Cherie Gough
Buy Fair Trade
What it means and how you can make a difference
Did you drink a cup of coffee or eat a piece of chocolate today? Choosing fair trade coffee and chocolate can mean five times the pay for a farmer in a developing nation and a safe working environment in industries dominated by child labor. As San Diego County stores make fair trade items like chocolate, coffee, home textiles and body products more available, shoppers are becoming familiar with the label. But what does buying fair trade mean and who exactly benefits?
Empowering Women and Families Buying fair trade certified goods provides a helping hand to people in developing countries. When farmers and factory workers who produce these goods receive a fair trade premium, they decide as a community how to spend the money. Community development projects provide necessities such as health care, clean water and schools, explains Katie Goudey of Fair Trade USA. Purchasing fair trade goods makes a vital impact on women who produce more than half the world’s food, but own very little land.
Good for the Earth, Good for Consumers Certified fair trade goods benefit the environment and consumers. A third
Photos courtesy of Anne Pacheco, La Mesa Fair Trade
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Shop at Local Fair Trade Shops Around the World Gifts, Old Town www.aroundtheworldgifts.biz Fair Trade Décor, Del Mar http://fairtradedecor.com Dr. Bronner’s Natural Products, Vista www.drbronner.com/DBMS/ SFNT.html Gifts With a Cause Online shop www.giftswithacause.com All Across Africa Online shop and seasonal kiosks www.allacrossafrica.org
To find more fair trade events in San Diego, visit www.facebook.com/ FairTradeSanDiego or www .lamesafairtrade.blogspot .com/p/shop.html.