About "fair trade" and why it matters

You look for the USDA organic label. You figured out what "locovore" means and shop accordingly.

But what about "fair trade"? Seems like there's always another thing to figure out before buying food and products if you want to be kind to the planet. What's this one about?

G Living has a handy primer on the fair trade system and even covers the economic side.

Basically, the fair-trade movement focuses as much on the people producing products as on the products themselves. Some crops -- like coffee beans and the cacao in chocolate -- are farmed by people living in wretched conditions. Young children sometimes have to work in fields instead of going to school. Corporations encourage careless pesticide use that makes farm-workers sick. And after suffering through all this to bring a crop to market, the impoverished farmers don't get a decent price for their goods.

That's where fair-trade certification groups like Transfair USA come in. Working with a network of third-party verification groups, Transfair certifies things like coffee, chocolate, rice, and flowers.

Fair-trade products must meet minimum standards for labor conditions, community development, and environmental sustainability. Fair-trade goods might cost a little bit more to the consumer, but that's so the farmer who produced the crop actually gets a decent price.

Fair-trade certification is also available for some manufactured goods, so you can avoid sweatshop labor. Look for the fair-trade logo on products at your local grocery store, specialty shops, and online.