Fair Trade

Many things we use come from far away. Coffee, bananas, and chocolate often grow in other countries. Sometimes the farmers who grow them do not get paid enough. Fair trade is a promise that farmers and workers will get a fair price for their hard work.

What Fair Trade Means

Fair trade has some important rules. Farmers must be paid a fair amount for their crops. Workers must have safe places to work. Kids cannot be used for hard labor. Farmers also have to grow things in ways that are kind to nature.

How to Spot Fair Trade

You can find fair trade items at the store. Look for a special label on the package. It often shows a picture of a person or a green and blue symbol. Fair trade products include coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, and cotton. When you buy them, you help farmers in other countries.

Fun Facts

• The fair trade movement started in the 1940s.
• More than 1.9 million farmers work under fair trade rules today.
• Fair trade bananas are grown without harsh sprays.

Did You Know?

When you buy a fair trade chocolate bar, some of the money goes back to the village where the cocoa beans were grown.