October is Fair Trade Month

October 6, 2006

By now you’re likely somewhat familiar with the buzz words “fair trade.” As the concept of organic materials has seeped into almost every facet of modern society, so too is the concept of fair trade gaining speed. And with good reason- fair trade stands for a higher standard of living for those who create many of the goods we use in our daily lives, from the coffee you drink in the morning to the jeans you slide into on the weekends. In honor of October’s designation as Fair Trade Month, I encourage you to explore the concept of fair trade if you’re not familiar with it already. TransFairUSA eloquently summarizes the concept in this way:

Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Fair Trade is much more than a fair price! Fair Trade principles include:

• Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.

• Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.

• Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

• Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.

• Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.

• Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

Currently, fair trade certification is available in the United States for the following goods: coffee, cocoa, vanilla, teas, fruit, rice, sugar, herbs and chocolate. You can identify certified fair trade goods by looking for TransFairUSA’s emblem of certification, as seen at the top of this page. If the concept of fair trade resonates with you, here are a few things you can do to support it and raise awareness:

1. Learn about and support fair trade events near you.

2. Discover how to identify and locate fair trade goods, then make purchasing fair trade a priority in your home.

3. Order fair trade promotional materials and share them with your community, place of worship and campus.

4. Enter the Discover Fair Trade contest for an opportunity to win a trip for 2 to Costa Rica.

5. Adopt your local supermarket and encourage them to bring more fair trade products to your local community.

In honor of Fair Trade Month, I wanted to share some of my favorite places to pick up fair trade items. From the delicious and edible, to the savvy and stylish, look below for the finest fair trade goods on the market today. Want more? The September 2006 issue of O Magazine featured a wonderful article on fair trade goods.

Pura Vida Coffee

Dagoba Chocolates

The Fair Indigo

Global Mamas

New World Tea

Bella Luccè strongly supports the concept of Fair Trade. We are proud to use fair trade organic cocoa in our Peruvian Chocolate pedicure products, fair trade coffee in our Bali Kopi Coffee Scrub and fair trade shea butter in a variety of our products, including our Body Butter, Silk & Honey Lotion and Peppermint Foot Crème.