October is Fair Trade Month!

As we leave September behind, we begin to see the changes that come with each autumn season. The weather is cooler, the days are shorter, and, unless you're in LA, the leaves turn red & yellow and begin to fall. As the physical world around us changes, we can also choose to change our social world for the better.

October marks Fair Trade Month, and this is the perfect opportunity to spread awareness and improve lives all over the world. As mentioned in the previous blog post, 'fair trade' refers to business practices that condone fair wages, community development in impoverished regions, and environmental sustainability. Sweat shops are still a very prominent reality, and fair trade organizations are doing their part to encourage humane treatment and economic responsibility.
Happy to do our part, here at Sencha Naturals we incorporate Fair Trade certified green tea in our breath mints and snack bars. Sourced from three different plantations in India and China, this organic tea benefits the health of consumers as it benefits the growth of plantation employees and their families.

We can only hope that Fair Trade certification will one day be unnecessary, as all workers will be treated well by their employers, paid fairly for their hard work, not discriminated based upon age or gender, and general social injustice will cease to exist. However, that day may be long in coming; until then, TransFair USA and various other fair trade organizations will continue spreading awareness and encouraging consumers to support the cause by voicing their opinions and voting with their dollars.

There are many ways to make an impact! Even switching your weekly indulgence of dark chocolate for a Fair Trade chocolate bar makes a difference; it only costs pennies more, but the social benefits are priceless. For more information on purchasing Fair Trade products or to get involved with an event, please visit Trans Fair's Get Organized! page.