So I am learning something in this journey of Fair Trade – mostly I am learning that I don’t know anything!

I spent hours last night finding all the work that everyone else has done … and have fodder for dozens of blog posts just on industry information. One of my goals on here will be to add a little bit of knowledge to each post in an effort to not only highlight individual companies, but to make us smarter consumers in general. The reality is, purchasing Fair Trade/organic isn’t always possible, but being more educated about the companies we support is ALWAYS a good thing. 

Speaking of goals for this series, let me re-iterate my original idea in starting Fair Trade Friday here at my virtual kitchen table. There are more companies than you may realize who are committed to ethical, sustainable products. It can be {definitely is for me!} overwhelming to choose which one to support. Ethical shoes are great, but if they fall apart, or are hideously uncomfortable, then I do not count that as being responsible with my shopping choices. So I want to highlight items that I or my friends have purchased and used on a regular basis.

With that being said, many of you may not even know where to start looking for these companies. {I didn’t, other than Google, and hello, again with the overwhelming}. So I compiled a list of lists – they include ethical, sustainable, and fair trade certified companies in every category. Thank you fellow bloggers and activists who have done the work already …

Ready, set, shop!

Buy Once, Give Twice. – Gifts with a conscience from Jen Hatmaker.

Eco Fashion Guide – Searchable by brand, store, category, eco-criteria, and country. I spent a significant amount of time browsing through the different sites and it seems to have items in every price range.

Ethical Shopping Guide – The Art of Simple. A list of good companies with a conscience. Their criteria involves human and earth protection: positive efforts in environmental stewardship, no forced labor in the making of products, and ethical treatment of employees. {From the website}.

Fair Trade Your Supermarket. – Brands to look for at your local supermarket {or online}.

Fair Tuesday. – Explore 150 fair trade, eco-friendly, and sustainable brands. #fairtuesday is a movement created in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Ethical List – From Notes From A Thoughtful Life. A list of fair trade and ethically sourced products. Also, her blog is a treasure to read. – I HIGHLY encourage you to follow her if this is something you are passionate about. I can’t wait to discover more of what she writes. Learn more about her here.

And finally, Jamie the Very Worst Missionary has created a pinterest board, Shop: “A collaborative list of #fairtrade, ethically responsible brands and retailers for conscientious consumers.”

These are not shopping lists, but I had to share!

60 gift ideas for kids that is not stuff. – From Redefined Mom.  Pretty self explanatory!!

Abe’s Market: Natural Products and Organic Goods for the Home. – It’s like Amazon for ethical shopping! Bonus: they regularly offer new and popular products to try for $2.

Better World Shopper. You guys, I love this already and have the app on my phone RIGHT NOW. This is perfect for when you want a quick snapshot of the overall grade of any company with regard to ethical and sustainable practices. You can check out the app here.

“BETTER WORLD SHOPPER is a site dedicated to providing people with a comprehensive, up-to-date, reliable account of the social and environmental responsibility of every company on the planet AND making it available in practical forms that individuals can use in their everyday lives. Coming out of more than 5 years of intensive research, this work is based on a comprehensive database of over 1000 companies and utilizes 25+ reliable sources of data to cover everything from the environment to human rights, community development to animal protection.”

Fair Trade Friday Club:

“Fair Trade Friday is a monthly membership club that delivers high quality fair traded items to your door. The items in the box are fairly traded and provide employment to women all over the world. Plus, they are really cute! We currently have multiple monthly options: our original (and very popular) Fair Trade Friday box—this include 3-4 surprise items (think stylish accessories, organic soap, coffee, etc); our next option is a one-time box to try out as a trial or give as a gift; and finally, our brand new option: Earring of the Month. 100% of the proceeds from each product go toward the empowerment of impoverished women as an avenue to introduce them to the Gospel.” 

Refreshed Designs. Ummm yes please. If you don’t know me, I l.o.v.e. decorating, although I am a rank amateur. I stumbled across this blog last night and FELL IN LOVE. It is so much eye candy for this lover of all things crafty and resourceful. “The refresheddesigns website provides sustainability insights, DIY projects, organizational tips, and resources on shopping, reclaiming and renovating for eco-conscious dwellers who desire organic and holistic surroundings.”