What's in Your Shopping Cart?

When we inadvertently purchase products, such as chocolate, coffee, and clothing, made with trafficked labor, we are unwittingly enriching the traffickers.

What can we, as consumers do?

We can choose products that state and document ethically sourced resources and labor practices. Businesses can apply for "Fair Trade" certification, a process managed by Fair Trade Certified, used to demonstrate their commitment to ending labor trafficking. Using the Fair Trade label is a great start, and while this label is by no means 100% assured, if offers the consumer a high degree of confidence in their purchase.

If you are thinking about USDA certified Organic products as an option, that label is about agricultural practices and environmental impact, and does not account for labor practices. However, that does not mean organizations cannot be both fair trade and organic.

As you think about what you can do, there are few important points to consider:

• Change takes time and effort.

• This is a process, requiring us to rethink how we spend our money.

• Perfection is not expected; make different choices when and where you can.

• When we collectively make small changes in our lives, we also make big changes in society.

It is estimated that human trafficking generates $150 Billion dollars (USD) annually for the criminals running these schemes.

Let's hit their bottom line.