Among many of the movements in society today–the Green Movement, Endangered Species, Women’s Rights and Gender Justice–there is the Fair Trade movement.
Fair Trade is any business that sells or produces products under these conditions:
· Paying fair wages by local standards
· Ensuring healthy working conditions
· Supporting participatory workplaces
· Ensuring environmental sustainability
· Supplying financial and technical support
· Respecting cultural identity
· Offering public accountability
· Educating consumers
So that means no child labor or women in sweat shops. Finding stores operating under these conditions can be slightly challenging. However, look no further than 55th Street! Yes, right here in Hyde Park there is a Fair Trade store.
The Fair Trader sells jewelry, clothes, purses, tea and more. All of the products are made following the Fair Trade rules. The products that are “Fair Trade” are not just stamped with the label; there is a rigorous process to make sure the producers are following the rules before the label is given to them. The Fair Trade Federation goes to these businesses to make sure that they are truly a Fair Trade company. The Fair Trader is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and Chicago Fair Trade which co-owner Cindy Pardo informed is much more than paying dues.
Cindy’s interest in Fair Trade was sparked at national Unitarian church conference. After learning about Fair Trade coffee at the conference, Cindy decided to sell it at church craft shows. People in the community expressed an interest for more Fair Trade products. With two other women in the church, Evelyn Johnson and Madeiria Myrieckes, Cindy developed the idea to open a Fair Trade store in Januaray 2007 and by September, the Fair Trader opened its doors. Expansion is something Cindy would love to do but for now, the ladies are expanding within the store. A corner of the store will be dedicated to Fair Trade crafts and classes. Beads, yarn and more will be at your disposal.
A common argument against Fair Trade products is that they are costly. Yet this is a false statement. While products are not cheap, they are affordable. The low, cheap prices, however, are a concern for Cindy as she questions, “How can things be so inexpensive?” Cindy informed me that early in the year, the companies she bought from were struggling with a cotton shortage. They apologized for the inevitable increase. The fact that we have not noticed this drop in price in our normal stores should cause you to question the companies making our clothes. If there were a shortage in beef, the cost of a burger would naturally rise; consumers would not be thrilled but it would make sense. So the constant sale price of clothes should make buyers wary of the conditions under which products are produced. The cost of human life is expended with such low prices.
I compared a beautiful pair of earrings in the Fair Trade store to that from Urban Outfitters, a store much loved by our generation, and the cost difference was zero. You could spend twenty dollars on a pair of earrings at Urban or the Fair Trader. Now, I’m not saying we should abandon all other stores–the market of Fair Trade products is still small–but Fair Trade stores should be a consideration. The fact that the market of Fair Trade products is still small means you should be wary against mass produced items claiming to be Fair Trade. As Cindy explains, the companies that are producing Fair Trade clothes and products are generally small. In today’s world, millions of items can not realistically be produced under Fair Trade rules. If Wal-Mart claims to be selling Fair Trade products, do not buy into it. We do not have the resources yet for that to be possible.
The Fair Trader has a couple of events coming up in May. Next weekend the Fair Trader will be sharing a booth with one of their suppliers at the Green Festival (Minga Booth). They will also be at the festival in the Daily Plaza on the ninth. There will be more spring products coming and a focus on Mother’s Day.
The fair Trader is a unique store that operates under Fair Trade but is also like a boutique. There is great customer service catering to your needs. Only minutes away, the Fair Trader is worth a look.
The Details:
Located: 1623 E. 55th Street Chicago, Il 60615
Phone: 773-966-5269
Web: www.thefairtraderchicago.com
Email: thefairtraderchicago@comcast.net