When I was younger,  (oh so much younger than today…) shopping used to take ages. Ages, I tell you. Buying clothes was particularly complex – colour, fit, brand, price, style, trends, brand, brand, brand, did I mention brand? They were all on the criteria checklist, each important, brand most of all. If I couldn’t find the perfect piece, a complement of all the criteria, I would probably forgo fit…or maybe colour. (I wince with the recollection of a teeny-tiny gold dress now living happily in someone else’ wardrobe – thanks Ebay!)

But these days, shopping has never been quicker. How?! I hear you say, as you wonder how to fit the washing, the vacuuming, the play date and the conference call into the next half hour before school pick-up starts. It’s simple. The criteria has changed. There is still a list of criteria, all important, but there is now the addition of one deciding factor, one factor that sits above all others, without which, there is no purchase. It’s RELEVANCE! If it aint relevant, it aint in the shopping cart.

For example – let’s say I’m looking for a new dress (Gee, that never happens). I could spend hours trawling through a shopping mall, mesmerised by the mannequins with no hips, deliberating if this dress or that skirt will match with this bangle or those shoes. Or I could jump on-line to my favourite Eco Fashion Store and see what’s new. In that moment of decision, I have chosen to shop in a way that is relevant to me, saying ‘no thanks’ to all other factors that complicate the issue. And yes, I will still find my good friends Fit, Style and Brand in my purchase, but first and foremost, I will find Relevance in the organic manufacture of the garment I wear against my skin. And yes, it will match perfectly with the organic meal I will enjoy with my family!

Let’s say I run out of coffee. I could occupy the shopping aisle for a good ten minutes moving from jar to jar, freeze-dried pack to freeze-dried pack, trying desperately to recall the brand of coffee on that ad with the cute guy and the nice smile. Not now! Now I simply reach for the brand with Fair Trade’s distinctive blue and green logo. I say ‘no thanks’ to the boy with the cute smile (who will never cross my path as I sip his coffee, and who my husband would not care to meet anyway) and instead say ‘yes please!’ to asserting that the coffee farmer who produced this coffee gets paid a fair price. Easy. Quick. RELEVANT. (and mmmm, coffee…)

And as I enjoy a piece of Fair Trade chocolate with my kids, I get to share a relevant conversation with them. I get to show them on the globe where the Dominican Republic is, and tell them how we get to enjoy this chocolate, because a farmer gets to keep his farm, because we think that’s fair. So far this satisfies their question about why we don’t buy certain amphibian shaped chocolates.

There is as always, the great thrill of owning something new, something lovely. The thrill for me though, is in knowing that my purchase actually makes a difference. That is relevant to me….and shopping has never been easier!

“When you do things from your soul you feel a river moving in you.” – Rumi

Author: – Mihiri Udabage – Generation Wonder
As first published on Style Collective – May 2009

Hi I am a Fair Trade business & am asked on many occasions what is Fair Trade, I have heard it mentioned but don’t really know what it means.

IN A NUTSHELL – Fair Trade is a tool used to return more income to producers improving the lives of people in developing countries. Fair Trade has 3 aims. 1 – To alleviate poverty through trade. 2 – To empower small producers. 3 – To support the campaign for trade reform & justice. Fair trade addresses these objectives through a market driven commercial model rather than charity.

The basic principles of Fair Trade 1- to work directly with producers. 2 – to develop a long term trading partnership. 3 – To agree on a price benefiting all parties. 4 – To focus on developmental assistance. Ultimately this empowers producers to develop livelihoods that avoid dependency.

Fair Trade is not controlled or enforced by the government. It is entirely a consumer choice model. It is just another feature like colour or size. Consumers who choose to buy Fair Trade usually have a desire to make the world a better place while enjoying consumer goods. Our system is all about money & freedom of choice. What Fair Trade is saying is make an informed choice, open yourself to the notion of conscience & then make the choice. It is a sustainable system that can have a major impact on Poverty. Fair Trade is a global responsibility with business ethics & ethical consumerism.

Now there are some losers in Fair Trade namely Brokers & Middlemen who have relied on exploitation. With the implementation of Fair Trade everybody can benefit.

May we make a commitment to at least think about what we purchase & see if there is an alternative product available that is Fair Trade then we can make an informed decision. My wish is to have a Fair Trade directory that is simple, to make it easier for consumers to find Fair Trade products…..Lets hope it won’t be too far away.

Article by Mana – Tribal Earth
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Fair Trade Directory Australia is a directory of businesses that supply and distribute Fair Trade products within Australia.

Coming soon – articles and information relating to Fair Trade