Fair trade acknowledges the human beings that make our products. It means that small producers receive fair prices for their products, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities. This helps to reverse current trends that reward the middle man or woman more than the producers themselves.
Purchasing fair trade products is a very good way to do your part, but we encourage you to take one step further. If you look closely, each vendor participating in this sale has a story that can offer you a window into the lives of the producers’ family, their livelihoods, and how they are impacted by the broader global economy. So take the time to read the producer profiles and chat with the vendors.
Fair trade cooperatives offer employment to their communities at a level superior to that offered by commercial brands. Part of their mission is also to offer economical clothing to the community, create a model of business development that can be replicated by other communities, and to work consistently toward the goals of “justice, liberty and autonomy” not just for cooperative members but for the wider community.
Fair trade cooperatives offer employment to their communities at a level superior to that offered by commercial brands. Part of their mission is also to offer economical clothing to the community, create a model of business development that can be replicated by other communities, and to work consistently toward the goals of “justice, liberty and autonomy” not just for cooperative members but for the wider community.
ATCF hosts the Women & Fair Trade Festival every year in November. For more information on the fair trade market, click here.