Values Shopping for A Just Economy

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Fair Trade Local Blog

Knitting in Bolivia

For many of us, this holiday season will feel a bit different from the last few years. As we listen daily to reports of a worsening economy, it can be a strain to think about the expense of holiday gifts for friends and family. This is only aggravated by news reports over the last year announcing scores of hazardous toys being produced cheaply in unregulated factories in China, sacrificing the health and wellbeing of our children, not to mention ecosystems and the labor rights of the workers. Even chocolate--a food we associate with love and happiness--has been the subject of harsh news this year as activists have raised awareness of the widespread use of child slaves in the production of chocolate. With all of this in mind, most of us will be thinking carefully about the money we spend: both how much, and where it is going.

In tough economic times, and with a rising awareness of the abuses and safety hazards behind many of the products coming from the factories of multinationals, it becomes all the more important to spend and give in a way that speaks to our core values. All the more important to consume with an eye (and heart) towards curbing global warming, eliminating poverty, preserving culture, and supporting participation in the global economy for those who are poorest and most marginalized.

There is a lot of talk these days about what we need to do to stimulate the economy. At GGP, as a team of international development professionals and human rights activists, we are committed to building a strong economy that considers not just the numbers that signify "growth," but all that lies behind those numbers and what a strong economy means to us and our global partners.

For most of us, in our day-to-day lives, the value of a strong economy lies in our ability to care for our families, to eat nutritious food, to know we are safe and secure, to take care of medical needs as they arise, to have the freedom to make choices about how we live, and to work with dignity. We want to ensure that our children are educated and that they have time to play. We value comfortable homes and a world that is clean and beautiful. Many of us find value in the traditions of our families and communities, whatever they may be. The holiday season is a celebration of all these things we hold dear. By shopping for gifts that are made with these values at their core, we can help to provide the same for families in some of the poorest communities around the world.

As the holidays draw near, we cannot, and need not, loose site of what we find most valuable and worthy of celebration.

See what your gifts can do this season

Each purchase that you make through Global Goods Partners plays a direct role in poverty reduction and the promotion of social justice. GGP's holistic model ensures that each time you make a purchase, your impact is multiplied by three:

1) As a fair trade organization, you know that women in poor communities earn a fair income to support themselves and their families. This means that children and families benefit from increased income (and therefore increased access to nutritious food and the ability to send their children to school).

2) Because GGP partners with organizations that integrate their commitment to community development with socially responsible income-generating enterprises, and because we allocate the proceeds of product sales to our grantmaking program, your purchase generates revenue for organizations in Africa, Asia, or the Americas as well as the artisans themselves. This means direct support for community-led development and the provision of social services to the world's poorest communities.

3) With an educational shopping experience (each product comes with a special hangtag that describes the community in which it was made and how you can take action to support our partners' mission), you, your friends and family can learn about global issues and how you can become advocates for social change.

Learn more about the core values at the heart of GGP's work.