A Valentine’s Gift Guide that Spreads Love Globally
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and whether you have plans for a romantic date with a special someone or grabbing your friends for a Galentine’s or haven’t even thought about it because you’ve got young children and you’re.just.so.tired - we’ve got you covered!
We mentioned in this previous blog how being a conscious consumer is actually being an advocate for change. With 86% of labor trafficking occurring in the private sector (ILO, 2022), this means we HAVE to pay attention to where we make our purchases if we want to see any change in our lifetime.
Thankfully, there are SO MANY incredible organizations that provide fair-trade, ethically made, sustainable products that rival some of your favorite brands. They provide decent, livable wages with dignified working conditions - factors that actually prevent trafficking. And some even employ sex trafficking survivors! Yes, the prices may be a bit steeper, but the quality of the product and, we would argue, the human factor far outweighs the cheaper options. So here’s a quick guide to some of our favorite ethical brands for you this Valentine’s Day.
This list would be remiss if we didn’t have Able front and center. If you’re looking for jewelry, leather, clothes, shoes, they have it! And with their incredible lifetime guarantees and size swaps, these are investments into both a more just and a cleaner world.
Naturally, our friends at Threads Worldwide are making an appearance! Not only do they have incredibly unique pieces with stunning stories (the stories of turning recovering bullets from a violent civil war into gorgeous necklaces will always be a favorite of ours!), you can choose which country’s female artisans you’d like to support! They’re also incredible with partnering with other organizations to help their mission. They were instrumental in helping us launch our Costa Rican project. But our love for their organization aside, their jewelry is gorgeous.
What’s a good Valentine’s Day gift guide without some chocolate? Chocolove is committed to both sustainable practices and ethical supply chain. In fact, their supply chain is listed on their site! With sugar-free options, it’s also a great choice for people with dietary restrictions to still have some deliciousness on the 14th. (And may we give a special shoutout to those hazelnut truffles?!)
Last, but not least, for the coffee-lover in your life, we’d like to direct you to our very own FTG blend. Roasted locally and made to order, the profits from your order go straight back to helping female survivors of trafficking around the globe find true freedom. And that is a great combo.
There you go!
4 options for Valentine’s Day gifts that will share the love not just with the recipient of your gift, but with the artisans, farmers, crafters, and creators of the product as well. Changing the world through love and our ethical purchases.
Happy ethical shopping!
xoxo
FTG