I am a long-time believer in the “teach a man to fish” philosophy - in creating sustainable situations for disadvantaged producers in developing countries as a way to lift them out of poverty. I started to become familiar with the term “fair trade” in college - honestly, I don’t even remember how. All I remember is that the idea of guaranteeing a fair price, creating opportunity for economic advancement and development, the use of participatory workplaces, and guaranteed healthy working conditions stuck with me. Now, for some, “fair trade” automatically rings up connotations in people’s heads of coffee, maybe tea or chocolate. Some people just stare and ask, “fair trade? What’s that?” Others get it confused with free trade. Only a few people may know that there is so much more to it than the popular denotations. Due to the prevalent confusion surrounding the issue—labels, businesses claiming to be fair trade, advertisements in the grocery store, etc—it’s a wonder anyone has any idea in the first place.

Through quite a process, I recently started working at the Fair Trade Federation—a trade association of fair trade businesses. I have learned more in the last month and a half about fair trade than I could have dreamed of learning in my years in school. Perhaps more importantly, I have been introduced to a host of fair trade businesses that aren’t in business for the money—they are in business because they saw a need and sought a way to fill that need. I have read countless stories of people visiting impoverished countries, meeting people who make a craft or produce a commodity item, getting inspired, and starting to sell that product in North America.

But this is not the only discovery I have made while at FTF. Through my research, I have also become informed of the vast amount of North American companies (food, clothing, retail, etc) that abuse their foreign workers through sweatshop practices, hazardous working conditions, trafficking, forced overtime, unacceptable facilities, among many other blatant human rights violations. I was amazed at my own ignorance. I had heard rumors of worker’s rights violations, seen people advocating against sweatshop practices, even boycotting companies like Nike, but I never realized the extent of the corruption. People, we have no idea.

So what is to be done? I still believe that if people did have an idea of these blatant violations of basic human rights by multi-million dollar corporations, that they would drastically alter their buying habits. We have power as consumers—power to change the world through what we buy. That is the beauty of the market system—supply and demand. If you demand it, the world will supply it. And if you, the consumer, put stipulations on how workers should be treated before you buy a product, the rest of the world will have to listen.

I may be naïve, but I believe we have the power to change how things are done—even on the small scale. I still believe that the small scale makes a difference, and I still hope for the day when our efforts on the community level will seep out into mainstream society.

I want to leave you with more than just an elusive inspirational commentary on changing the world—I want to tell you how and give you resources for change.

What Can You Do?
• Buy fair trade
Request fair trade commodity items in your grocery store (coffee, tea, sugar, honey, vanilla, fruit, flowers, rice, etc)
Visit independent coffeehouses that serve fair trade coffee and tea instead of coffee chains.
Buy fair trade gifts for birthdays, holidays, etc.
Look to fair trade sources next time you need a bag, clothing, gifts, sports equipment, shoes, home décor, school uniforms, journals, stationary, foodstuffs, etc.

• Avoid products and companies that use sweatshop practices and abuse human rights.
• Buy local through farmers markets, local artisans, and restaurants that source locally.
• Don’t be fooled by company greenwashing.
• Join a fair trade organization in your community or state.
• Advocate for fair trade products on your campus or in your church.
See if you can get your church café to brew fair trade coffee or your university bookstore source their apparel through fair trade vendors.
• Tell people about fair trade!

Resources:
• www.coopamerica.org - this website allows you to search for any of the stores or companies you buy from and gives you news reports about their worker practices, environmental sustainability, and factories overseas. This website also contains the “Green Pages”—a directory of green and fair trade businesses.
• www.fairtradefederation.org - this website has a members directory that allows you to search for specific fair trade products.
• www.transfairusa.org - this website contains a “search for fair trade products” section, allowing you to search for retail stores in your area that sell fair trade products.
• www.localharvest.org - find a farmers market near you!

Where To Buy Fair Trade Products:
• Ten Thousand Villages: amazing place to find unique gifts for birthdays and holidays!
www.tenthousandvillages.org
Retail locations all across North America and Canada.
• Equal Exchange: looking for fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate, or snacks?
www.equalexchange.com
amazing chocolate bars!
• SERVV International: beautiful jewelry and other fair trade items.
www.agreatergift.org
• Etica Wines: wine, anyone?
www.eticafairtrade.com
• SiempreSol: looking for a gift for the next baby shower?
www.siempresol.org
Cutest onesies ever!
• Avatar Imports: fair trade fashion anyone?
www.avatarimports.net
Beautiful dresses and tops ladies!
• Shiana: unique, elegant jewelry.
www.shiana.com
• Global Goods Partners: get a really cool messenger bag or handbag!
www.globalgoodspartners.org
• Fair Trade Winds: want a really fun laptop bag?
http://www.fairtradewinds.net/product_p/c-unb-214.htm
• Cooperative Coffees: find an amazing independent fair trade coffeehouse and roaster near you!
www.coopcoffees.org/who/members-of-cc
• Just Shirts: ordering custom shirts for an event? Or just want a really stylish tee?
www.justshirts.com/onlinestore.htm
Stylish, unique designs!
• Fair Trade Sports: they make fair trade sports balls? What?
www.fairtradesports.com/gearshop
• Alter-Eco: sugar, coffee, tea, quinoa, rice, and so much more!
www.altereco-USA.com/main.php
• There are so many more, check out: http://fairtradefederation.org/ht/d/Memdir/pid/1722 to find other great fair trade providers.

There are so many things I could say about fair trade. How it creates economic opportunity for farmers and artisans, how it guarantees healthy working conditions, how it ensures producers’ voices are heard, or even how it aids the families and communities of producers. But what I want to say is this—be the difference.