Thanksgiving time is a busy time of year. Friends and family travel cross the country and sometimes cross the globe just to be with one another. Households who normally order pizza and gather around the television suddenly break out the fine china and gather around the dinner table instead. It's a great time of year filled with food, family, and...fair trade?
Some of you might be wondering "How can I have a fair trade
Thanksgiving?" While it might be easy to make the switch to fair trade coffee, or buy fair trade products once in a while ,doing an entire fair trade dinner with all the "fixins" can be a tad more complicated. But let's not fret! Here are some helpful tips to make your eating ethical.
One way to incorporate fair trade into Thanksgiving is with your dishware and table settings. Using plates and bowls and table cloths like those that can be found at The Welcome Mat will not only make your family dinner beautiful and festive but ethical as well. Salad tongs, napkin rings, you name it, there
2. Food
Fair trade isn't exclusive to just coffee and chocolate. There are lots of fair trade goods that can be used in your holiday cooking.
Sugar- For all of your baking and sweetening needs fair trade sugar is available. As are different kinds of fruit! However, stores that carry these items are limited. What you can do to help push the cause further in your community is request fair trade options in your stores.
Spice- While they may not be as well known, fair trade herbs and spices are available. Pepper, turmeric, and even cinnamon can be found at places such as Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier Natural Products Co-op.
Everything Nice- Preparing your fair trade holiday will be a breeze with fair trade olive oil, and what is a better pairing than fair trade dinner with a glass of fair trade wine? Fair trade wine is developing quickly, as is fair trade liquor.
3. Football
Many families like to kick back and watch the football game after their dinner, but a lot of families like to actually play a good game of family football as well. For these families fair trade footballs are an ethical reason to tackle one another.
Fair trade isn't just a cause that can be embraced in our every day lives, but during special occasions as well. Just remember that when its hard to find a turkey or another primary ingredient with a fair trade certified logo on its packaging the next best thing is to buy local. Buying produce that has been grown locally in the USA increases the likelihood that it was produced ethically.
While fair trade may not be the picture of a traditional Thanksgiving, there is certainly nothing wrong with giving it a shot. Every family has their own traditions during the holiday season, but there is nothing wrong with starting a new tradition by doing your Turkey Day the fair trade way.
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