Category Archives: Holidays

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO FAIR TRADING YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY!

In preparation for the mushiest, lovey dovey-est day of the year, we’ve gathered an awesome collection of our favorite Fair Trade Valentine’s Day gifts.  (BTW February 14 is also known as Singles Awareness Day.  If you find yourself flying solo on 2/14, we highly suggest you treat your beautiful, spectacular self to a fab Fair Trade present [or two, or three, or four...]).

Unfortunately, as much as we lurve the warm, fuzzy feelings of V-Day, the presents we give to announce our love often also carry unseen messages of injustice and cruelty as the farmers who grow our chocolate and flowers and the miners who unearth our diamonds are often exploited, if not enslaved, in the production of these gifts.  However, thanks to Fair Trade Certification, you can give your honey a truly sweet gift, one that protects the rights of workers, women, and children; builds up communities; and helps to sustain the environment.

OUR FAVORITE GIFT IDEAS:

FLOWERS:

While women love flowers (“over 90% of gift flowers in the US are given to women”), the flower industry, which notoriously pays its workers poverty wages, clearly doesn’t love women back.  Over half of the women working in Ecuador’s flower industry have faced sexual harassment at work. Further, The U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project and The International Labor Rights Fund also reports that:

“66% of Colombian and Ecuadorian flower workers suffer from work-related health problems.  [Since] pesticide abuse is rampant – flower workers experience higher-than-average rates of premature births, congenital malformations, and miscarriages.”

And yet, these facts are hidden from us consumers, and we continue to give flowers as signs of our affection.  However, thanks to Fair Trade, we can give breathtaking bouquets (like those pictured at the top of this post), which empower women and protect workers and the environment.  For more information, visit Fair Trade USA’s Fair Trade Certified Flowers page.  (Fair Trade flowers can be purchased online at Organic Bouquet and Organic Style.)

DIAMONDS:

While they’re not in everyone’s price-range, if you are planning to give the gift of bling, we urge you to support companies like Brilliant Earth, which provide a Conflict-Free Guarantee.

CHOCOLATE:

While Marilyn told us that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” we know better.  Check out these yummy gifts that will definitely show your cutie you’re sweet on her/him.  (To learn more about the importance of buying Fair Trade chocolate, see our post on Fair Trade Films: Child Slavery in the Cocoa Industry):

• Chocolate Love Gift Box Featuring Divine Fair Trade Chocolate (Available at SERRV):

• Theo Chocolate’s Casanova Caramel Collection 12-Piece Box: (“This collections contain 3 each: Ginger Rose Caramel, Honey Saffron Caramel, Grey Salted Vanilla Milk Caramel, and Lavender Caramel”; 4-Piece Box also available):

• Theo Chocolate’s Aphrodisiac Collection (“This 8 piece collection includes 1 each of the following: Dulce de Leche, Fig Fennel, Licorice, Ginger Rose Caramel, Hot Ceylon Cinnamon, Honey Saffron Caramel and Tequila Lime”):

• Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates’s Valentine Heart Truffle Box (A handmade box “filled . . . with 20 delicious dark chocolate creamy truffles. Flavors include: Raspberry, Almond, Hazelnut, Cherry and Orange”):

• Divine’s Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Hearts (Available at SERRV):

• Global Exchange’s Thinking of You Gift Box (“Chocolate covered Brazil nuts from Candela co-operative in Peru, 40 pieces of Equal Exchange mini dark chocolates, beautifully packaged in a box with a heart, Cinnamon scented heart candle, & 3 bars of Organic Chocolate from Divine, [assorted Flavors]“):

WINE:

• Wandering Grape’s Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz from South Africa (Available at Organic Wine Trading Company; also available from Wandering Grape: a Malbec-Merlot from Argentina and a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  Organic Wine Trade Company also carries bottles from the following Fair Trade wineries: Fairhills, Neu Direction, Step by Step, & Los Cowboys):

PAMPER YOUR SWEETIE:

• Global Exchange’s Bath and Beauty Spa Basket (“A natural hand-woven basket from Cambodia filled with: Choice Organic Chamomile Tea, 2 Organic Divine chocolate bars, Tea Infuser Mug, Citrus Blossom Bath Salts, Afghan Rock Soap (set of 5), Putumayo’s Women of Africa CD, & Pumice Baby Foot”):

• Anti-Body’s Bath and Body Gift Set in Petal (Available at Greenheart; also available in Lemongrass & Lavendar):

