The New Year’s Resolution You Can Stick To

Folks, we are a few weeks in 2016 already! Some of us may not be keeping up with our great goals. How many of your gym memberships are gathering dust? Well, whether or not you’ve kept to your aspirations, I am going to give you a new challenge for this year.

Choose One Fair Trade Certified Item and Stick with it All Year

It is no secret that I am a major Fair Trade supporter. I used to work for Catholic Relief Services as a Fair Trade Intern when I was a student at John Carroll University and always advocate for buying Fair Trade when possible, within your means of course. Fair Trade goods help farmers in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.

I challenge you to find one product, just ONE, and commit to buying it Fair Trade for the remainder of the year. For example, you could commit to: coffee, flowers, honey, olive oil, sugar, bananas, tea, or wine. Choose a product that you love and buy regularly and commit to only buying the Fair Trade Certified version of that product. Take the time to learn about the big impact that product has on the lives of the farmers and workers who produced it.

“There is no worse material poverty … than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.” —Pope Francis

I am committing to only buying Fair Trade olive oil for the remainder of 2016. This is one change that has a ripple effect that will reach all the way around the globe.

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What can you commit to buying? If you need ideas, let me know! I’d love to help you brainstorm.

Want to learn more about Fair Trade? I suggest checking out these resources:

• Fair Trade USA 
• Fair Trade Federation
• Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade

Linking up with Little by Little and Thoughtful Thursdays