The Fair Trade Festival seeks to educate consumers about and connect them with sustainable and fairly produced products, entertainment, and businesses in order to decrease world poverty by increasing the availability of fairly paid work.  We seek to connect consumers with responsible businesses in order to support a rapidly evolving economic system that is creating justice not through government regulation, but through consumer education.

The Fair Trade Festival seeks to create an inspiring and joyful experience in which the shopper can eat excellent, fairly produced food, experience top-quality entertainment by local performing artists, and shop with true peace of mind, knowing that all purchases made at the Festival support a world in which people receive a fair price for their work and therefore can have a decent standard of living.

The Fair Trade Festival only includes items for sale for which good labor standards can be reasonably verified to be above poverty wages in a local context, in whose production facilities there is a measure of workplace democracy and respect, and whose retailers have a commitment to purchasing and stocking fairly produced items whenever they are available.

The Fair Trade Festival stands for a relationship of equality and mutual respect between producers and consumers.  This respect extends into the Festival's relationship with performing artists.  The festival seeks to honor all performers with recognition of the work and time spent practicing, creating, and developing their art.  While artists may not receive the highest rate for their performance at the Festival, they will receive some compensation which is mutually agreed upon, and is paid promptly and respectfully immediately after the performance.

The Fair Trade Festival is transforming the Hampton Roads area by increasing consumer demand for fair trade and responsibly produced products.  Since the Festival's inception 5 years ago, availability of fair trade products has grown from one retailer to more than 40 around the Hampton Roads area, a total increase of more than 4000%.  Consumers, who would have had to order fairly produced coffee, tea, or chocolate, can now buy it in a store or restaurant in their neighborhood, thus supporting the local economy as well.  Other products such as fruit and clothing may follow suit.  The increased availability of fairly produced products, like the presence of farm markets, increases the attractiveness of the area to thoughtful and responsible consumers.

This year's Fair Trade Festival will be held on December 1st and 2nd in Norfolk Virginia at the Downtown Farmer's Market site outside the MacArther Center Mall.  If you're in the area, please come by to check out what Fair Trade is all about.