Fair trade means transparency and human labor practices around the globe, but we need more of it
A woven basket. A handy messenger bag. A few trinkets carved out of stone. A shirt with an original design. To some, these are, simply, just what they appear to be: things to organize your life, decorate a space or keep you warm.
To others these things may mean forced labor, sexual and wage exploitation, and even death. There are a million stories, sad and true, behind each of these things that can only be fully realized if one digs deep.
Human trafficking is a pervasive problem that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (unodc) describes as a “transnational crime.” Forty-three percent of exploitation around the world comes in the form of forced labor and that amount has been increasing, according to unodc.
That’s the beauty of fair trade — a practice that emphasizes transparency, economic equality and fair labor practices for producers across the globe.
Nonprofits, initiatives and retail spaces in the U.S. are combating arduous labor practices in developing countries through the buying and selling of crafts, food staples and clothing. With a rising commitment to ensuring an honorable standard of living is met, fair trade practices and storefronts are increasing in major cities such as Seattle.
"I love to talk about this. Getting communication going just sparks awareness and from there, people start thinking on a larger spectrum. " Jaycee Crosby of Tango Zulu in Pioneer Square
Tango Zulu, tucked in Pioneer Square on a block that is home to Starbucks and trendy boutiques, is a small business aiming to turn the tide on what it means to be an ethical consumer. The original store was founded by Tracy Zhu, 45, and her husband in Port Gamble, Washington, in 2010.
“My motivation was to sell handmade products that you don’t see represented in the United States,” explained Zhu. “I never set out to be a fair trade store.”
But through her extensive travels, Zhu took note of beautiful items that she wanted to bring to Western markets — making sure the vendors who created those items were working and living in safe conditions, on top of being paid a living wage, was a no-brainer for her.
After picking up the book, “Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade — and How We Can Fight It,” Leo Carpenter, 62, and his wife downsized their entire lives five years later in order to fully stock Ethical Choice, their 100 percent fair trade store in Everett, Washington.
Carpenter was moved after researching human trafficking; the statistics across the globe were staggering to him. “Every day in our lives, how we adorn ourselves is determined with whether or not we choose to adorn ourselves with someone’s tragedy or misery,” he said.
For Carpenter, Ethical Choice became the vehicle in which he would be able to share information with the community. “I can talk to 100 people in a row and 98 to 99 might say, ‘That’s a sad story but I would never solicit anyone for sex, so I must not have anything to do with modern slavery.’ But halfway through that, I can say, ‘Hey, that candy bar you’re eating, did you trace where that cocoa bean came from? There’s enslaved children in those fields.’”
The products then transform from household items and afternoon snacks into soapboxes used to increase awareness of the inhumane conditions under which they were made.
The road toward tackling the cycle of poverty around the world through fair trade products isn’t always a smooth one. Ethical Choice closed after three years, when Carpenter realized that an education platform, rather than a retail store, might be a better use of the couple’s time and energy.
In 2010, people were not as aware of ethically sourced material, Zhu remarked. Since then, awareness has increased, which allowed Tango Zulu to expand and open its second location in Pioneer Square last year.
Now Jaycee Crosby, 23, works at the helm of that storefront, educating and assisting wandering customers and intentional buyers.
“It’s definitely important to have businesses like this in a city that’s as diverse as Seattle, especially with it being a destination for people from all over the world,” Crosby said. We advocate with our dollars, she elaborates, and “it’s very important to question where things come from.”
While some retailers emphasize “handmade,” Crosby encourages those to look beyond that. “Everything is handmade, even your products that aren’t fair trade,” she said. “But what were the conditions in which they were made? That is what needs to be questioned.”
A variety of organizations certify fair trade farms and products, verifying that certain principles are met (see “10 principles of fair trade” at left). Fair Trade Federation, Fairtrade International, Fair Trade USA and others all work to ensure labor laws are implemented and products are labeled with one of several indicators to help consumers understand what they are buying. The number of certified products is growing rapidly. For Fair Trade USA, imports of produce have grown 26 percent in the past year, as well as a variety of new products being added.
These certification processes help ease the flow of purchasing for retail spaces, but filling the shelves with products can come about in different ways.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as meeting someone who works on a sidewalk in South Africa,” said Zhu. “We send him a message on Facebook, we wire him money, and he sends us goods.”
Zhu points out that not everyone can afford fair trade certification. For vendors, the process can be time-consuming and there may be financial barriers to getting certified. Critics cite that certain areas of the world disproportionately benefit from fair trade practices because of the demand for certain products in the Western market. Many fair trade products may be sold to corporations, such as Whole Foods, that have come under fire for price gouging or anti-union practices.
“Fair trade is not perfect, but we’re trying really hard,” said Emily Lynn, who manages Ballard’s Fair Trade Winds. “It’s a work-in-progress.”
While fair trade purchasing hasn’t gone mainstream, not supporting large corporations that are known for exploitation still combats the problem with broad strokes, suggested Carpenter. “If we continue to reward bad companies for bad behavior they will behave badly.”
But buying fair trade isn’t realistic for everyone. Because of cheap labor practices overseas, the cost of a shirt or basket is extraordinarily different than that of a handmade and ethically sourced product. Crosby understands this, and chooses to buy secondhand to create a gap in the system.
“The price points of some things are beyond my means, but there are other ways to see to it that you’re not supporting something that’s inhumane and exploiting people who are incredibly disadvantaged,” said Crosby.
Despite trafficking numbers increasing for the worse, change is tangible in the fair trade industry. Global Mamas, a women’s economic empowerment project based in Ghana, has seen more than a 40 percent growth in revenue since 2003.
“[These women] are able to send their children to college. This gives opportunities they wouldn’t have under the circumstances they’re in and a chance to provide for their family,” said Lynn. “Sometimes they’re widows and something happens; this provides security.”
Coffee continues to be the No. 1 major fair trade product, but recent headlines over the years suggest the technology industry may be joining the fair trade ranks of apparel and consumer goods. Despite where the future of fair trade leads, transparency is needed in corporations across the board. Zhu dreams of having enough products available so that people can have ethical sourcing for all their staples.
“Sure a lot of people come in and they just want to shop, and that’s OK,” said Crosby. “But I love to talk about this. Getting communication going just sparks awareness and from there, people start thinking on a larger spectrum.”