JanetRhodes

An economics student at Mount Union College told me of his trip to Guatemala. I saw 3-year old girls up to 90-year old women shelling cashews in a cramped room for pennies a day. I thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way to do business.’ Fair trade offers our global economic system a better way to do business.

The fair trade movement is a global network of producers, traders, marketers, advocates and consumers focused on building equitable trading relationships between consumers and the world’s most economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers. I work primarily through the Fair Trade Federation to ensure that I am purchasing products from vendors who I trust are practicing fair trade with artisans. Membership in the Fair Trade Federation requires:

• A fair wage to the artisan/farmer in their local context
• Safe working conditions
• Age-appropriate employees
• Products that promote environmental sustainability

Fair trade is not only better for the artisan, it’s also advantageous to the consumer. Recent data shows that fair trade pricing typically results in reduced pricing for the shopper. Because the fair trade vendor establishes a relationship with producers in disadvantaged communities who do not have access to the larger global manufacturing market, the vendor negotiates directly within the artisan’s economic context thus providing the opportunity to offer the consumer a reduced price for a quality hand-made product, at the same time providing a fair wage to the artisan and farmer. This close relationship typically cuts out 5-7 middlemen in the process of bringing products to you.

I am grateful for the many ways you support justice in the marketplace. Your purchases strengthen world-wide efforts for fair trading practices.