Buy Fair Trade Certified and Make a Difference!

Imagine buying delicious, gourmet foods that are grown in harmony with nature and without the use of harmful chemicals. Imagine these top-quality foods being produced by farmers around the world who are paid fair trade prices so they can provide their families a better standard of living.

It is now possible to make a real difference with many of your food purchases, thanks to TransFair USA, a non-profit organization that certifies food products that meet its rigorous standards and the Fair Trade Certified(TM) label. When you see the FTC label on foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate, fresh fruits, sugar, and rice, you can be assured that this product has passed three stringent criteria:

– Superior quality. Foods must meet the highest standards in flavor and quality; the finest foods of gourmet distinction.

– A fair deal for farmers. Family farmers are paid fairly for their top-quality products, which means a decent standard of living for them and their families. This can mean working their own land, having access to healthcare, and keeping children in school.

– Environmental stewardship. Crops are grown in harmony with the natural habitat and without harmful chemicals. Bio-diversity is respected by growers, resulting in the healthy, often certified organic foods.

When you buy foods bearing the Fair Trade Certified(TM) label, you are guaranteed that family farmers have been paid fair prices for their efforts and that they have decent working and living conditions regardless of the country of origin. In fact, FTC products are grown in some of the poorest Asian, African, and Latin American countries. Fair Trade provides family farms in countries such as Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ethiopia an equal footing in the global marketplace.

The Fair Trade Certified(TM) label also guarantees environmentally-friendly foods that are 85% certified organic and of the highest quality in flavor and nutritional value.

As you shop, look for the FTC label (as pictured in this article). Fair Trade Certified(TM) products are available in cafÃ?©s and restaurants as well as coffee houses (Starbuck’s), importers (Cost Plus World Market), specialty stores (Trader Joe’s), and now in larger chain grocers such as Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Von’s supermarkets. Even Sam’s Club has gone Fair Trade; their exclusive Marques de Paiva Coffee, grown by a Brazilian family since 1895, recently beat several top national brands in a blind taste test conducted by ABC’s 20/20 news program.

If you cannot find Fair Trade Certified(TM) products, ask for them! You can visit www.FairTradeCerified.org for a current listing of retailers and more information about Fair Trade.

By buying Fair Trade Certified(TM) products, you can make a difference through your purchasing power. By choosing Fair Trade, you have the option of making a difference in the lives of family farmers around the world, as well as treating your family to some of the finest foods on earth.