• Anti-Body’s Massage So Nice Gift Set (Available at Greenheart):

• Palam Rural Centre’s Handmade Heart Soap Set (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Beeline’s Honey & Brown Sugar Body Polisher & Exfoliator (Available at Greenheart):

• Silence’s Melt My Heart Candle (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Silence’s Floral Tapestry Candle (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Beeswax Jumbo Heart Candle (Available at Global Exchange):

JEWELRY:

• Butterfly Wing Valentine’s Jewelry in Heart-Shaped Recycled-Paper Box (Available at Global Exchange; Jewelry and Box also available separately; Jewelry also available at Greenheart):

• Mata Traders’s Heart Earrings (Matching Necklace also available; also available at Greenheart and Revive):

• Archana Handicrafts’s All My Love Bead Choker (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Intercrafts Peru’s Milagros Necklace (Available at SERRV):

• Saffy Handicrafts’s Ocean Sunset Capiz Earrings (Available at Ten Thousand Villages; matching Necklace also available):

• Saffy Handicrafts’s Ruby Treasure Capiz Necklace (Available at Ten Thousand Villages; matching Earrings also available):

• SAFFY’s Shades of Pink Earrings (Available at SERRV):

• Mata Traders’s Specked Bone Necklace in Pink:

GIFTS THAT SHOW YOU CARE:

• Ruth and Nohemi’s Naomi Bear (Available at SERRV):

• Putumayo’s World Music’s Tango Around the World (“Passion, style and elegance are interwoven to create this musical tapestry of international tango and tango-influenced songs”):

• Putumayo’s World Music’s ¡Salsa! (“A hip-shaking music collection featuring many of the hottest salsa bands in North and South America”):

• Wayan Rendah’s “Harmony” Wood Statuette (Available at Seven Hopes United):

• Undugu Society of Kenya’s Embracing Couple Kisii Statue (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Mother of Pearl Picture Frame (Available at Greenheart):

• Asha Handicrafts’s Love Birds Box (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Mai Vietnamese Handcrafts’s Lovebirds Cinnamon Box (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Asha Handicrafts’s Lidded Heart Paper Mâché Box (Available at SERRV):

• Asha Handicrafts’s Shesham Heart Puzzle Box (Available at SERRV):

• Seven Hopes United’s Hearts for Africa (“The sale of each heart helps fund the rebuilding of a primary school in war zones or conflict-ridden areas of Africa”):

• Nyabigena Soapstone Carvers’s African Soapstone Heart (Available at SERRV):

• Apikri’s Batiked Heart Ornaments (Available at SERRV):

• Recycled Sari Blanket Throw (Available at Greenheart):

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES:

• One Mango Tree’s Party Dress in Cherry:

• Indigenous Designs’s Wrap Hoody in Red Apple:

• MarketPlace’s Very Pink Batik Scarf (Available at SERRV):

• Fair Indigo’s Baby Alpaca Scarf in Pink (Also available in Dark Charcoal Heather, Camel, Deep Pink, Bay Blue, Burnt, Orange, and Charcoal Heather):

• Mata Traders’s Purple Scarf:

• Recycled Sari Scarf (Available at Greenheart):

• Hearts Abound Silk Scarf in Gold (Available at Revive):

• Maggie’s Organics’s Patterned Knee Hi Socks in Pink Tye Dye:

• Fair Indigo’s Vegan Leather Clutch in Red (Also available in Purple and Turquoise; Vegan Leather Tote Bag and Mini Wallet with Mirror also available):

• Autonomie Project’s Ethletic Cranberry Red Low-Top Sneakers:

CARDS & GIFT WRAP:

• Get Paper Industry’s Valentine Gift Wrap Set (Available at SERRV):

• Get Paper Industry’s Love to Read Bookmarks (Available at SERRV):

• Prokritee’s Lovebirds Card (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Lydia Trading’s Love Comes Running Card (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Salay Handmade Paper’s Bunny Love Card (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Prokritee’s Loving Valentine Banner Card (Available at Ten Thousand Villages):

• Casa Bonampak’s Mini Fuchsia Paper Heart (Casa Bonampak offers an exceptional selection of paper decorations, including intricate, delicate papel picado paper garlands):

We hope you’ll spread the love and fabulousness of Fair Trade this Valentine’s Day!

Peace and Love,

Your Fair Trade Trendsters