Support Fair Trade in Haiti

Each year, on the second Saturday of May, thousands of people come together in honor of World Fair Trade Day. First celebrated in 2005, World Fair Trade Day was created to promote fair trade and to remind the world about the role fair trade plays in the alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The fair trade movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as promoting the export of goods from developing countries. Fair trade also works to create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers and promote gender equality, safe working conditions, and better environmental practices.

Haiti is one of the many countries that benefit from fair trade. Haiti is currently one of the poorest countries in the world, where two-thirds of the economy is dependent on agriculture and crop exports such as coffee and mangoes. Although much of the Haitian economy, nearly 40%, is supported by foreign aid, many Haitians are working to become more independent. For example, the Comite Artisanal Haitien, or the Haitian Committee of Artisans, works to market and export crafts made by Haitian artisans, cooperatives, and craft groups to help them earn a fair living. Some of the crafts that these artisans make include handmade jewelry, woven baskets, embroidery, hand-carved woodenware, clay statues and pottery, musical instruments, and children's toys. Non-profit, fair -trade organizations like Ten Thousand Villages and A Greater Gift help promote and sell these items for the Comite Artisanal Haitien. You can support fair trade in Haiti by purchasing products from either of these organization's websites.

In the Dominican Republic, many small-scale farmers, especially those living in the inner parts of the country away from the tourism industry, are struggling to survive. The Conacado cooperative, which was founded in 1998, works generate work and income for these small farmers, increase quality of crops, and provide loan assistance as well as community development.. The cooperative is has about 9,000 members in the Dominican Republic who belong to 126 smaller cooperatives called bloques. Each bloque differs according to the needs of its members, but all develop annual work plans for the farmers, organize workshops focused on agricultural and administrative topics, evaluate loans and promote fair trade. The farmers in the Conacado cooperative mostly produce cocoa, but some also produce bananas, citrus fruits, potatoes, and other vegetables. You can help support the efforts of the Conacado cooperative by buying products online (like chocolate!) from these companies who support Conacado: Equal Exchange, Dagoba Organic Chocolate, La Siembra Cooperative, and Traidcraft.


International Child Care also works to promote fair trade and economic growth in Haiti through our Micro-Enterprise Loan Program. This program gives women loans to buy items such as soap, sugar, and rice in bulk and then sell them in smaller quantities at the local market. It also provides money for women to start their own businesses selling handicrafts, school supplies, and other products. Through this program, women are able to generate more income, become more self-sufficient, and provide their families with the basic necessities that poverty denies, such as food, health care, education, and hope for a better future.

We encourage you to support World Fair Trade Day by buying goods from Ten Thousand Villages, A Greater Gift, or by supporting International Child Care's efforts to alleviate poverty and bring hope to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.