Local shops sell fair trade, 'socially responsible' products

Walking through the door of Lattitudes, 137 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau, one is greeted by organic coffee, hand-crafted clothing, bags, journals, pottery, baskets and a plethora of jewelry. What makes the store's products different from others' is that all its items are handmade, crafted, grown and harvested by people from around the world.

Fair trade is a mode of commerce that differs from free trade because the items are often handmade or harvested by people who are paid a sustainable wage -- something they can live off of, according to Lattitudes owner and operator Rayme Hooten-Caruso. That money then goes toward sending children to school or setting adults up for marriage, a home or clean water.

"They do all of it, and they do it by hand," she says. "It's a really natural, organic process."

Most fair-trade organizations are not-for-profit organizations, and the person who made the product is paid as much as they deserve for their work, Hooten-Caruso says. Fair trade is anti-slavery and anti-child labor, another perk of fair trade merchandise.

The way fair trade works is a person, often a woman from a developing country, will make a product that goes to the fair-trade organization they work for. That product then is sent from the organization directly to a retailer, such as Hooten-Caruso. The goods do not stop with other companies or distributors on the way to the retailer.

The money a person makes from their fair-trade product goes right back into their community, Hooten-Caruso says, as does the profit that the retailer, who most of the time is a private business owner, makes from selling the product.

Lattitudes in downtown Cape Girardeau carries a wide variety of fair trade items including coffee, clothing, jewelry, accessories and pillows. (Laura Simon)

Fair trade is a way to boost the producers' local economy, because more money begins circulating in their community, supporting a variety of families and other producers.

Hooten-Caruso says she has seen fair-trade workers doing their craft, and she knows exactly where the money they receive is going.

"The more I buy, the more they make," she says.

Hooten-Caruso was inspired to sell fair-trade goods after she and her mother traveled to other parts of the world and volunteered.

"You can't come back from those experiences ... and just not be touched by that," she says. "You want to do something; you want to help. This is pulling people out of poverty. That's what it's about, pulling people out of poverty. And getting people to live a better quality life."

Through her store, Hooten-Caruso says she is able to help others and add culture to Cape Girardeau while making a living.

Philanthropy, 407 Broadway in downtown Cape Girardeau, does not sell licensed fair-trade products, but products that give back and are made by socially responsible companies that are ethical in their business practices, according to store owner Bridgett Kielhofner.

The store sells items from not-for-profit organizations in the U.S. and around the world. The organizations offer jobs to men and women who need to feel like they're in an organization or with a company, who are working to better themselves, and who are encouraged.

The whole idea behind fair trade and the like is connecting with companies that provide safe working conditions, who care about their employees and do what they can to help them, Kielhofner says.

"It's empowering to help those organizations," she says. Even though she is not directly working with individuals sewing straps or weaving scarves, by committing to fair trade and purchasing their products, she is empowering them. "You know that they're going to take care of their employees," she says.

Organizations and companies Philanthropy chooses to purchase from are hand-selected after research is done and hard questions are asked, Kielhofner says.

To her, it's all about being "socially responsible." It's not about the products Philanthropy sells; it's about what they do with the products, which is offer jobs to those in need.

"It's just a matter of loving on people and just being responsible," Kielhofner says.