I was in college the first time I saw the Fair Trade Certified label. Waiting in line for my coffee, I naively wondered, “What the heck does that mean? Why would trade be unfair?”
Little did I know that far too often, trade is unfair. And many people don’t even know they are a part of the problem. Paying a fair price for goods seems a no-brainer, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. Not only do many workers get paid far too little for the work they do, but they also suffer through poor working conditions and have no worker benefits. Fixing those problems and ensuring that workers are paid and treated fairly is a big part of fair trade. Another layer is the commitment to farm sustainably–in other words, not destroy our earth so that I can have my cup of coffee each day.
Check out this wonderful infographic from Ben & Jerry’s and GOOD, and share it with friends so that everyone knows what fair trade means and why it’s important!
What does fair trade mean? (click to enlarge)
Source: Ben & Jerry’s / GOOD