Where to Find Fair Trade Holiday Gifts

Are you sick of doing your holiday shopping at corporate malls and discount chains? Are you looking for unique gifts that create social change? Do you want giving this holiday season to be meaningful for people around the world?  Then check out the 2010 Change.org Holiday Gift Guide. You can join the growing social movement to ditch the mall and buy better this holiday season– better for the planet, for people, and for you. As with everything you buy, we recommend you do your own research on the companies and organizations you choose to support financially. This guide is far from exhaustive, so please add your favorite places to buy gifts in the comments section. Check out the other parts here and here.

Where to Find Fair Trade Gifts

Buying Fair Trade is a great way to reduce human trafficking and child labor in the production of consumer goods. The Fair Trade label means that certain strict environmental, social, and economic criteria were met in producing that item, and it's the closest thing available to a slave-free guarantee. When we buy Fair Trade products, we send a powerful message to business owners that the fair treatment of workers is important. And as demand for Fair Trade products grows, so will the number of businesses who sell ethically-produced and Fair Trade products. That means fewer men, women, and children living in slavery to make your stuff. Check out these existing collections of places to shop for Fair Trade gifts:

• The Ultimate Fair Trade Holiday Gift Guide
• Give Fair Trade

Here are some additional places to get Fair Trade gifts this holiday season:

• Amnesty International: A marketplace featuring Fair Trade and sweatshop-free items that support Amnesty's efforts around the world.
• Fair Trade Marketplace:  Everything from seasonal items to musical instruments, including a great selection of toys for kids.
• Fair Trade Shopping Network: Fun and festive collection of jewelry, clothing, handbags, and other accessories, plus home decor.
• Fair Trade Sports: Great for the athletic enthusiast, featuring sports equipment, clothes, and bags.
• Global Exchange: Chocolate, coffee and tea, gift baskets, accessories, jewelry, crafts, recycled products, and just about anything else you can think of.
• SERRV: Home decor, accessories, and delicious goodies, all available from their website or extensive online catalog.
• Ten Thousand Villages: Home decor, jewelry, accessories, recycled products, and clothing, all available online or from locations across the U.S. and Canada

These websites aren't just great places to shop for gifts, they have have everything from Fair Trade coffee and chocolate to Fair Trade liquor and wine to help you celebrate holiday meals while celebrating freedom for farm workers around the world. Remember to look for the Fair Trade Federation logo, pictured above, on websites and products to make sure your purchase is Fair Trade certified.

No matter how you celebrate this time of year, remember that you have the opportunity to be part of the movement of socially responsible consumerism. And when you choose gifts that help end human trafficking, you make the holidays happier for those you love and people living in or recovering from slavery all over the world.