From what I’ve seen, when people start reconsidering what they eat, they typically concern themselves with the health value and impact of the foods they consume on their bodies and lives. However, there are broader aspects of foods attached to the concept of rethinking our diet that influence more than just people’s lives and bodies.
October is just days away, and everyone is well aware that this upcoming month is full of tricks and treats, but a less well-known fact is that this month also holds claim to the title as Fair Trade Month — a month dedicated to the promotion of awareness and action concerning the Fair Trade Movement.
In spirit of this month’s Fair Trade theme, we should take a quick look at how the purposeful purchasing of our food can actually contribute beyond our own personal health and help benefit others’ lives as well.
Many people have heard the term “Fair Trade” thrown around at least once or twice, but how many of us actually know what it means for a food to be certified Fair Trade, and how many of us can recognize these products in order to purchase them and support the movement they are involved with? In fact, are any of us even familiar enough with this movement in order to decide whether or not we want to support it?
Hopefully by the end of this article, you will feel more confident with your understanding of the Fair Trade Movement. While the month of October continues to call forth action and awareness, I hope you will continue to seek more information on it and seriously consider whether or not it is a movement you think is worth supporting.
The Fair Trade Movement saw its first origins as a grass roots movement in 1946 spearheaded by Edna Ruth Byler. As Byler traveled to Puerto Rico, she saw the extreme poverty of many women who worked hard to produce lace, but were not paid in correlation to how much they worked.
As time progressed and the awareness of unfair wages and working conditions of the workers increased, the Fair Trade Movement began to take root.
In 1989 the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) emerged as a group that linked a global network of people and businesses committed to supporting Fair Trade.
History is nice, but what does Fair Trade stand for?
Fair Trade covers many broad aspects of production, and the WFTO has 10 principles outlined, but I will give a condensed overlook. For a product to be Fair Trade, it must provide good and healthy working wages and conditions for not only laborers, but also their families and communities. It must not use child labor, maintain a system that promotes environmental sustainability, provide respect for cultural identity and provide opportunities for marginalized communities.
That is a lot of criteria to meet, and not every company that claims to be Fair Trade holds itself to these high standards.
In an effort to support Fair Trade, you must be sure that the foods are Certified Fair Trade. In 1997, the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLOI) was created to certify products and inform customers that when they pay the extra price for Fair Trade items, it is because all the standards are being upheld.
Today, the movement is growing with more people becoming aware of the necessity to promote ethical food instead of cheap food.
This month, I encourage you to seek more information as millions across the globe raise their voice in support of Fair Trade foods.