The Art of Ethical Gifting: How Fair Trade Empowers Communities and the Planet
By Yasmine Robinson
Alexandria, VA – Are you looking for meaningful gifts this holiday season? High-quality, well-made items that will delight your friends and family, and serve them well for years to come? Maybe you’re looking for gifts that are not only functional but also have an interesting story behind them. If any of the above sounds like you, you’re looking for fair trade!
What is fair trade? Fair trade is a global economic movement that prioritizes helping people and the planet over profit. Fair trade groups ensure that their producers receive an equitable, living wage and have access to safe working conditions. Organizations reinvest in local communities to create sustainable, long-lasting partnerships that promote community development. It also entails using sustainable materials and processes that protect the environment.
When you buy fair trade goods, you’re buying gifts that give back. The World Bank estimates that over 800 million people worldwide currently live in extreme poverty. While this is due to a multitude of factors, one unfortunately common component is that artisans and producers are often not paid a fair price for the items they create. By choosing to buy from reputable suppliers who pay their artisans fairly, you’re helping to break a vicious cycle of poverty.
garment traditionally worn in South Asia. Photo courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages.
The positive impacts of fair trade can change an entire community. Take the example of Palam Rural Centre, a soapmaking artisan group in Tamil Nadu, India. Artisans have invested the profits from their work into starting a school for their children. By investing in a fair trade gift, you’re investing in the upward mobility of future generations.
While Palam Rural’s soap may be one of a kind, their story is one of many. It’s just one other factor that sets fair trade products apart: every item comes with an incredible true story about the lives you’re helping to change. The fair trade process creates a more interconnected way of doing business; a process in which producers become real people rather than just an abstract concept.
Fair trade isn’t just about helping people, it’s also about helping the planet. Artisans combine cultural traditions with upcycled and sustainably sourced materials to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces with smaller carbon footprints. From the glassblowers of Hebron Glass, who use recycled glass for their art, to the basket weavers of Prokritee, who create baskets out of upcycled saris, fair trade artisans are experts at turning one person’s trash into someone else’s treasure.
As the author Anna Lappé once said, “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” This holiday season, why not cast a vote for a world that works better for all of us? With fair trade, you can find gifts you feel great about giving—for all the right reasons.
Not sure where your nearest fair trade store is? I recommend Ten Thousand Villages in Alexandria or Trade Roots: Fair Trade Gift Store and Coffee & Wine Bar in Arlington. The best part? Both stores are local businesses, so you’re also supporting your community.
