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Written by Mark Phillips   
Wednesday, 15 July 2015 03:58 PM America/New_York

Selling Fair Trade products is one way to offer compassion

F-PhillipsFair trade started in the 1940s when a small group of North American and European organizations reached out to poor communities and artisans to help them sell their handcrafted products to more developed markets. Today, it has evolved into a global effort and has touched poverty-stricken countries all over the world that have produced everything from cocoa, coffee, tea and spices to leather products, scarves and jewelry. Fair Trade is about respecting an individual’s right to work in a safe environment and receive a fair wage for a good day’s work.

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade. Their goals are to create opportunities for economically and socially marginalized producers, develop transparent and accountable relationships, support safe working conditions, ensure the rights of children, cultivate the principle of environmental stewardship and respect the artisans’ cultural identity.

Showing Compassion

But why should a Christian retailer bother with Fair Trade? Any student of Scripture cannot help but see the concern and care Jesus showed for the poor, widows and orphans during His preaching ministry. In Luke 4:18, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” In Matthew 19, He also admonished a would-be follower to sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor. Clearly He was concerned about the well-being of those on the lower socio-economic ladder. In Matthew 25 when Jesus is talking about the sheep and the goats, He makes reference to feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty and clothes to those who have none. In light of Scripture, it seems we should exercise compassion for the poor and needy. So is it important to sell Fair Trade product, or should you simply find other ways to show compassion?

Many Christians support organizations like World Vision and Compassion International. These fine charitable organizations fill an important role in allowing Christians to help those who are impoverished build a sustainable future. How wonderful it is, however, when we can help the poor climb out of poverty by providing them directly with the tools to learn a trade and equip them to become self-sufficient and earn a respectable living. By partnering with organizations that are part of the Fair Trade Federation, retailers are providing a means for their customers to buy handcrafted gifts made by individuals in the developing world, knowing it is making the life of a family easier on their path to sustainability. Self-sufficiency brings a feeling of accomplishment and dignity. Helping someone be self-sufficient also aligns with the biblical principles of stewardship Jesus talks about in Matthew 25.

Answering Objections

What are some of the objections to supporting Fair Trade initiatives? One is that fair trade siphons off American jobs to other countries. In reality, most Fair Trade products come from places not represented in North American production and don’t have a North American-based alternative.

Another common objection is that fair trade results in more expensive goods for the consumer. But most Fair Trade products are competitively priced to their counterparts and because Fair Trade organizations work directly with producers, thereby cutting out the middle man, the prices are kept lower and the products are more affordable.

Yet another objection is that Fair Trade products are inferior quality to their counterparts. While there may be some variations, most Fair Trade organizations work closely with the local artisans to ensure the highest standards for quality and consistency.

Some also question whether Fair Trade organizations can really be trusted. How do we know if the money is really getting into the hands of the artisans to help them lead sustainable lives and receive a fair wage for a good day’s work? It is very important when buying Fair Trade products that the company you are buying from is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and has their product tagged with the Fair Trade Federation logo. Fair Trade Federation members ensure the artisans are being paid fairly and the nature of the federation and its relationships with local artisans is one built on trust. For example, Fair Trade Federation members offer advance payment to artisans ,allowing them to purchase raw materials without taking out high interest loans. Also, the relationships are long term. In other words if a product doesn’t sell, Fair Trade buyers won’t simply move over to another supplier. Instead, they work with the same producers to develop new products using their existing skills.

In most cases skilled artisans handcraft these products and many organizations have individuals who inspect the products for quality control. Some fair traders have won awards at prestigious events such as the New York Home Textile Show and the International Cup of Excellence.

Telling Stories

Along with answering the common objections to supporting Fair Trade artisans and understanding why Christian retailers may be convicted to support such initiatives from a biblical standpoint, it’s important to get to know and share some of the real-life stories of Fair Traders whose lives have been deeply impacted by the opportunity to use their talents to touch the lives of others.

Issa from Indonesia makes Fair Trade scarves to help pay the medical bills after she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Issa leads a talented artisan group who makes hand-batik scarves in Indonesia. But when she was struck with this horrible news, her medical bills became insurmountable and the business suffered while she went through treatment, surgery and recovery. Her village and family could only do so much financially, and this is why we at Send The Light (STL) encourage people to keep buying her scarves, to maintain a steady stream of income going her way and meeting her needs. Issa’s condition has seen improvement, thanks to the support and prayers of people from all over the world. She is so appreciative of the Fair Trade support and being given a “hand-up” rather than a “hand-out” opportunity.

STL recently entered into a partnership with Mark Fangue and Liz Allen, co-founders of Gifts With a Cause, a California-based organization, to sell Fair Trade products to Christian retailers. Gifts With a Cause is the only fair trade company that is a member of the coveted United Nations Global Compact, an organization that asks companies to embrace universal business principles and partner with the United Nations. It has become a critical platform for the U.N. to engage effectively with enlightened global business.

Gifts With a Cause represents product from over 20 countries with agents in every one of the countries doing quality control to ensure the highest possible working conditions and product that meets strict standards. Having the local agents on the ground ensures that the product is made from the highest standards using the best raw materials by true artisans living in poverty who are earning a fair wage for a great day’s work.

STL is privileged to be partnering with Gifts With a Cause to make the complete line available to its retail partners at good prices with excellent merchandising support to enable retailers to tell the story and share the mission with their customers. STL offers signage as well as various merchandising solutions to choose from, including displays for the jewelry, bracelets, scarves, purses, home decor and the popular soapstone carvings that have Christian messages and Bible texts painted on them. More importantly, not only is the Christian retailer partnering with STL in this worthy cause, but they are assured that none of these products is available online or through big box retailers.

Longtime STL customer Lynda Schoffro from Gospel Lighthouse in Cambridge, Ontario, has seen the impact of Fair Trade through her store.

“We decided to bring in the Gifts With a Cause line this spring into a few of our stores to see how our customers would react to supporting an industry where the money earned (affects directly) the artists involved.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response and have had to restock our displays several times. We try to focus the attention of the consumer by prominently placing display tags to identify where the beautiful handmade gifts are from and who the purchase will directly benefit. The selection of gifts are beautifully made, and with a reasonable price point, they are just the gifts our customers have been looking for.”

Katrina Skinner from Sacred Melody in Syracuse, New York, also has had a positive experience with this program.

“Gifts With a Cause products are good-quality, priced to sell and beautiful!” Skinner said. “Being conscious of behind-the-scenes details, the tags with pictures of the artisans as well as ISBNs make it easy to receive and display. Customers love watching the informational video playing on the display. Gifts With a Cause is a great way to connect our customers with families in need all over the world.”


Mark Phillips is vice president of sales and marketing at Send The Light Distribution in Bristol, Tennessee.