Green Cotton

October is Fair Trade month, a time to celebrate fair wages and healthy, safe working conditions for artisans and farmers around the world. This campaign, sponsored by TransFair USA, the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, is about letting your friends, family and coworkers know what a big difference Fair Trade makes in the lives of small farmers and farm workers throughout the world. So come and join in on the fun this month and add a few Fair trade purchases to your everyday shopping list.

What better month for Fair Trade Month to be, too because Halloween is just around the corner and we all know what that means: lots of chocolate. Chocolate is one of the most popular fair trade products available on the market, so what better opportunity that this to exercise your Fair Trade convictions and buy Fair Trade chocolate. (Stay tuned for our Halloween post on buying Fair Trade chocolate coming soon!).

What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
Fair Trade is much more than a fair price. Fair Trade principles include:
-    Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
-    Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
-    With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
-    Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
-    Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
-    Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.
It is all about encourage environmentally sustainable business practices and prohibits the abuse of child slave labor.

What products are Fair Trade?

You can find almost everything. From sugar to tea, herbs, spices, coffee, grains, cotton, nuts, honey, cocoa, fruits and vegetables…

What is the impact of Fair Trade?

For Luis Adauto de Oliveira , Coopfam in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (Photo above) .
“Fair Trade has given us the ability to grow coffee the way it should be grown – sustainably, organically and with great concern for quality.  Our families are fed, our children are in school, and now we can tend to the coffee and the environment.”

So now what can we do to support Fair Trade?
-    Look for the Fair Trade Certified Label, and buy Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, rice, sugar and other products when possible
-     Serve free Fair Trade coffee and chocolate to customers
-    If you don’t see Fair Trade products in your local shop, ask for them!
-    Host a Fair Trade House party to raise awareness.
-    Serve Fair Trade products at your house of worship.

www.fairtrademonth.org provides you everything to celebrate the Fair Trade month: banners, widget, twitter, facebook, flickr…For example, by adding the Fair Trade Month widget to your page or blog, you can keep up with each new way to support fair trade.
At Jute and Jackfruit we are devoted to conserving natural resources, investing in communities and contributing to the environment and sustainability. In August 2009, Green America just accepted Jute and Jackfruit into their approved network of businesses committed to social and environmental responsibility and we are also a supporter of “Fair Trade the White House” campaign, whose goal is to invite Michelle Obama to join the Fair Trade movement by declaring the White House a “Fair Trade Home”.

Spread the word!

By: Julie Finkel