Why buy Fair Trade?

We have a choice and a voice

Happy Fair Trade Month! As consumers, I like to say that we have a choice and a voice. We have a choice when purchasing products, and increasingly more consumers are choosing to buy products that match their principles and values. Buying products with the Fair Trade Certified label ensures that production of the items you’re buying is being regularly evaluated along the supply chains to meet quality standards. Buying Fair Trade benefits both the producers and consumers and gives both a voice for the kind of change they’d like to see in the world.

The benefits of buying Fair Trade

When you buy Fair Trade certified items you:

-Avoid buying products that use exploitative labor

-Ensure fair prices, wages, and safe working conditions on farms and in factories

-Ensure fair labor laws including equal pay for women and no use of child labor

-Transfer wealth back to farmers and artisans in developing countries

-Buy products in line with your principles and values

-Advocate for social justice and change

-Support community development

-Empower marginalized groups through training and educational opportunities; giving them more power and voice in their work

-Celebrate different cultures and craftsmanship around the globe

These are just a few of the key benefits of buying Fair Trade. So next time you go shopping, look for items with the Fair Trade certified label. You have a choice in what you buy and a voice to encourage others to do the same!