10 Foods You Should Buy Fair Trade Certified
Are you familiar with the fair trade movement? This global push for more responsible work environments, fair wages and environmental stewardship has resulted in a flurry of products produced with a mindset of “people first.” While the general term can have different meanings for different people, a product bearing the “Fair Trade Certified” label means it was produced under safe working conditions with a focus on environmental protection, supporting sustainable livelihoods and reinvesting in community projects.
This tangible effort to improve lives, communities and products around the world creates an important value to many businesses, trades and individuals. If you want to shift your spending habits in support of fair trade programs, here are 10 of the best foods to start with.
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1. Coffee
Purchasing fair trade certified coffee means you are investing not only in an excellent morning drink but ensuring the farmers who grew the coffee beans are receiving a fair wage and benefits from reinvestment into their local community. So which brands are worth waking up for? Stumptown, Higher Ground Roasters, Grumpy Mule, DOMA and Pura Vida are just a few who offer fair trade brews.
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2. Tea
If you’re a tea drinker, you have plenty of fair trade choices to peruse. Tea is a multibillion-dollar industry that employs more people than you can imagine. But fair trade farmers are receiving the best benefits for their farms, families and communities. Numi and Alaya Tea are some of the many excellent choices out there.
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3. Chocolate
If you love chocolate, you might want to get acquainted with the humble cocoa plant. Considering how many people enjoy munching on chocolate bars, desserts and drinks, you’d think growing the beans would be a profitable and fulfilling career. It can be, but primarily when farmers and workers are partnered with fair trade companies like Alter Eco Foods, Theo Chocolate, Endangered Species and Loving Earth.
See more: Bean to Bar: How Chocolate Is Made
4. Bananas
When you think of fair trade products, you might not think of whole foods like bananas. But these are a staple food for people all around the world. And if people all over the globe are feasting on these sweet fruits, you know there are countless farmers responsible for growing enough to meet the demand. Next time you’re at your local grocery store, see if you can find bananas with Fair Trade Certified stickers.
5. Tropical Fruits
Did you know there are around 62 million tons of tropical fruits grown every year? We’re specifically looking at the numbers on mango, pineapple, papaya and avocado. There are millions of small-scale farmers responsible for keeping these in your fridge. Their families and communities depend on fair trade certification to provide them with fair wages and safe working conditions throughout the growing and harvesting season. You can look for stickers on these whole fruits or on packages of dried fruit and juices.
6. Honey
You probably know what an important role bees play in producing our food. But bee populations have decreased and suffered for years now. Fortunately, small-scale beekeepers, like those working with fair trade organizations, can help revitalize these numbers if enough consumers purchase fair trade certified honey products. It’s delicious, for starters, and necessary considering the future of food security around the globe.
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7. Spices
Whether you cook at home daily or just every now and then, you probably know herbs and spices can make or break a meal. But did you know you can actually choose to purchase fair trade certified spices from companies like Diaspora Co.? From vanilla and turmeric to cardamom and saffron, keep an eye out for these labels on herbs and spices in fresh, dry or liquid form.
8. Nuts
There are more than 20 different varieties of edible nuts around the world. Whether you like snacking on almonds, turning cashews into dairy-free milk or topping your banana bread with crushed walnuts, you can make a small shift in your shopping habit to support small-scale farmers in places like Fiji, Nicaragua and Pakistan.
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9. Rice
Almost all of us keep rice stocked in the pantry. It’s a mealtime favorite for people all around the world and a staple for survival for people in many countries. But the farmers cultivating it often have a hard time making a living. Purchasing fair trade certified rice from companies like Lundberg Family Farms protects these farmers against highly subsidized rice competitors in more developed countries.
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10. Sugar
Most of us keep a bag of sugar in the pantry for baking. But would you have guessed that farmers around the world produce 175 million tons of sugar each year? Unfortunately, many small-scale farmers struggle to make ends meet because they don’t receive the same government subsidies as the larger, industrial-scale growers. Purchasing a fair trade certified bag of sugar from a company like Wholesome is an easy way you can make an impact in the lives of small, often family-owned, farms.