Shop Well: eBay's Fair Trade Marketplace

Give yourself a good excuse to buy more accessories for your home with these fabulous fair trade products.

Everyone is going green these days. Yeah, yeah, we get it. But that's not the only way to make a difference when it comes to decorating your home. Thanks to organizations like the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization), more and more stylish products -- with a traceable impact on their producers -- have found their way to the market.

eBay's new online shop World of Good, is an easy one-stop-shop for the best of the best when it comes to fair trade products (all of which are certified or verified by organizations like WFTO and Transfair, to name a few). We've rounded up a sampling of our favorite products, but the store offers much more than this: World of Good carries 15,167 products that financially empower their producers; 19,142 products that preserve native traditions and cultures; 17,577 products that employ minorities and disabled groups; and 6,034 products that support local community services. How's that for making a difference?

If you're not familiar with the fair trade movement, it is an organized social movement, which promotes standards for international labor and social policy. The fair trade system creates opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers (primarily those exporting from developing countries to developed countries) and pays a fair price for the raw materials and goods they sell. The fair trade movement also sets standards for social and environmental conditions related to the production of these goods, which ultimately promote sustainability.

Now, it's time to get to the good stuff, including the products above:

Handmade Ceramic Garden Stool, $78. Producer Story: Not-for-profit Craft Link markets products from Vietnamese handicraft villages working with artisans to generate income, focusing on ethnic minorities, women, street children and artisans with disabilities.

Handmade Glowing Sunburst Mirror, $150. Producer Story: Allpa is a Peruvian trading company providing marketing assistance to artisan groups and family workshops throughout Peru, whose primary source of income is their craft.

Floral Ceramic Pitcher, $28. Producer Story: Craft Link (see above).

Handmade Palewa Owl Bookends, $38. Producer Story: TARA (Trade Alternative Reform Action) enables hundreds of artisans, who create some of the major handicraft lines of North India, to sell their products internationally. They are one of the pioneering Indian organizations in the field of fair wages, non-formal education programs for children and women, health and environmental awareness.

Ukhamba (Zulu Beer Basket), $75. Producer Story: Ilala Weavers was established some 30 years ago with a clear vision and objective of revitalizing and enhancing the age-old Zulu tradition of handcrafts, which at the time were in danger of being lost forever.

Olive Wood Condiment Tray, $25.50. Producer Story: Al-Atrash Workshop is a family enterprise with several artisans carving olive wood items. George Al-Atrash started his family workshop in Bethlehem in 1967 and has continued to carve olive wood to sustain his family; two of his sons eventually joined him in the trade.

Handmade Hanging Votive Lantern, $64. Producer Story: Noah's Ark is a fair trade handicraft marketing organization made up of mostly women, many working from their homes. Noah's Ark provides benefits such as training, education and medical treatment for artisans and their families.

Crocheted Abaca Placemats, $18. Producer Story: Community Crafts Association of the Philippines is committed to development and empowerment of community-based Filipino artisans. CCAP markets and promotes crafts for marginalized artisans, primarily people with disabilities, indigenous groups and urban and rural poor communities.

Handmade Love Bird Heart Box, $12. Producer Story: Not-for-profit Asha ("Hope") represents thousands of artisans across India, giving marketing support to artisans, supporting gender equity and promoting crafts made with recycled or waste materials. Producer benefits include savings programs, education and medical assistance.

Handmade Terra Cotta Piggy Bank, $16. Producer Story: Comparte is a nonprofit Chilean trading organization that works to improve the standard of living of disadvantaged artisans. Based in Santiago, Comparte markets products for a variety of artisan groups, provides training and design services to artisans, and features their crafts in markets and craft stores in the region.

Onyx Reversible Candleholder, $16. Producer Story: Dominion Traders works with underprivileged artisans who make stone and shesham wood crafts in the city of Karachi. It disperses orders to independently owned and operated onyx workshops that own their own equipment and rent or own their facilities. Most are family businesses employing several family members.
Handmade Artichoke Tray, $48. Producer Story: Noah's Ark (see above, Hanging Votive Lantern).

Onyx Candleholders (set of 2), $20. Producer Story: Dominion Traders (see directly above).

Garden Party Tablecloth, $58. Producer Story: Asha (see above, Love Bird Heart Box).


Handmade Three Birds Bowl, $58. Producer Story: Allpa (see above, Glowing Sunburst Mirror)

Handmade Onyx Acorn Box, $28. Producer Story: Dominion Traders (see above, Onyx Reversible Candleholder).