Fair Trade

Consumers, don’t care if products are 100% ethically produced or 5% ethically produced…they’ll still pay the same premium for ethically produced goods.

From a 30 years old sustainable German company coming to the US market to a Childcare organization in Uganda, more and more options are available to the conscious consumer when shopping.

World Fair Trade Day is on May 10 and this year's theme is “Fair Trade + Ecology”. So, what's so green about fair trade? There are several reasons that fair trade products can be greener than others, but here is the main one.

Mexico was the first Latinamerican Country to jump into the Fair Trade wagon but soon after, Guatemala, Peru and others follow the example, allowing us to now buy fantastic products while supporting local and sustainable economies in the Third World.

Did you know that on average only 1 plastic bag in every 200 is recycled? Did you know that over 17 billion plastic bags are estimated to be used in the UK in a single year? Now is the time to say no to plastic and yes to fair trade jute and cotton.

Consumerism is now a hot topic, but let's face it - we cannot go back to a time where we travelled around in horse drawn carriages, we believed the world was flat and we knew nothing about other cultures and people with different believes.

Firstly - there is no secret. Authentic African black soap is made in different African countries according to local recipes.

Take the opportunity to celebrate Fair Trade with your mother by buying her a bouquet of beautiful Fair Trade Certified roses, Fair Trade Chocolate or why not? A Fair Trade Handbag. Fair Trade Products are already making a difference for women and mothers around the world and your purchase means not just fair wages, but increased employee benefits including extended maternity leave and help with childcare.

A new fair trade project that just like http://www.incakids.org is self funded and strives to lift from poverty unprivileged artisans in South America.   These projects are for-profit ventures benefiting the poorest artisans in developing countries, providing them with an opportunity to get a sustainable employment and wage.

An article from Madison Magazine profiling 25 of Madison's savviest, smartest, boldest, well-intentioned and hardest-working stewards of justice, humanity and the environment.

Our national addiction to coffee has major impacts on our environment. Over 120 million Americans drink coffee, and the average drinker has 3.1 cups of coffee each day.  Over 25% of us drink coffee from stores outside our home– we consume over 15 BILLION cups of coffee at Starbuck’s, Coffee Bean and the like each year. That’s enough paper cups to ring the Earth 55 times! Learn how to become an eco-conscious coffee drinker.

These entrepreneurs measure their gains not only in financial profit but also in the impact there are having in their communities or society in general.   Their ventures are a hybrid between non-profit and for profit businesses

Conventional cocoa used in Easter eggs is sprayed with toxic chemicals, uses child labour and involves traffiking people. This article shows how to make an ethical choice and offers alternative ideas to create a meaningful celebration that doesn't harm the environment, people or the planet.

Organic Style magazine is back--and it's free!

Organic yarns have been the majority of the fibers featured in our Yearn-Worthy Yarns series thus far. For this week’s installment, we are covering another vital element of green living and sustainable production - fair trade.