Did you know that October is fair trade month and it raises awareness of the importance of this movement?!
If you’re new to Fair Trade, you might be wondering what it is, how it works and why it matters. Let‘s see!
What is fair trade?!
Fair trade is about better, fair prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
Why is it important?
We know this for a long time: most of our clothes are made in countries in which workers’ rights are limited or non-existent. Many big fashion brands don’t even pay the minimum legal salary to their workers to support their families and afford life’s essentials – like food, education and healthcare.
But this is not just about the money.
Garment workers are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. If they refuse to work overtime, they just got fired.
These people usually work with no ventilation, breathing in toxic substances, inhaling fiber dust or blasted sand in unsafe buildings. Accidents, fires, injuries, and disease are very frequent occurences on textile production sites.
And what about the child labor? Does it exist?!
Oh, it does! 168 million children in the world are forced to work. Children are very profitable assets since their pay is very low, are less likely to strike, and are easy to be manipulated.
The goal of the fair-trade movement is to make sure that companies pay fair price to their emplyees and ensure them safe working conditions.
We believe that sustainability goes hand in hand with Fair Trade practises as it is also needed for a healthy industry. Being sustainable is getting more and more popular, however, it is still very important to know how is that product was made that you are about to purchase. Big fashion brands are slowly changing their cheap materials for organic or recycled ones, but will they change their workers‘ working conditions?! What do you think?!
When you buy fair trade products, you are ensuring that your money goes towards the fair treatment of the producers of your product. Not only do workers benefit from this model, but as consumers you are ensured the safety and quality of your products. And that is exactly why it is so important!
How can you get involved in this Fair Trade October?
Donate
Donation is always a jackpot option if you would like to help or be part of a great movement! There are several organizations who you can donate, even if it‘s just a really small amount. Your donation change lives!
Here are some organizations who accept donations:
https://fairtrade.netdonor.net/page/38669/donate/1
https://www.fairtradecertified.org/donate
https://fairworldproject.org/donate-today/
Raise Awareness
Simply by sharing some information about the movement on social media and making people aware, you can help tip the balance for these people in need!
Shop wisely – Buy Fair Trade products
If you buy products without considering where they come from and at what cost, you become a part of the problem by exploiting workers in developing countries.
Finding small businesses and even larger national companies that sell Fair Trade products to support is not as difficult as it might seem. By buying fair trade products, workers and farmers get a fair pay for their work and can support their families.
Get a fair-trade, sustainable Undersea Bikini
Yess babe, Undersea Bikinis are not only sustainable but also made with fair trade practises. We are proud of our commitment to supporting local businesses. Choosing to manufacture in Szolnok, Hungary with local dressmakers allows us to work intimately with a manufacturing team and ensure them fair living wages with healthy working environment.
