Why Fair Trade ?

With every purchase we are working towards lifting small village artisans, farmers and communities out of poverty.

We've all seen it again and again where political and corporate interests create bad trade deals that ship jobs oversees, lower wages, create extreme profits and give companies more control over impoverished communities. We need more Fair trade that prioritizes the interests of our people, our planet, and our fairness above those of corporate CEO's and their profits .  "We are in the eye of one of the most intense and thorough-going storms of acquisition and consolidation of wealth and power in history, one that is leaving a larger share of humanity out of its benefits while expanding its exploitive capabilities over them, and is able at the very same moment, to tell the world with a straight face that it is about empowerment for all!"   - Art Strikes Back

When buying Fair Trade products you can be assured that the individuals producing your goods are paid and treated fairly, instead of being exploited. Many of the products in today's marketplace are coming from factories that have little regard for the people producing the items and these working people are often subjected to unjust wages and conditions. With fair trade you will be assured your new handbag is not the result of forced child labor, or that your child's toy did not come from a factory that endangers its workers. These injustices continue to exist because we don't hear about, have time or the resources to trace the supply chain for every purchase we make. Fair Trade empowers the marginalized farmer and artisan a honest just economic way to support their family and village and encourages self-respect, dignity, quality of life and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Fair Trade makes it easy.  You'll know that your new handbag is not the result of forced child labor, and that your child's toy did not come from a factory that endangers its workers. Instead, by ensuring that people are paid fairly for their work, you are helping them send their children to school, afford medical care, and strengthen their communities.

Fair Trade empowers you to make an informed choice about your purchases and your role in the global economy. Every day, more consumers are choosing to buy Fair Trade, supporting dignity and justice for all people.

Ethical consumerism is the practice of purchasing ethically made items, whether it is sweatshop free, locally sourced, made out of recyclable materials, up-cycled products, or fair trade.  It could also be a form of supporting indigenous cultures through their art, such as the mayan backstrap weavers in Guatemala, metal artisans in Haiti, or the  skilled wood craftsmen in Africa. Ethical consumerism highlights the power of the consumer.  It takes a positive spin from the idea of a boycott.  Instead of not buying something to protest it, purchase the alternative and expand the market that is promoting a social good.  Ethical consumerism does not necessarily mean fair trade, but fair trade is an easy way to ensure that you are purchasing a product that was made in a safe and empowering working condition under environmental standards.

People often do not realize how much of an impact their ethical consumer purchases make.  By buying a product, you are saying that you demand it.  Therefore, the company will continue to supply that product.  If a business is successful in producing in unethical ways, what is going to incentivize them to stop is buying from the ethical competition.  It is about finding products that minimize damage against the common good and the environment.  Companies listen to purchasing trends, money so use that dollar wisely.

Today's consumers don't live in a bubble. We know our i-Pads come from China, our raspberries from Chile, and our T-shirts from Bangladesh. And when we are honest with ourselves, we know that the people working to produce these products often are subjected to unjust wages and conditions. These injustices continue to exist because we don't have the time or the resources to trace the supply chain for every purchase we make.

Click below:     ... to watch YouTube video on WHY Fair Trade (3.29min)