Be informed when buying products. By buying fair trade, you ensure that the artisans and farmers that make your food, clothing, and other goods are involved in a commercial exchange that is not exploitative. Fair trade only works if empowered consumers buy Fair Trade! So whenever possible, seek out companies that are 100% dedicated to producing fair trade products.

• Fair Trade Federation

FTF’s site allows you to find fully-committed fair trade companies throughout North America. Using this online database, find fair trade retailers near you, buy wholesale, or shop online with any of their 260 listed online stores. You can also search for a specific type of product or for products from a specific country.

• Transfair USA

There are over 3,500 retailers that carry Transfair USA-certified products across the United States – from neighborhood supermarkets to cozy cafes dedicated to serving fresh, Fair Trade coffees and teas. Use this site to find the stores closest to you.

• Co-op America

In September 2007, Co-op America released its updated its Guide to Fair Trade, which features more than 200 listings of Fair Trade companies. Co-op’s National Green Pages™ is a directory listing of nearly 3,000 businesses that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products.

• New American Dream

Here you’ll find choices that protect the environment and the well-being of people at the other end of the production line. Not only does newdream.org provide you access to online stores, it also offers several tips on how to be a force for change in the marketplace.

• WorldofGood.com

WorldOfGood.com is a collaboration between eBay Inc. and World of Good, Inc. – two companies that share a common vision of creating positive change through commerce. To make good choices easy and accessible, World of Good, Inc. works with wholesale, retail, and online partners to create shopping experiences based on information, trust, and social impact.