Green Up Your Spending

If you're interested in Fair Trade, you might find this interactive map worth a look. It starts you off by informing you that over 600,000 producers (families, farmworkers, and tea pickers) sell their coffee, tea, cocoa and more on Fair Trade Certified terms. Then it invites you to roll your cursor over the red dots on the map to learn more about Fair Trade producing countries. It's an easy learn; the kind of quick-facts info that can be used in an A-plus school project, so let your kids know about it. It could also be used by a teacher exploring human geography and ethics with their students. In fact, the whole site is a good place to spend a little time.
One easy way to help the movement is to send the site's link on to the people on your contacts list. Another way to get involved is to be found in the cup of coffee you might well be sipping while you e-mail the link to those friends of yours.
Since 70% of the world's coffee is grown by small family farmers, for instance, supporting fair trade provides a really easy way for you to make a difference. Take a minute at the store to look for the Fair Trade Certified logo before you buy. Do the same at your local coffee shop - Starbucks, Second Cup - whatever it might be. Before you order, ask them if their offerings are fair trade. Join in and be a part of the move to "green up your spending".