Fair trade products available at PCC
We have a number of fairly traded products from a variety of vendors. It's important to note that not every product from a vendor necessarily is fairly traded. Always pay attention to packaging and labels to be sure you know what you're getting.
- Chocolate/Cocoa — Alter Eco, Dagoba, Equal Exchange, Endangered Species Chocolate, Green & Black*, Rapunzel, Theo Chocolate
- Coffee (bulk) — Equal Exchange, Kalani, Nature's Crest, Tony's
- Coffee (packaged) — Ladro Coffee, Newman's Own Organics
- Health and body care — Alaffia Sustainable Skin Care, Dr. Bronner's
- Produce — Bananas
- Rice — Alter Eco, Woodstock
- Sugar — Rapunzel, Wholesome Sweeteners*
- Tea — Choice Tea*, Eco Teas, Equal Tea, Frontier Tea*, Guayaki, Honest Tea*, Numi Tea, Traditional Medicinals*
- Vanilla — Frontier*
- Other products — Alpsnack, Lärabar Jocalat, Sambazon
* Select products are fair trade
[ Grocery Aisle ]
With so many different classifications and certifications surrounding food these days, it can be difficult to determine what each one means, and which ones fit your own personal belief system. Fairly traded products, however, deserve a spot on your radar.
A fairly traded product is one that has been grown or produced by an individual who has received a fair price for his or her product. But it goes far beyond a fair wage. It also means fair labor conditions, direct trade, community development and environmental sustainability.
Fair trade empowers previously impoverished farmers and their families. It helps them send their children to school, improve nutrition, provide health education, even set up adult literacy programs.
Determining what's fairly traded
PCC carries an array of fairly traded products, spanning our grocery, deli and produce departments. Since 2003, all of our bulk coffee has been fairly traded.
While TransFair USA is the third-party certifier of fairly traded products in the U.S., there are other companies and organizations that have direct, personal relationships with their suppliers and pay fair prices.
Rapunzel, for example, developed a fair trade system before TransFair was certifying products. PCC requires documentation of ethical trading practices from our producers before we will label them as fairly traded, and we specifically look for third party certification or auditing.
The issue of fair trade is a complicated one with many different facets. There are volumes of information available, with several key organizations leading the way. To learn more about fair trade and PCC's involvement, check out the following links:
From the Sound Consumer Organizations Articles