Fair Trade means an equitable and fair partnership between marketers in North America and producers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the world.

A fair trade partnership works to provide low-income artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work. Fair Trade Federation (FTF) criteria are:

Paying a fair wage in the local context.
Offering employees opportunities for advancement.
Providing equal employment opportunities for all people, particularly the
  most disadvantaged.
Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices.
Being open to public accountability.
Building long-term trade relationships.
Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context.
Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.

We research each producer and support those who are involved in community development and care for the Earth.  Our eco-friendly items are designed to help us all live more lightly on the planet.

Every purchase we make has the power to connect us with our brothers and sisters around the world. Just look at the tag on your shirt to get a glimpse of how far items travel between producers and consumers.

By buying Fair Trade you can ensure that the producer or artisan who created your item earned a living wage, labored under safe and humane working conditions, and quite possibly is directing a portion of her profit into a local project supporting education, reforestation, or clean drinking water to name a few.

In the Free Trade model (a misnomer if ever there was one) the average producer typically earns only 3-4% of the retail price of their product.  A Fair Trade producer typically earns 25-30%.  Check here to learn about the Fair Trade movement.

Fair Trade Links

Fair Trade Federation ­An association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers whose members are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide.

Coop America ­A not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982.  Whose mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. 

.