As we edge closer to the most wonderful time of the year, it’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping for those closest to us. Christmas is a time of giving and generosity; a perfect opportunity to buy ethical gifts and use the money you’ll spend in a positive way to show someone you thought of them.
With lockdown forcing us to shop online this Christmas, we’ve created a guide for you to grab the best ethical gifts instead of giving your money to corporate giants.
Here, we’ll discuss how you can incorporate fair trade into your festivities, whether it’s through improving your home with decorations, shopping habits , swapping general essentials, as well as giving cards, eco-friendly wrapping paper, and gifts. We will also discuss the potential positive impact this can have on fair trade workers.
Ethical chocolate to support farmers
Chocolate is one of the UK’s favourite confectionary—we love it so much that at the end of 2019, the UK was ranked fourth in the whole world for eating the most of it. The average Brit will consume around 11kg of chocolate each year, which equates to around 660,990 tonnes. Fortunately for us, there are more than enough fair trade chocolate options to give to our nearest and dearest!
Whether you’re looking for chocolate advent calendars for the kids, tasting sets, chocolate boxes, or chocolate with winter spices, there is more than enough variety to satisfy every taste bud.
Buying fair trade chocolate helps benefit cocoa farmers. It can be a difficult life for these workers, and the price of cocoa beans has fallen dramatically even though demand is still high. Disease and age cause damage to cocoa trees, and fewer people are becoming cocoa farmers because of the difficulty these workers face. Fair trade chocolate helps create sustainable incomes for farmers and their families , guaranteeing minimum prices for these farmers.
The all-important gift of coffee
Now when you think ‘quintessentially British’, you’ll probably think of tea. However, we’re drinking more coffee now than ever, so much so that two billion cups are drunk in Britain every single day. Considering this, receiving a bag of premium, fair trade speciality, organic coffee will be a gift well received! Choose coffee from Burundi, Maya, Honduras, Kilimanjaro, Machu Pichu, Ethiopia, and Peru, among many others!
Farmers aren’t immune to the devastating effects of COVID-19, with farmers living on thin margins even in normal times. As production levels have dropped due to social distancing rules in factories combined with falling prices, now is more important than ever to support these small-scale farmers. Many organisations will be seeking to cut their costs considering the current situation, making farmers particularly vulnerable.
The epitome of Christmas gifts
Socks. We all give them and we all receive them. How they became a Christmas tradition, we’re not sure, but what a handy gift they are. Available in so many different colours and patterns, you can find the perfect pair for your dad, brother, mother, or grandma.
Fair trade socks are made from fair trade cotton, which provides traceability of where the material was sourced from in the supply chain. Many fair trade cotton farmers are located in India, however unpredictable weather conditions endanger the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. Fair trade supports these farmers to adapt to changing climates so they can continue earning and living. Fair trade also helps to address unsafe and unfair working conditions while helping farmers to work sustainably.
Fair and beautiful jewellery
If you’re looking to buy something fancier for your other half and are prepared to spend a bit more, you’ll be pleased to learn that fair trade jewellery is available. Choose from bespoke designed gold rings, chains, necklaces, and bracelets.
Fairtrade Certified Gold supports small-scale miners that receive fair pay for their hard labour and avoid them being exploited for an expensive commodity. The programme also protects the environment and makes life better for themselves and their communities.
If you can, try to find fair trade alternatives for your gifts, knowing your presents will benefit others. COVID-19 has been a difficult time for all of us, but farmers in developing countries are particularly vulnerable and need as much support as they can get.
Sources
https://www.divinechocolate.com/resources/chocolate-facts-and-figures#:~...
https://www.fairtrade.net/product/cotton
https://www.statista.com/chart/3668/the-worlds-biggest-chocolate-consumers/
https://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/christmas/christmas-food/advent-calendars
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/buying-fairtrade/chocolate/
https://www.britishcoffeeassociation.org/coffee-in-the-uk/coffee-facts
https://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/drink/fair-trade-coffee/organic-coffee
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/fairtrade-safety-net-more...
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/buying-fairtrade/gold/
Lucy Desai is a content writer specialising in fair trade topics.