Fairly Friendly Organic Clothing

We’re continuing to catch up on posting stores to our Fairly Friendly list. The two we added today both utilize natural and organic fibers in their clothing.

Cardigan from Indigenous

Indigenous

Indigenous uses a variety of natural fibers including alpaca, merino wool, silk, and organic cotton. Their products are upscale classics including sweaters, dresses, skirts, and tops—they even carry sweaters, zip-ups, and shirts for men. Check out their sale page for serious savings on slightly older designs.

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Unisex t-shirts from Maggie's Organics

Maggie’s Organics

Maggie’s has been committed to sustainable and ethical apparel since 1992. They recently participated in a pilot program for fair trade certification of apparel by Fair Trade USA, and they use organic fibers in all of their products. They offer mostly loungewear and legwear for women, with some items for men. Their extensive line of socks is made in the USA. A great source for organic and ethically-made tights and leggings.

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New Additions to Fairly Friendly List

We have just added two new entries to our Fairly Friendly list: Equal Exchange and Greenheart. If you are unfamiliar with our Fairly Friendly list, it differs from our main guide in that the Fairly Friendly list consists of retailers that adhere to most, but not all, of our principles. These stores’ hearts appear to be in the right place, but until they are more transparent about their specific practices, we cannot include them in our main guide just yet.

That being said, both of our new additions are well-known in the world of ethical consumerism and fair trade. We encourage you to check out their detailed descriptions and visit their websites to see if their practices align with your values.

Equal Exchange

coffee-equal-exchange

Equal Exchange is best known for their coffee and chocolate products, as well as their promotion of the small farmer co-op business model. They’ve been on the fair trade scene since the 1980s and work to bring new fair trade products to market, such as bananas and almonds. You can find their products in many natural food stores, fair trade shops, or at their online store.

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Greenheart

fleur_cup_greenheartGreenheart sells a huge variety of products from women’s clothing to home items to eco-friendly toys. This non-profit operation has a physical location in downtown Chicago in addition to its online store.

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Why Buy Fair Trade? An Editorial

The another jennifer blog recently posted an inspiring editorial from Canadian fair trade activist Ingrid Heinrich Pauls. It’s a concise and well-put summary of our goals, so we wanted to share it with you!

Reflections: Christmas shopping, garment fire, knock-offs

Just as many of us began our most intense shopping weeks of the year, news broke about a garment factory fire in Bangladesh. One hundred and twelve workers died because they could not escape. A week later we heard that $3 million worth of knock-offs, including toys stuffed with dog fur, were discovered here in Canada. We were collectively appalled and disgusted. How could our retailers buy products made by people working in such poor conditions? How could they try to sell us products that are potentially dangerous?

Will we just wring our hands, say that something should be done, and then continue making our shopping decisions according to price & brand names?

If we make our consumer decisions based on brand names and price, why would retailers spend time and money on work that is anything but as cheap as possible? Why would they prioritize ethical trade practices and hold people in their chain of production accountable?

Every time we make a purchase we are supporting that retailer and its trade practices. Our outrage alone will not inspire change. Only our consumer decisions have that power.

Fair Trade and Ethical Trade are ineffective if they are only supported in theory – they need sales.

It is possible, even easy, to find great products that were produced ethically. Fair Trade jewelry and personal accessories, clothing, home furnishings, flowers, sports balls, coffee, and food products can be found on-line, at home sales, community events, and in shops across the country.

Christmas really can be about spreading peace on earth and goodwill toward mankind. 

Ingrid Heinrichs Pauls

December 6, 2012

Jennifer also added our Ethical Holiday Gift Ideas post to her Gifts That Give Back guide on SkinnyScoop. Check out her list for some new ethical shopping ideas!

Ethical Holiday Gift Ideas

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and if you’re not already in the full swing of it, I’m betting you will be soon. To help you shop according to your values, we have listed some gift suggestions from the stores in our guide. These gifts will brighten the season for your friends or family, as well as for the artisans who produced them in safe conditions for a fair wage. You’ll also find that ethically-made gifts are often comparable in price to conventionally-produced items, so you can give gifts that support your values without breaking the bank!

Deep Krajood Basket from 7 Loaves

This basket made fairly in Thailand is perfect for storing throw blankets on chilly winter nights. $24.95 from 7 Loaves.

Holiday Hedgehog card from Cards from Africa

Cards from Africa has a wide variety of Christmas and holiday cards handcrafted in Rwanda by young people who have been orphaned by genocide or disease. I have a special fondness for the impossibly cute Holiday Hedgehog card. $4.99 from Cards from Africa.

