The Gift of Fair Trade

It’s good to know that buying Fair Trade truly makes a positive impact on the lives of farmers and farm workers in 58 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. According to the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO), an estimated 1.2 million farmers and workers around the world benefited from Fairtrade certification and labeling partnerships in 2009, up from one million in 2008. Simply choosing to buy products with the Fair Trade Certified label allows you to vote for a better world with your dollars.

So what better way to say thank you this holiday season than by purchasing a Fair Trade gift for your host or hostess? Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are an ideal time to buy Fair Trade hosting gifts. The following websites help you choose a gift basket that will make you and your recipient feel good, and the samples we found are sure to whet your appetite. Then check out the TransFair website, which finds stores that sell Fair Trade products in your neighborhood. 

Globalexchangestore.org: The Fair Trade Simple Sampler ($36) offers a taste of different Fair Trade commodities, such as Equal Exchange Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee, Equal Exchange Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, Divine Milk Chocolate Bar and Choice Organic Black Tea.  

Worldofgood.com: For the tea lover, the Fair Trade Tea Sampler Gift Basket ($38) contains Loose Leaf Hampstead Organic Earl Grey Tea, Loose Leaf Hampstead Organic Biochai Tea, Choice Organic Mango Ceylon Tea, Choice Organic Moroccan Mint Green Tea and Alter Eco Organic Unrefined Cane Sugar.

Transfairusa.org: This store finder lists the stores in your area that sell Fair Trade items. Not enough giving back for you? Encourage your whole community to buy Fair Trade by joining Fair Trade Towns USA, a program that helps you convert not just your own purchases to Fair Trade, but those of your school, church, offices, community organizations and even town government. Click the following link to get involved: Fair Trade in Your Community. –Denise Shoukas

Denise Shoukas is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the author of foodspring’s food forager blog.

0 comments