What is Fair Trade? 

Fair Trade is the ability to raise up those who have lived in poverty, susceptible to labor trafficking. Fair Trade workers are able to run their own businesses or become a part of developing sustainable practices through business and trading partnerships. They are paid fair wages so they and their families can thrive. This means they can gain financial assistance, are taught business skills, and are able to learn how to nurture a good working environment.
A lot of companies in the world use labor trafficking practices, so we love learning about Fair Trade companies and make sure we tell others about them so they gain more support.

Fabio Rafael Pagero, Dominican Republic says, ‘Because I sell with Fairtrade and Organic certifications, I have a good income with which I can feed my family well. I have health insurance that covers the whole family. I have a small house, a car to get from A to B – we live a comfortable life, and I am very grateful for that. Fairtrade ensures that I can survive as a small farmer. Without it, we could not compete with the big plantations, because we are too small to export ourselves. This is only possible in the community of the Banelino cooperative. Many small ones together are one big one and strong enough to stand up to the plantations. I get almost twice as much for my bananas as in conventional trade. This also allows me to pay my workers better wages. The price is fixed and is not pushed down afterwards, so I can calculate well. That gives me security. If it were otherwise, we would not be able to survive.”

October is nearly over, but we are going to continue to celebrate Fair Trade Month into November with our SHOP to STOP Fair Trade event coming up in just 17 days!