite fair trade Brands:

• ALTER ECO: Chocolate is a biggie for me since I do love and incorporate it into my diet. I love Alter Eco for having organic, delicious, and of course Fair Trade Certified ingredients. If you are a dark chocolate lover like me, you will love their Blackout bar! You also have to check out their drool-worthy vegan chocolate truffles.
• EQUAL EXCHANGE: Equal Exchange also makes amazing chocolates, but they are well known for their delicious fair trade coffees as well. Check out their website for tons of great resources and info on fair trade.
• DR. BRONNER: I have been using Dr. Bronner’s fair trade soaps since college, but it wasn’t until recently that I truly began to understand just how dedicated this company is to fair trade.  (And no animal testing of course!) Also, to my coconut oil loving friends, if you aren’t using fair trade coconut oil, you need to make that switch asap!!
• ALAFFIA: I had the honor of hearing one of the owners of Alaffia speak at Expo West this year, and I was blown away by his passion for fair trade. This company makes some amazing body care products (I’ve been using one of their lotions for years!) and their new Activated Charcoal and Reishi Deodorant smells so good that it makes me wanna sniff my own pits over and over (#sorrynotsorry).
• GUAYAKI (not pictured): I love me some Yerba Mate, but it wasn’t until I did some research for this blog post that I learned this incredible fact: the actual process of growing yerba mate reduces more than TWICE the carbon emissions emitted from its overall processing, packaging and transportation. How amazing is that?! Not only is Guayaki mate fair trade, but you can actually reduce atmospheric C02 with each purchase.

So if you’re buying Mom chocolate and soap this year, please remember that we vote with our wallets! When you choose truly fair trade goods, your purchase casts a vote for small-scale farmers, producers, and artisans around the world.

FWP Executive Director Dana Geffner said it best; “when you make your final purchase, remember the people who planted, grew, harvested, processed, and sold the product along the way. We’re all in this together.”

XOXO,

P.S. This post was not sponsored by any of the companies above, however I did receive some products for editorial consideration from the Fair World Project. As always, any products I recommend are ones that I genuinely use and support!

0