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Fair Trade supports farming communities in more than 50 developing countries - improving their quality of life and helping them build thriving enterprises. The people who provide the staples Americans enjoy on a daily basis - coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, sugar, rice, vanilla, herbs - are granted access to international markets through Fair Trade. Without direct relationships with international markets, sustainable local development would be nearly impossible.

As a result, Fair Trade enables farmers to earn higher incomes and build local infrastructures to maintain economic stability.

What is Fair Trade Certification?

TransFair USA is in charge of providing certification for fair trade products. An item must display the Fair Trade Certified seal to guarantee that the producers are receiving a fair price.

According to TransFair, between 1999 and 2005, coffee farmers alone earned about $75 million in additional income selling to the U.S. Fair Trade market. In addition, a portion of all Fair Trade prices go to social and environmental projects, such as economic development and socio-political organization.

Fair Trade's Social Impacts

Without Fair Trade revenues, many children in developing countries would still lack access to education and farming communities would be unable to receive adequate health care. Enough revenue is generated by the U.S. Fair Trade market to provide scholarships and build schools, as well as to invest in health facilities and programs.

Women also benefit directly from Fair Trade - it empowers them to take on leadership roles in Fair Trade cooperatives, enroll in business management courses and promote women's entrepreneurship.

Fair Trade's Environmental Impact

Fair Trade adheres to high environmental standards and financially rewards farming communities that engage in sustainable farming practices. Fair Trade requires dramatic reductions in agrochemical use, forbids the use of dangerous chemicals, discourages deforestation and requires Integrated Crop Management systems.

In addition, Fair Trade makes small-scale agricultural production more profitable and aids in the conversion to organic production. As a result, many U.S. Fair Trade Certified products are also certified organic.

Fair Trade in Action: Mirembe Kawomera Coffee

Although there are many wonderful brands of Fair Trade Certified coffee, the story of Mirembe Kawomera is one that cannot go untold.

Mirembe Kawomera (translates to mean "delicious peace" in the Ugandan language Luganda) is sold in the U.S. by Thanksgiving Coffee Company, an artisan coffee roaster in Northern California. $1 from the sale of every package ($10.50 for 12 ounces) is donated to the Peace Kawomera Cooperative.

Mirembe Kawomera Coffee grows on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in eastern Uganda - a sweet, nutty coffee with notes of pecan and nutmeg - but it's the story of the people who grow Mirembe Kawomera Coffee that deserve notice.

In 2003, JJ Keki, a Uganda coffee farmer, decided to make some pretty serious changes to the way coffee was grown in Uganda - and thus Mirembe Kawomera was born.

Keki brought together his Jewish, Christian and Muslim neighbors to create a unique coffee-growing cooperative. With assistance from a U.S.-based organization, Kulanu, the group of religiously diverse farmers eventually formed the Peace Kawomera Cooperative.

Five years later, the Peace Kawomera Cooperative in Uganda has more than 750 members. As a collective, they sell their Mirembe Kawomera Coffee directly to Thanksgiving Coffee Company and receive prices four times higher than what they had been making on their own. With higher revenues, the farmers are sending their children to school, reinvesting in their farms and putting away money for life savings.

Fair Trade in Action: Pangea Collection

In addition to coffee and other food producers, Fair Trade also applies to artisans worldwide. Sites like Ten Thousand Villages and Two Hands Worldshop carry a variety of items, from jewelry to home decor, that are Fair Trade Certified.

The Pangea Collection specializes in unique, handmade accessories from around the world. One such accessory comes out of Southeast Asia: the Eco Cotton Shoulder Bag with Shell Button ($35) produced by the Saori weavers in Thailand.

The Saori Project is an organization for the survivors of the 2004 tsunami that destroyed homes, communities and livelihoods in Thailand. Although merely a tent with a few small handlooms, sewing machines and basic hand sewing equipment, the Saori Project produces more than just handwoven bags - it has been a source of strength and healing for more than 150 women.

The Pangea Collection sources the handmade bags from Thai-based fair trade organizations, and the revenues will go toward maintaining a steady working environment and rebuilding what was lost.

Note: You can read more about this item on our companion site, ShoppingByMail.com.

Fair Trade and You

By now, you can see the impact Fair Trade has made on a global level. Every Fair Trade Certified purchase you make directly influences the lives of those in developing countries; buying a pound of Fair Trade coffee can help build schools; giving a handcrafted Fair Trade gift can help provide health care for communities in need.

Although Fair Trade Certified products may be slightly more expensive than those that are not (but this isn't always the case), think of the good karma that will come your way for considering others - and where the items you use on a daily basis come from - when making a purchase.

Photo courtesy of TransFair USA: Coffee sorting at Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union, Ethiopia

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