Look for the Label - fair trade's many labels

Most fair trade organizations are members of a fair trade organization or two. In the U.S., it's common for organizations to be a member of the Fair Trade Federation (www.FairTradeFederation.org). www.World-Shoppe.com has been a member since we practically launched our fair trade Web site in August 2004.

www.World-Shoppe.com is also a member (and I'm a board member) of Chicago Fair Trade (www.ChicagoFairTrade.org). This latter organization is working toward making Chicago a fair trade city and educating Chicagoland residents and businesses about fair trade.

On an international scale, there is the World Fair Trade Organization, formerly known as IFAT (it just changed its name in October of this year). Members of this organization, like the FTF, are committed to 100% fair trade. Its new name is part of a process to clearly state its mission and gives it a platform to truly impact the livelihoods of the most vulnerable through Fair Trade.

TransFair is the label most of us see on coffee and other food commodities.

To make things even more complicated in terms of labeling, the World Fair Trade Organization is embarking on a fair trade label of crafts (which is what we normally sell on www.World-Shoppe.com).

What does this all mean to regular every day consumers? Well, it means there are a lot of labels but when you're purchasing something, look for a label of some sort that indicates your product has been fairly traded. If in doubt, ask the merchant from whom you're purchasing your product. More often than not, they probably know the story behind the product and can give you some insight on where the product was made, the process used to make it and how it directly impacts the artisan(s).

The concept of fair trade isn't meant to be complicated but in the process of making it easier for people to understand, it's become a little harder to figure out what the labels mean.

If you ever have a question about a fair trade label, just ask! As we work toward making this world a better place to live, we can get there faster when we're all striving toward the same goal.

Thank you for reading and hope to see you soon!

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com