Top 19 Fair Trade Resources

Definition of Fair Trade (Wikipedia)

Fair trade’ is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee,cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit and flowers.

Fair trade’s strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to one of security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade. Fair trade proponents include a wide array of international development aid, social, religious and environmental organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Catholic Relief Services, and Caritas International.

In 2007, Fair trade certified sales amounted to approximately €2.3 billion (US $3.62 billion) worldwide, a 47% year-to-year increase.^[1] While this represents a tiny fraction of world trade in physical merchandise,^[2] fair trade products generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories in Europe and North America.^[1] In June 2008, it was estimated that over 7.5 million disadvantaged producers and their families were benefiting from fair trade funded infrastructure, technical assistance and community development projects.^[1]

19 Great Resources to Learn More About Fair Trade

1. A Better Footprint– (Green Bay, WS)    Fair Trade, global marketplace, offering unique, moreal and sustainable gifts.
2. Alaffia- The Alaffia Blog is a collection of fair trade, Africa and shea butter news, personal reflections, Alaffia profiles and more.
3. Cebra Fair Trade Blog– Fair Trade Gifts and accessories
4. Change– Zarah is the Operations Manager for the Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store, a project of the international human rights organization, Global Exchange. Alongside her work with marginalized communities from all over the world to get their products into the international market, Zarah serves to educate and inform the public about a more just and sustainable trading system.
5. CRS Blog– (Catholic Relief Services)  The CRS Fair Trade Program creates opportunities for you to bring the values of our faith to bear in the marketplace through your purchase of Fair Trade handcrafts, coffee and chocolate and your contributions to the Fair Trade Fund.
6. Fair Trade Coffee News-
7. Fair Trade Blogger – A blog about living a 100% Fair Trade life and will be sharing my adventures along the way!
8. Fair Trade Jewelry-  Great information
9. Fair Trade Federation The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade movement, building equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creating opportunities to alleviate poverty
10. Fair Trade Resource Network ftrn.org is an information hub designed to grow the fair trade movement. together, we can create a market that values the people who make the food we eat and the goods we use
11. Interrupcion Blog
12. Make Poverty History
13. Muenda Fair Trade
14. Organic and Fair Trade News News, essays and other musings on the organic and fair trade movement, following various issues of social and environmental justice.
15. Ten Thousand Villages of Austin– Retail Store in Austin, TX
16. The Fair Trade Blog
17. The Fair Trade Movie Blog– Loren A. Roberts runs this blog to support the continued distribution ofThe Fair Trade movie, directed by Lauralee Farrer. His site can be foundhere. He will discuss aspects of the film’s production, as well as issues raised by the movie, including fair trade, depression, hope, small businesses,
18. Trans Fair TransFair USA, the promoting and certifying body for Fair Trade products in the US. TransFair has grown to over 500 licensees, and is a three-time winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist awards. Our work includes promotion, certification, market building, technical assistance, pre-harvest financing, and capacity building on behalf of small farmers and farm workers around the world. We also assist our licensees in sourcing, marketing, and developing stronger Corporate Social Responsibility programs through Fair Trade.
19. Ten Thousand Villages- Offers information and has a store locator on site