Excited to start your shopping but upset about how the holiday demands for cheap products encourages labor trafficking around the world? Here are some ideas on how to keep your holiday slavery-free!
Global Gallery
Global Gallery sells Fair Trade clothes, coffee, chocolate, musical instruments, toys, purses, paper, household wares, and much more! There are two Global Galleries in Columbus: one in Clintonville (3535 N. High St.) and one in the Short North (682 N. High St.).
Ten Thousand Villages
This is by far the best place to find the widest variety of Fair Trade products in my opinion. They have everything: jewelry, bags, scarves, hats, frames, vases, dishes, rugs, planters, baskets, lotions, soaps, stationary, toys, instruments, holiday decor, and more! The nearest physical locations are 115 S. Main St., Bluffton and 2011 Madison Rd., Cincinnati. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com
Made by Survivors
The variety of Fair Trade products here is nearly as vast as that found at Ten Thousand Villages. Buy their high quality silver jewelry, bags, t-shirts, ties, scarves, paper, rugs, and more! http://www.madebysurvivors.com
Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is a social enterprise run by the Magdalene program, a program for sex trafficking survivors in Nashville, Tennessee. Program residents and graduates make a living wage through Thistle Farms by making soaps, lip balms, lotions, candles, and more! http://www.thistlefarms.org
Sari Bari
All products are made from used saris and by women rescued from the red light district of Calcutta, India. Find quality purses, bags, scarves, quilts, pillows, baby blankets, and more at incredibly cheap prices! http://saribari.com
Divine Chocolate
Much of the world's cocoa is harvested by children and slaves, but all the cocoa used to make Divine Chocolate's delicious chocolate is Fair Trade! Their candy bars are available at Global Gallery, while their cooking cocoa, mini chocolate pieces, fudge, chocolate after dinner mints, and other products can be found through their website. http://divinechocolate.com
Fair Trade
Everyone keeps talking about Fair Trade products, but what does Fair Trade mean? Fair Trade companies sign an agreement with a regional Fair Trade organization (like http://fairtradeusa.org) operating under Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (http://fairtrade.net) which allows Fair Trade certifiers to inspect them and ensure that they comply with Fair Trade standards, including: living wage for all workers; no child labor; no forced labor; safe working conditions; environmentally sustainable practices.
Social Accountability International
There are a number of popular retailers who might not be Fair Trade certified, but who work with organizations similar to Fair Trade to ensure that their products are not produced by slaves. One such organization is Social Accountability International, which works with Crate and Barrel, the GAP, and other major retailers. Keep an eye out for certifications that model the same values as Fair Trade! For a list of organizations that work with SAI, visit this website: http://www.sa-intl.org 