When we support fair trade we lower national barriers, provide jobs for disadvantaged and disabled people and contribute to help improve the environment.

By supporting fair trade we help smaller communities feed their families who are financially disadvantaged and unable to compete with larger corporations. Buying products from companies that support fair trade help give people the dignity they deserve by allowing them to contribute as productive members of society.

Families are then able to send their children to school and buy them food and clothes which are simple things most of us take for granted. Fair Trade Federation participants often include people who have disabilities that would otherwise have difficulty finding employment. An example of such a case is a man named Lucio Malhoe in Pomaire, Chili who is a talented potter that suffers from a slight disability. His brother Orlando owns the shop and has noticed a decline in their sales since plastic has slowly begun to take over.

Ten Thousand Villages support fair trade and have many stores in the U.S. and Canada. They sell products from thousands of talented artisans all over the world. They helped found Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and are a member of Fair Trade Federation (FTF). If you’ve been never there, they have a beautiful display of handmade products from artisans of various cultures. It’s almost like stepping into a different country with all the colorful unique handicrafts to choose from. There’s something there for just about everyone and it’s a great place to find a one of a kind earth friendly gift for that hard to buy for person. You get a unique beautiful treasure while knowing you contributed to help fight poverty and gave individuals the dignity they deserve.

Ways Ten Thousand Villages support fair trade:

• They pay people a fair price for their work regardless of their sex. Equal pay for equal work is endorsed.

• They support safe working conditions and ensure that no one including children is being abused or underpaid and that their rights are protected.

• A strong environmental standard is adhered to and only responsible methods of production are used to create products.

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) works with Ten Thousand Villages and they also volunteer to help people from poverty, oppression and disasters. MCC runs a number of thrift shops that sell clothing, furniture and other items such as fair trade coffee. They sell their coffee in collaboration with Equal Exchange, who buys the coffee from small farmers at fair prices. Small coffee farmers often struggle in poverty but since MCC started this coffee project some farmers have now been able to get ahead. Volunteers who work at the thrift store also donate their talents by creating “thrifty to nifty” items such as blankets, quilts, pencil cases, purses and more out of clothing that was too damaged to sell.

Reference: MCC (mcc.org, 2007)

Ten Thousand Villages

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