October – Fair Trade Month
While we have already talked a little bit about organic foods and a lot about local foods, it is important to mention another type of food to be on the look-out for: Fair Trade Certified. Think coffee, tea, cocoa, fresh fruits like bananas and mangoes, rice, sugar, and vanilla.
In short, fair trade products secure a fair wage for farmers, fair labor conditions, environmental sustainability and quality products. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label at the grocery which serves as a guarantee by TransFair USA that the product has been purchased from producers according to International Fair Trade criteria.
So, in honor of Fair Trade Month, try a few of my favorite fair trade products like the cocoa and dark chocolate from Equal Exchange. Or, you can find information about locating other Fair Trade Certified products here, but it is really as easy as looking for the label, pictured above, at the grocery or even asking for it when you order your morning cup of Joe.
Check it out — TransFair USA is one of the sponsors of this study grant opportunity for teachers.
Ten teachers will get to spend a week in Brazil next summer visiting Fair Trade coffee farms, meeting farmers and checking out community services built thanks to fair trade income. Amazing opportunity to see it all firsthand.