10 Easy Ways to Celebrate Fair Trade Month

This October is the 9th annual Fair Trade Month.  Throughout the month, ethically-minded consumers, retailers and brands will unite to celebrate and promote Fair Trade. A variety of education events, in-store sampling programs and online initiatives have been planned to help increase awareness and sales of Fair Trade Certified products, ultimately leading to greater impact for farmers and workers in developing countries. The theme for Fair Trade Month 2012 is Count Me In.

So how will you celebrate Fair Trade Month?  Here are 10 simple actions you can take that will help make a big difference:

1. COUNT YOURSELF IN!

You believe that Fair Trade is a great way to improve the lives of farmers and workers. You want to support them on their journey to become better stewards of the land. You care about supporting the brands that are sourcing ethically and transparently. And you happen to LOVE the delicious Fair Trade Certified products that are now available in more than 100,000 stores in North America.  So take the Fair Trade Month pledgeand make your support known! 

2. BUY FAIR TRADE

Fair Trade is a market-based approach to fighting poverty.  That means that it only works when you actually buy the stuff.  So make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain during October!

Can you make a commitment to purchase at least one Fair Trade Certified product every time you shop?  In addition to try new products, you are voting with your dollars by showing your favorite store that you support Fair Trade.  You are also supporting the hard working farmers who produced the product.

Another approach is to make one swap in your everyday routine – like trading in your daily cup of coffee or banana for the Fair Trade Certified version.

3. BECOME A FAN OF FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED ON FACEBOOK

Visit the Fair Trade Certified fan page and you will find a robust community of Fair Traders like you! Regular updates will help you stay up-to-date on the latest news in the Fair Trade world, including frequent giveaways, stories from Fair Trade farms, delicious recipes, and information about Fair Trade events. Become a fan to demonstrate your support for Fair Trade, then take your support a step further by becoming a fan of brands that sell Fair Trade Certified products. This is a good way to let them know that you like what they're doing!

You can also show your support for Fair Trade on your own Facebook profile by changing your cover photo to one of these inspiring images.

4. TWEET AND INSTAGRAM WITH FAIR TRADE WITH @FAIRTRADEUSA

If you're a Twitter-er or an instagram-er, follow @FairTradeUSA for up-to-the-minute news from the #FairTrade community and have the opportunity to enter giveaways and participate in Twitter parties. During Fair Trade Month, tweet about Fair Trade using the #FairTradeMonth hashtag.

Continue reading for more ways to get involved.