We've pulled together some resources for anyone interested in learning more about global trade, where to purchase Fair Trade products, or how to start your own grassroots campaign. Get involved by adopting a local supermarket, organizing your community to become a Fair Trade Town, or creating a film about your personal commitment to Fair Trade.
Get involved
Find event listings, updates on Fair Trade campaigns, shopping guides, and more from the Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Resource Network, TransFair, and United Students for Fair Trade.
Enter TransFair's "Connect with Fair Trade" video contest and win a trip for two to visit Fair Trade farmers in Peru. Create an ad for your favorite Fair Trade product, send a thank you video to farmers, or show how you live a Fair Trade life. Be as creative as you want!
No video camera? No problem. You can tell your Fair Trade story through TransFair's national sweepstakes. You could win a gift certificate for World of Good ethically-sourced gifts. Visit the official web site for entry details, recipes, and games.
The Fair Trade Towns campaign offers tools and resources for local, grassroots groups working to become Fair Trade Towns or Communities.
Fair Trade Towns is modeled after the European movement, recognizing communities in the US that meet five criteria: an active steering committee, an active and visible public campaign, availability of Fair Trade products in local shops, use of Fair Trade products in local organizations, and a city or town resolution supporting Fair Trade.
This Halloween, Global Exchange will transform the lives of children in cocoa-producing countries by bringing Fair Trade chocolate to thousands of households. Trick-or-treaters can help educate the public by joining schoolchildren in the US and Canada participating in "reverse trick-or-treating." Kids will give adults the treats—handing out samples of Fair Trade chocolate with a card educating recipients about poverty and child labor in the mainstream cocoa industry. Along with these young activists, hundreds of volunteers and concerned adults will distribute information door-to-door in their communities and on their campuses. Contact Global Exchange to find out how you can get involved.
All across the country USFT chapters are hosting a wide variety of events. They range from skill- building workshops and interactive sessions with Fair Trade producers to fair trade house parties and benefit concerts. Check out the event list to find all the events going on in your area.
Find Fair Trade Resources
Check out Oxfam America's Fair Trade Resource Center for more background on Fair Trade. You'll also find links to tools, resources and information about Fair Trade products and crafts.
This multi-purpose handbook engages college students in preparation for field internships in Community Agroecology Network's partner communities, as well as providing enrichment activities and follow-up resources. The handbook can also be adapted for use by anyone—from high school students to college professors—interested in teaching and learning about Fair Trade coffee, international trade, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and community development.
Co-op America has just released a full color "Guide to Fair Trade" to help local and national organizers spread the good word about Fair Trade. The guide features descriptions of international and domestic fair trade products with an extensive purchasing directory. It also includes a step-by-step action plan for mobilizing your organization and local producers. The guide is a useful resource to help with your Fair Trade campaign.
The Fair Trade Resource Network is launching its new Web Site during Fair Trade Month. The new site will serve as a hub for discussion and information exchange. It features the most comprehensive online library of fair trade publications, nationwide event listings, and a centralized news page.
The Fair Trade Federation is also re-launching its web site, offering resources to help consumers, vendors, entrepreneurs, and others support Fair Trade organizations.