The last article discussed the importance of women’s cooperatives in Africa and talked a bit about how they work. This week we will discuss fair trade. Since, it is a definite method of reducing poverty, encouraging respect for people, the environment and culture, especially when paired up with fair trade policies.

We’ve all heard the horror stories about young children working in factories in faraway away places. And there aren’t many of us who have never heard how some large companies are paying factory workers 1 penny for every shirt they make, then selling that same shirt to us in stores for twenty or thirty dollars. We’ve heard of sweatshops in China, 6 year olds making footballs in Pakistan and many other violations of human rights linked to production of the goods we buy daily. But what can you or I really do about that? After all, it seems that everyone is doing it; so what can one consumer do to change a system?

Fair trade, which is not particularly complicated or difficult to put in place, is a great way to have an impact and is as simple to describe as this: respect.

Fair trade doesn’t just mean fair pay. Although it is true that fair trade means paying a “fair wage” (translated to mean either the local minimum wage or at least the cost of production of the wares purchased); there are other important characteristics of fair trade as well. These include:

Respect for the environment means using recycled or recyclable packaging as well as encouraging recycling projects within the countries where products are made. Surprisingly enough Africans already recycle most items for financial reasons. Let’s face it, poverty makes recycling a matter of simple survival. Why would anyone throw away what they could make use of? But some cooperatives are taking it to a whole new level in recycling their own paper which they then turn into beautiful note cards, diaries, as well as other forms of art and handicrafts.

Another benefit of fair trade over traditional trade methods is information exchange. Fair trade companies share information which could assist producers learn new techniques, find new markets or assist producers in developing more easily marketable products.

In developing long-term trade relationships, fair trade companies invest in the future of producers or cooperatives. Having a lasting relationship also serves to assure the producers that they will not be dropped tomorrow for the smallest error or because their trade partner has found someone else to make the same product at a lesser price. This is just another example of respect in fair trade. Trade partners are treated as people, not just producers of an object.

When united with fair trade, women’s cooperatives are a great way to empower poor women. Disenfranchised women in Africa, Latin America and Asia are forming small local cooperatives in order to combine their resources. We should reach out a helping hand and join them in fair trade.

It is a wonderful way to buy quality wares knowing that those making them haven’t been abused or taken advantage of. Producers get the advantage of trading in parts of the world they never thought they could reach as well as all of the advantages that fair trade brings (fair pay, good working conditions, etc). Fair trade companies get the needed sales to give them the ability to continue to support and assist the world’s poorest people make a living. And you get quality items at good prices as well as the assurance that your dollars didn’t go to those who continue to oppress, abuse and exploit those most in need of aid.

Thank you for joining me! See you next time for another article…