There are many ways to take action for Fair Trade — from taking a minute or two to sign a key petition to organizing in your town or place of worship to bring Fair Trade to your community.

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Invite the First Lady to Join the “Fair” Party

A grass-roots, nonpartisan coalition of Fair Trade organizations, vendors, retailers, schools, individuals and consumers, is inviting the First Lady to help extend the Fair Trade movement by declaring the White House a “Fair Trade Home.”  Having the White House seek to purchase and use Fair Trade goods encourages households throughout America to refine their buying habits toward ethical consumption so that poverty, both in America and around the world, is reduced.  Throughout the year, the campaign will seek online signatures from consumers and organizations to show the First Lady the momentum and support of the Fair Trade movement. The coalition hopes that the First Lady will accept the invitation so that a ceremony is conducted in May 2010 in honor of “World Fair Trade Day.”

• Invite Michelle Obama to declare the White House a Fair Trade home
• Support the campaign

Advocate for Fair Trade Cocoa

While chocolate is sweet for us, it is often bitter for cocoa producers and their families if it is not Fair Trade-certified chocolate. From supermarkets to schools, we need to increase consumers’ access to Fair Trade chocolate and in order to ensure a decent life for farmers and their families. Global Exchange and the International Labor Rights Forum support a network of grassroots activists in local advocacy and education. You can support cocoa farmers and an end to child labor by making your s’more Fair Trade and telling Hershey to buy Fair Trade Certified cocoa! To join in these efforts today and make a real difference for cocoa farming communities in struggle around the world click on the links below.

• Make smores and sign a petition to Hershey
• Send a letter to World’s Finest Chocolate
• Global Exchange Chocolate Action Pack

Call on Congress to Support Fair Farm Policies in the US

The United States Farm Bill was originally designed as a security system for American farmers when the market collapsed during the Great Depression. Today, however, the Farm Bill disproportionately distributes government payments to large-scale farmers, while the majority of farmers receive very little or nothing at all. The legislation also encourages the overproduction of certain crops, notably cotton and rice, which is devastating for small farmers around the world.

• Find out the status of the U.S. Farm Bill
  

Host a Fair Trade Event with Friends & Coworkers

Have fun organizing a Fair Trade event, such as food & drink tastings, craft shows, film showings, music jams, soccer games and fundraisers.  Use the following resources to plan, publicize and produce your Fair Trade celebration:

• Guide to planning many kinds of Fair Trade events
  
• Free printed materials and FT products to promote or strengthen your event
  
• Recommended films and readings on Fair Trade

Bring Fair Trade to Your Town… or City… or Village

Fair Trade Towns

This recently formed nationwide initiative connects grassroots Fair Trade activists across the country. Through the Fair Trade Towns program, Fair Traders working locally to promote Fair Trade have the opportunity to share their experiences and tools with one another. The Fair Trade Towns initiative also offers guidance and resources for communities seeking to declare themselves to fulfill the Fair Trade Town criteria. Check out www.fairtradetownsusa.org for more information, and find the latest Fair Trade Towns news in the News and Views section of this site.

Bring Fair Trade to Your School

• Bring Fair Trade to your School - Take a pop quiz about ways you can make Fair Trade a reality in your school.
• Check out various educational tools.