Lavender silk scarf from Dolma Fair Trade

This lavender silk scarf is hand woven in India and colored with natural vegetable dyes. $48 from Dolma Fair Trade.

Black Night necklace from Freedom Stones

Made by women affected by human trafficking and poverty in Thailand, this classic black beaded necklace could be worn to the office or on a night out and comes in two lengths. $50 (short) or $70 (long) from Freedom Stones.

Sunlight earrings from Made by Survivors

These freshwater pearl earrings are made fairly in Thailand and feature an etched silver bead as an accent. $22 from Made by Survivors.

Matangwe tote from NationWares

This bold fabric tote is made ethically in Kenya by graduates of life skills programs run by Caring Partners Global. $28 from NationWares.

What are your ethical gift ideas? You may have noticed that all of the gifts above are geared toward women—how do you shop ethically for the men in your life? We’d love to hear from you!

October News Roundup, Featuring the First Fair Trade Phone

FairPhone's concept rendering of their fair trade phone

FairPhone’s concept rendering of their fair trade phone

I am giddy with excitement over this first news story. FairPhone, a company based in the Netherlands and Great Britain, is working to make the first fair trade smart phone. Long have I been tempted by the iPhone’s sleek look and beloved interface, but I have held off purchasing a smart phone because 1) I just don’t need it and 2) I know smart phones are produced with mined resources that contribute to conflict in Africa, not to mention they are assembled under questionable (at best) working conditions. FairPhone is working to address issues of raw materials sourcing, assembly, and e-waste, and plans to bring their product on the market in the next two years. Ethical Ocean has an interesting post where they suggest that the race to create a fair trade phone has officially begun, with Apple also working to improve the conditions in their supplier factories. (The link also includes a TED video about fair trade phones.) In today’s technology-driven society, this is a much-needed initiative. I’m excited for the day when the best technology is also partnered with the best ethical practices.

Bubbs is a new cause-focused shopping site that directs consumers to products that support one of many various causes, from animal rights to the environment to human trafficking. There is no blanket guarantee that the listed products meet any specific ethical criteria, but under each product image they provide a brief description of the cause supported by that product. Clicking a product takes you to a separate retailer’s website, where you can further investigate their ethics and practices.

This month Fair Trade Towns USA ran the Go Bananas Campaign to promote the demand for fair trade certified bananas. Have you switched to fair trade bananas? You can find them at Whole Foods, Sam’s Club in some states, Ahold/Stop & Shop, and various independent grocery stores.

P.S. Halloween is this coming Wednesday! If you’re planning on giving out chocolate, don’t forget to investigate fair trade options. If you live in the northeast, it may not be too late to order fair trade dark chocolate minis from Equal Exchange. Otherwise, check your local fair trade or natural food store to see what they offer!

Amazon Gets Into the Ethical Shopping Game

Vine.com logoYou know that here at the Fair for All guide, we’re all about making ethical consumerism easier for the average Joe and Joanna. Amazon had the same idea. They recently launched a new website full of green and natural products, Vine.com. (Don’t look for the Amazon smile; Vine.com is run by Quidsi, a separate family of brands owned by Amazon.) Vine.com investigates the claims of each product it carries to verify that they are in fact organic, energy-saving, etc. While the site focuses heavily on eco-friendly products over ethically-made ones, it does have a Fair Trade boutique that currently lists various Fair Trade Certified teas, coffees, sugars, and a few other products.

Obviously Vine.com would be more beneficial if it included a human rights dimension as one of its main requirements for products. However, with such a huge retail giant getting into the ethical shopping realm, hopefully more consumers are introduced to the idea and begin to think more about the consequences of their purchases. Plus, it’s a super-convenient way to order Fair Trade sugar (so hard to find in stores!), and they offer free shipping on orders over $49.

Have you shopped at Vine.com? Let us know what you thought about it!

Fair Trade USA Updates Seal

Fair Trade USA, the certifying body which since 1998 has sported the black-and-white-basket-carrier logo, has updated its look. Along with the new look comes a clarification of their “Fair Trade Certified” vs. “Fair Trade Certified Ingredients” policy. When introduced, the policy had come under fire from other fair trade groups, but it is now more robust and requires products bearing the label to have a higher percentage of Fair Trade ingredients. Read more about the changes and see the new logo at New Hope 360.