Make Your Fair Trade Month a Fair Trade Year in 5 Easy Steps

Fair Trade Month is drawing to a close. During October we celebrated the people of Fairtrade including the farmers and workers who produce Fairtrade goods, the companies who sell Fairtrade products, and the shoppers, policy makers and activists who push for change.
We’ve met some amazing people, including Teresa Pereira, a young Fairtrade sugar farmer in Paraguay who works for Cooperativa Manduvira, owners of the world’s first farmer-owned organic sugar mill; and Edy Rivera, a Fairtrade coffee farmer in El Salvador who is helping women in her community make their voice heard.

We at Fairtrade America are proud to be part of this global movement that strives for more than just a fair price, but trade on better terms for the farmers and workers we depend on, and a more sustainable future for all.

We’d also like to thank all of the Fairtrade brands (and the farmers and workers who produce their products) for supplying us with some great prizes in the contests we held this month. See the full list of prizes here.

But don’t stop celebrating at the end of October. Make Fairtrade a year round event. Here are five easy steps you can take to continue the celebration.

1. Look for the FAIRTRADE Mark – Shopping for the FAIRTRADE Mark is one way to make a difference. And the international FAIRTRADE Mark is the world’s most recognized and trusted fair trade label. You can find it on everything from coffee to ice cream, bananas to toaster pastries, and everything in between. Check out the full list here.
2. Go further, think LOFTy – When shopping, think Local, Organic or Fairtrade. Make your choices reflect the world you want to see.
3. Bring Fairtrade to your workplace, school or place of worship – Let your friends, family and colleagues know that you support Fairtrade and tell them why. Even after Fair Trade Month, you can request promotional materials here.
4. Get Educated –  Stay tuned to our website, bookmark our RSS feed, or subscribe to our newsletter.
5. Advocate for Change – Fairtrade America is just one of many organizations in the fair trade and trade justice movement. Check out the good folks at the Fair World Project and Fair Trade Campaigns for information on how you can get involved. Other good organizations to follow along include Fair Trade Federation, Slow Food USA, Real Food Challenge, Food Tank, and many more. What’s your favorite?