Guest post by Hope Druckenmiller
As October and Fair Trade Month come to a close, we at Engage Together want to encourage you to take a moment to learn about the power of your purchase and how you can advocate for supply train transparency as a consumer, right where you are.
Fair Trade certification is a sustainable sourcing certification program that “improves livelihoods, protects the environment, and builds resilient, transparent supply chains” (Why Fair Trade). If a product is Fair Trade or Fairtrade certified, this means it meets the highest social, environmental, and economic standards.
Fair Trade products include coffee, chocolate, produce, seafood, clothing, and more. By purchasing Fair Trade products, you are standing for workers’ rights, combating child labor, and helping to bring fair wages to farmers and workers that harvest the food we eat.
Today, over 2 million farmers and workers are involved in Fairtrade worldwide, over 100 countries participate in the Fairtrade system, and over 37,000 products carry the Fairtrade Mark.
As we enter the season of holidays and gift-giving, consider practical ways you can harness the power of your purchase and advocate for supply chain transparency as a consumer.
- Learn more about what Fair Trade certification is and why it’s important.
- Find what stores in your area sell Fair Trade products, and know what Fair Trade products you can look for.
- Learn about Fair Trade Communities and how they have developed Fair Trade Campaigns all across the country.
- If you’re a student or parent of a student, download our Fair Trade Month Action Kit from the AFRJ Student Council to review and discuss actionable strategies with your friends, peers, church group, or school.
- If you’re a college student, learn about Fair Trade Universities and consider how you can find an existing campaign near you or start a new campaign on your own college campus.
- Share the information you learned about Fair Trade products and certification with someone in your community or network today!
It’s when each of us does our part that change happens. Now and every day, let’s go change things!