Fair Trade in Chicago

Following Jane's lead for blog action day against poverty, I went looking for addresses for the local fair trade shops that I knew about. I've been to a lovely one in Glen Ellyn and I know there's a good one in Evanston (Ten Thousand Villages). And I'm pretty sure I spotted one here in Hyde Park.

While I was looking up the shops, I came across this wonderful site: Chicago Fair Trade. It lists all sorts of local activities, vendors and importers of fair trade items (including a list of fair trade cafes and restaurants). October is fair trade month!

My favorite fair trade shops is Marketplace: Handcraft of India. I first learned of them through catalogs and generally order online. Their clothing is wonderful--I have several pieces.

If you're not in the Chicago area, check out what's going on by you at Fair Trade Towns.