Buying Fair Trade Products

Tue., Dec. 6, 2005

As you prepare for holiday gift giving, use your purchasing power to tilt the balance in favor of the poor by increasing the demand for fair trade products! And, for socially conscious giving overall, check out OneWorld U.S.�s latest Holiday Gift Guide.

Shopping options:

To find retailers that sell fair trade products, or to buy fair trade products at 75 stores online, check out a site offered at TransFair USA.

Purchase an American Friends Service Committee Fair Trade Peace Pack and support artisans and farmers worldwide. This includes a cloth drawstring backpack, fair trade coffee, soap, and stationary. Twenty percent of profits benefit the Trade Matters Campaign, an effort to educate the world about fair trade.

Ready for the Holidays? Check out Global Exchange�s Holiday Gift Section, which includes over 85 new fair trade products including coffee, chocolates, crafts, holiday favorites, and unique gifts for Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.

Ensure workers� well being was not compromised to make your product by ordering through retailers, wholesalers, and producers who are members of the Fair Trade Federation. This site also offers an extensive list of mail order and online catalogs for fair trade products.

Shop through SERVV International and buy fair trade handicrafts and foods from around the world. SERVV�s partners and products promote living wages, women�s rights, eco-friendly production, and an end to child labor through their partnerships with small-scale artisan and farmer groups.

World of Good brings handcrafted products from cooperatives, NGOs, and non-profits in developing countries to the U.S. market with the aim of promoting fair trade.

Check out Ten Thousand Villages, the People�s Choice Green Business of the Year, for unique holiday decorations and holiday gifts from around the world. As you buy, meet the artisans of Ten Thousand Villages and read their stories.

Equal Exchange is the oldest and largest for-profit fair trade company in the U.S. and offers 100-percent fairly traded products. You can buy coffee, tea, chocolate, equipment, fun stuff, and educational materials from their online store.