The X, Y, Z of Fair Trade and New Year’s Resolutions!

X is for Xenium, a present given to a guest or stranger. Before Christmas I wrote about how when you give a fair trade gift you are giving twice. Every time you buy fair trade you are giving something back to the producer’s family.

Y is YOU: The Fairtrade movement is nothing without YOU. Yes that’s right, mission statements, values, and good intentions are all integral to the success of Fairtrade, but more so is support from consumers as well as producers. In buying Fairtrade goods you are becoming part of a chain which leads back to disadvantaged farmers, poverty stricken producers, and underprivileged communities.

Why not make it YOUR New Year Resolution to make a real difference to the lives of these people and to the welfare and sustainability of their communities by committing to Fairtrade and reflecting your support by buying ethically? It’s never been easier to get your hands on Fairtrade alternatives to your established favourites; from tea and coffee to clothing and home wares; make sure you buy what you believe in 2011.

And finally Z. We have come to the end of the alphabet but the Fair trade movement is far from ending. Fair Trade today is a truly global movement. Over a million small-scale producers and workers are organized in as many as 3,000 grassroots organizations and their umbrella structures in over 50 countries in the South. Their products are sold in thousands of World-shops or Fair Trade shops, supermarkets and many other sales points. The movement is engaged in debates with political decision-makers in the European institutions and international forums on making international trade fairer. On top of that, Fair Trade has made mainstream business more aware of its social and environmental responsibility. In short: Fair Trade is becoming more and more successful. As for our New Year resolutions we plan to grow and stock new products from countries such as Haiti and Zimbabwe.