Fair trade is the concept of providing a fair price for goods. It supports small farmers and co-ops in developing countries by offering resources for community development and environmental care. Through the development of fair trade co-op, farmers who once were only able to be workers on large plantations now own their own land, investing in their communities and raising the standard of living in entire villages. As people of faith, called to work for justice in the world, fair trade is an opportunity to help improve standards of living for some of the most impoverished in the world. By purchasing things that are certified as fairly traded, you know that you are not only enjoying premium products that are carefully grown and made, but that you are also supporting individuals and giving them new opportunities. Fair trade organizations make handcrafts, clothing, jewelry, food, beverages, and many other items available to you.
At Peace we serve fairly traded premium coffee and tea. We also have a selection of Equal Exchange’s premium coffee and organic teas available for purchase. In addition to supporting local farmers, a portion of each purchase goes to support relief work through LWR. We believe that by offering these products we are helping develop strong communities and individuals.
To learn more about the Fair trade concept, visit the following websites:
- Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project - The LWR Fair Trade program provides a variety of information about Fair Trade and faith.
- Wikipedia’s article on Fair Trade - A good introduction and overview to the fair trade concept.
- The Fair Trade Federation -an association of fair trade wholesalers
- TransFair - the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United State.
- The Fair Trade Network - A resource group for fair trade.
- PBS's special on fair trade - articles and video info
- Fair Trade Chocolate - all sorts of information on fair trade chocolate. (Thanks to Brittnay for suggesting it!)
- Student Tools - Some resources from Equal Exchange for Students interested in getting involved.
- Win - Win - A curriculum about Fair Trade from Equal Exchange.
Options for purchasing fairly traded products:
- Equal Exchange – Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate
- Serrv International – Jewelry, clothing, and more.
- Global Exchange – distributor of fair trade items, including food, jewelry, and handcrafts.
- MercadoGlobal – featuring home items, jewelry and clothing.
- Lutheran World Relief - Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, hand crafts, and palms.
- Also check some of the information sites listed above, they have lists of other fair trade merchants and co-ops.
