Buying Fair Trade items for Christmas

The benefits of buying fair trade items for Christmas are many. The idea behind fair trade is to encourage small farmers and industries in developing countries to be self-sustaining. The profit from the items they grow and sell will help to feed them. A definition of fair trade is give a man a fish and he won’t be hungry today; teach him how to fish and he will never be hungry again. The idea behind fair trade is to give entrepreneurs in developing countries the ability to market and sell their goods in the west where there is a market.

Christmas is a time when people not only love to exchange gifts but everyone gets into the spirit. What better spirit is there than choosing to spend your hard earned money on goods where the workers are making a living wage under humane conditions? Fair Trade supports the small farmer over the huge profit-driven conglomerates. What could be better than to get the perfect gifts for your family and friends and feel good about doing so?

One place to purchase fair trade items is Ten Thousand Villages. They market the crafts from many different villages all over the world. From South and Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and India. Thousands of artisans have found a market for their goods. Whole villages have benefited from the entrepreneurship of some of their residents. Their model of fair value for items has inspired others to decide to earn money with dignity.

As a gift buyer, all the items offered by Ten Thousand Villages are unique. Since the items are handmade, no two will ever be exactly alike. Since there is no middleman, even though the creators of these works of art are one of a kind, the prices are considerably lower than you would pay for items made in a sweat shop. Everyone benefits. What could be more in the spirit of Christmas than that? While Ten Thousand Villages sells things like jewelry, accessories and ornaments there are also several companies who sell fair trade coffee and tea.

Green Mountain Coffee of Vermont sells a wide variety of Fair Trade coffee. If you are interested their website tells you all about the where the coffee is grown and the cooperatives of small farmers who are responsible. They come from Nicaragua in Central America and Ethiopia in Africa among other places. There is something very comforting in knowing that you and your caffeine habit are sustaining these small farmers.

If you want to feel really good about your Christmas shopping this year and all the people who will benefit from it, try going Fair Trade, you will be really glad that you did and so will all the people who are proud to be able to support themselves.