Wang says it’s not just workers or the environment that enjoy the benefits of fair trade. “Shoppers have the peace-of-mind of knowing that when they spend money on something, they aren’t helping to support a company that treats its workers poorly,” says Wang. “It might not be something that people focus on all the time when they go shopping, but I think most consumers would be unhappy if they knew the cup of coffee they were drinking had been produced by someone who was being treated poorly.”
Wang says consumer awareness of fair trade products has increased since she opened her store three years ago, thanks in part to the ongoing trend toward green and eco-friendly products. The economic downturn, however, has had an impact on Earth Tree’s business; even customers with a socially responsible bent have to go bargain hunting. But while fair trade items have a reputation for being more expensive than their conventionally produced counterparts, the lower cost of living in many of the areas where workers live means that prices are still reasonable. A hand-tooled structured leather satchel from India, for example, is NT$1,880. A dress made with recycled cotton and trimmed with contrasting stitching is NT$2,980, while hand-hammered brass earrings from Kenya are NT$990.
“If something is completely handmade and embroidered, it’s really hard to compare its price with a similar item that’s made by machine,” says Wang.
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