Fair Tuesday

WHAT?

Fair Tuesday (hashtag #FairTuesday) is a fair trade initiative created in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goal of #FairTuesday is to inspire conscious consumerism and show how an everyday purchase can change lives in a whole community. We are featuring fair trade and eco-friendly brands and inviting other businesses to take a step towards sustainability.

WHEN?

Tuesday, November 27^th, 2012

WHY?

Launched by @GlobalGoods, a New York-based nonprofit, fair trade organization that supports over 40 women-led artisan groups in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Whether you are an individual, organization, or a member of the press, you can join the #FairTuesday movement in two simple ways: by buying one fair trade item on Tuesday, November 27th, and by helping us spread the word about the movement on social media using hashtag #FairTuesday. If you represent a non-fair-trade business, tell us what you are doing to make your practices more green and fair.

BECOME A PARTNER

To become a partner, send an email to FairTuesday@globalgoodspartners.org telling us why you want to join the movement.

SHOP

Your Guide to Fair Trade Beauty Products

1. LUSH Cosmetics:

Most products include organic Fair Trade Certified cocoa butter, sugar, shea butter, coffee, cinnamon, and clove.

2. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soups (My personal favorite!)

They use Fair Trade Certified hemp oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and pure cane sugar.

3. The Body Shop

All ingredients are Community Trade Certified.

Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream

“Fair Trade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie. The whole concept of fair trade goes to the heart of our values and the sense of right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting someone else.”

– Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield

It’s officially summer, meaning the weather is warming up and the swimsuits are coming out. While we are surfing at the beach or working on our tans by the pool, it gets pretty warm, therefore, we need something else to cool off. Who wants some ice cream?

With Ben & Jerry’s being the first ice cream to be Fair Trade Certified, you can feel good about the ice cream you are eating this summer. Ben & Jerry’s has a large selection of Fair Trade Certified products and they are quickly on their way to become completely Fair Trade Certified by 2013. Currently, all their cocoa, vanilla, and coffee is Fair Trade Certified.

A Few Fair Trade Certified Flavors:

Vanilla: Made with Fair Trade Certified vanilla

Chocolate: Made with Fair Trade Certified Cocoa.

Phish Food: Made with Fair Trade Certified cocoa and vanilla, although still working on the chunks and swirl.

Half Baked: Made with Fair Trade Certified cocoa and vanilla, although still working on the chunks and swirl.

Cookie Dough: Made with Fair Trade Certified cocoa and vanilla, although still working on the chunks and swirl.

Chocolate Macadamia: Made with Fair Trade Certified cocoa and vanilla.

While it may cause some confusion that Ben & Jerry’s is Fair Trade Certified when not all the ingredients (chunks and swirls) are actually Fair Trade, it just means that when they convert to “all fair trade products, [the] ice cream [which is] made  [up] of domestic eggs and milk, and imported sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate, can only be labeled as fair trade if the latter four ingredients are individually fair-trade certified.”*

 So, it’s time to run to the store and pick up a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, because they are actually making a difference. To learn more about Fair Trade Certified Ben & Jerry’s, click here.

World Fair Trade Day 2012

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day. Buy Fair Trade.

To learn more about Fair Trade, click here.

Ten Thousand Villages

Unlike other Fair Trade retailers,  Ten Thousand Villages is one of the founding companies in the Fair Trade world. Originating in 1946, this company has grown to be a source for “unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serveware and personal accessories representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.” As an original member of the World Fair Trade Organization, all “product sales help pay for food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.”

Ten Thousand Villages is a unique collection of many different products: earings, nativities, baskets, rugs, musical instruments, decorative mirrors, cards, notebooks, ornaments, games and puzzles, sea salt, and much more.

To read a story about an Artisan, click here.

To shop online, click here.

To find a store near you, click here.

To learn more about Fair Trade, click here.

Fair Trade Finder App

Although Fair Trade Certified products are becoming more popular, they can still be hard to find. Fair Trade USA has created a new App to make the search easier. This new App is called the Fair Trade Finder. The Fair Trade Finder allows you to find, add, tag and photograph Fair Trade Certified products wherever you go. You can easily search and find where Fair Trade products are available, making sure that every purchase matters.

Download now for FREE:

To upload the App for the iphone, click here.

To upload the App for the andriod, click here.

To learn more about Fair Trade, click here.

Fair Trade Certified Beverages

Here is a quick guide to Fair Trade Certified drinks you can find at your local grocery store or gas station:

Steaz:

Steaz produces several types of beverages that are all Fair Trade Certified: Iced teas, sparkling teas, and energy shots.

Guayaki:

A delicious yerba mate beverage that “has the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate”. They come in large cans, bottles, or organic energy shots.

 

 

 

 

 

Holistics:

Holistics beverages are natural and have a wonderful fruity taste! They are one of the newest beverages to become completely Fair Trade Certified.

Your Guide to Fair Trade Certified Chocolate

Facts about Chocolate:

• 70% of the worlds cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast in Africa.
• More than 600,000 children who live in this region work on cocoa fields
• 284,000 children work in dangerous conditions
• In Cote d’Ivoire on the Ivory coast 40-50% of children between 5 and 14 years of age work full time.
• 15,000 are captured, beaten, forced to work, underfed and not paid.
• Many of these children are trafficked from other African countries like Mali.
• Major chocolate companies know this but still buy from the criminals who run these plantations.

Unless you shop at Whole Foods or another natural food store, you are not likely to find many Fair Trade Certified items. However, here are a few Chocolates you can find and a few you should stay away from.