When you buy Fair Trade products you only spend a little bit of extra money on those products. But that little bit of extra money that guarantees a fair wage to the artisan or craftspeople who make those items adds up to massive amounts of money that is used to fund huge change. More than 4 billion dollars are spent on Fair Trade products yearly.
Cambodian FT products at a local market
The huge buying power of consumers who come together to purchase Fair Trade items has directly impacted countless communities both here and in developing countries. It’s easy to tell yourself that the extra money you pay for items won’t make a difference in the long run as a way to justify buying a lower priced item from a chain discount store. But the truth is that the extra money you spend on fairly produced items makes an enormous difference in the world. When you buy these products you are making a difference in the world.
Funds go directly to Fair Trade Artisans
Fair Trade Online Store
That’s because the premiums that you pay on Fair Trade items go directly to the person that made the product, not to the shareholders of some giant global corporation. Your money is not paying for some executive’s private jet or fancy home. It’s putting food on the table for the family of a craftsman. It’s funding a public school in a developing community. It’s giving a woman the money she needs to leave her abusive husband and feed her children. It’s promoting growth and independence in communities around the world. It’s also helping the environment. The crafters and artists who create these products are not pouring chemicals into river or creating massive environmental damage with huge factories. They are using locally made and sustainably produced materials to create beautiful fairtrade products that are very high quality and will last.
Fair Trade changes communities
Buying Fair Trade also changes the way that communities are run. When a small business prospers because of the program that money and success impact the entire community. That one small business that is supported by the purchases that you and people like you make will provide employment for local workers, money for the local community to use for health care, education, and streamlined services like water and sanitation. These small businesses will also be able to mentor other small business owners and teach those business owners the skills they have learned from the Fairtrade program. When small businesses thrive the community thrives. When these communities thrive the country thrives. When the country thrives and contributes to the global economy other countries thrive. Fair Trade is the heart of a new type of consumerism – consumerism that cares.
A lovely pair of FT Mens Shoes
Are you a thoughtful consumer?
The global recession rocked many countries, and many of them are still trying to recover. But the recession also made people realize how interconnected people are with each other, with other communities, and with other countries. These days consumers are more thoughtful about what they buy and really want to know that their purchases have meaning because. When you buy ethically produced products for fair prices you are helping other people just like you to follow their dreams and help their communities. Together everyone can build a stronger economy and a brighter future.
Benefits of Fair Trade Products
It can be a challenge to find the extra money for Fair Trade clothing and products if you are on a tight budget. Sometimes it may seem like it’s just easier to buy the items you need from discount stores. But you can choose to support it, even on a limited budget. With a little planning and a little ingenuity you can find ways to stick to your budget and still only buy certified items. The higher quality of these items means they will last longer, so a little extra money spent now means that you won’t have to replace the item in a few months and spend even more money. Think of the long term benefits of shopping for these items instead of the short term loss of money. The sacrifice of paying a slightly higher price upfront for well-made ethically produced items is worth it when you remember what you are a part of when you buy these handcrafted sustainably produced items.
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