Make a Difference for Children Around The Globe Through Your Daily Decisions
The Fair Trade Movement and You
The United Nation’s Declaration on the Right to Development states that, “every person is entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural, and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.” Small farmers and artisans, common in developing countries, often experience an economic process that is far from just. By selling their goods through the fair trade process small farmers and artisans are able to build a better, more secure, future for themselves. This benefits families and entire communities in developing nations. Each time we purchase items that are certified as fair trade products there is a direct benefit given to the hardworking farmers and artisans that carefully produced them.
- Fair trade guarantees that small farmers and artisans receive an income that exceeds their production costs. The way in which fair trade works also ensures that farmers and artisans are able to pay for their products prior to selling them. They are therefore able to keep food on the table, pay for their land and home.
- Fair Trade items were produced without child labor. In addition, by purchasing fair trade products a family has increased resources, which will reduce the risk that a child will be sent away to work for the family rather than attend school. Children are often sent away because of the conditions of poverty that surround many families in developing countries. These children are sent to dangerous working conditions, become a part of human trafficking, slave labor, and often are abandoned with little hope of being reunited with their families.
- Fair trade cooperatives have governing bodies that uphold the rights of women in the labor force. They must demonstrate that women have equal rights as they labor diligently for money for their families. Purchasing fair trade products directly supports women as they work to provide for the basic needs and safety of their children.
- Fair trade cooperatives governing bodies provide a direct relationship between international buyers and the farmers and artisans. These democratically organized cooperatives offer equal employment opportunities, gives small farmers and artisans access to buyers, provide credit, and offer training to members.
- Fair trade products are 85% organic and produced through organic farming techniques. This means that fair trade produce, such as coffee, is grown in a chemical free and environmentally friendly manner.
- Fair trade cooperatives support the rights of Indigenous people. Through fair trade cooperatives indigenous people, often discriminated upon based on language, culture, and religion, are able to address assaults on their way of life through the stability and support of fair trade cooperatives.
Currently, the way in which international trade works is that the people that are in between the farmers/artisans and the consumers are rewarded with greater income. Purchases made through inequitable systems strongly support the cycle of poverty and chronic indebtedness of hardworking farmers and artisans in developing countries. The simple act of purchasing fair trade products, in which there exists an abundance, can actually lift people out of poverty.
Imagine, if you will, that each time you purchase coffee, chocolate, home decorations, clothing, unique gifts for family and friends, toys, jewelry, bath and body supplies you are actually providing money directly to the producer and helping to end the cycle of global poverty.
This is an act that as good consumers and good people we have a responsibility to do. It is a life style change that can begin with a single cup of coffee in your home kitchen – but one that can create a domino effect of change, growth, empowerment, and hope for millions.
Help Precious In HIS Sight find a home for every child through helping us stop the cycles that create orphans to begin with.
A reliable organization that is very active in the fair trade movement is Lutheran World Relief. LWR has a variety of fair trade products including coffee, chocolate, and beautiful handcrafted items. Please visit this website and learn more about fair trade.
Lutheran World Relief
www.lwr.org
