Similar to our Eco-Friendly and Vegan Gift Guides, we put together some websites and suggestions for the Fair Trade enthusiast on your list! Or use the guide to purchase gifts for your friends and family who you would love to introduce Fair Trade to!
Like our other guides, we thought we would list some helpful websites to find Fair Trade gifts and products. Some great places are Global Exchange, Revive, Traditions Fair Trade, World of Good, Equita, Ten Thousand Villages, Taraluna, and Garuda International. At these sites you can find all your Fair Trade needs ranging from coffee and tea to clothing and beauty products! You can also purchase gift directly from our website at Autonomie Project, as all our products are Fair Trade! If you aren’t sure what your friend and family member would like all of the above sites, including ours sell gift certificates!
On top of these websites, you may be able to locate a Fair Trade store in your area. Check out the Fair Trade Federation website to locate stores in your area.
The following list is some great holiday fair trade gift ideas we suggest:
1) Fair Trade Gift Packs: Put together a gift basket of fair trade goodies such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and cocoa(even your basket can be fair trade!). Maybe even add in fair trade dishes to go along. You should be able to find these products at your local food co-op or natural foods store. You can also find pre-made baskets at many of the websites above or directly through fair trade coffee vendors such as Equal Exchange, Grounds For Change, or Dean’s Beans. Also, Grounds for Change offers a Coffee a Month gift. So your loved one can enjoy fair trade coffee all year long!
2) Fair Trade Wine: There is a new and great Fair Trade wine company called Etica. Their wines are all Fair Trade certified and you can find them on their website or in your local area. Or you can purchase a pre-made wine basket from Eco-Express. Fair Trade wine is hard to come by, so you are sure to impress the fair trade enthusiast on your list. Plus everyone loves a great bottle of wine!
3) Hand Made Artisan Crafts: One of the great items of Fair Trade, is handmade artisan gifts. Several great websites and organizations sell handmade gifts from scarves to mugs and even jewelery. All these items make great gifts! Check out the websites above for more ideas. The time and love that goes into these products is sure to make a lasting impression on the craftsmanship of the product as well as the receiver!
4) Fair Trade Books and Guides: Books about Fair Trade and the economy behind it can make great gifts, especially for someone who is new to the idea. We suggest Business Unusual, No Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade, Fair Trade: A Beginner’s Guide, and The Conscious Consumer. For a more seasoned fair trader, you might want to give a fair trade shopping guide! This will allow your loved one to know which companies to support and which to avoid. Check out the The Better World Shopping Guide for the most comprehensive guide.
5) Donate in their Name: Like all our other guides, we promote donations as gifts. You can give the gift of Fair Trade in honor of your loved one through several organizations such as Fair Trade Resource Network, Transfair, Catholic Relief Services, and Fair Labeling Organization. Or you can make a more specific donation to help out fair trade workers such as helping buy new machines for farmers in Ecuador or help fair trade honey farmers learn their craft. Also you can give the gift of a Global Exchange membership!
Autonomie Project's Blog 
December 20, 2009 at 3:49 am
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