Photos: (Getty)
By Shelley Tibbets
It's no secret that we love socially conscious celebs. Just last week we shared the news of Lauren Conrad's newest endeavor, an online marketplace that partners with women artisans in the developing world. In honor of October being Fair Trade Month, here are seven others who support the movement.
+ Lauren Bush Totes Loves FEED
In 2007, Lauren Bush started FEED Projects out of a two bedroom apartment in NYC, "with the simple idea of a burlap bag that could empower consumers to get involved in the fight against hunger." Six years later, the fashion brand has done just that having helped provide over 62,000,000 meals to date through its own not-for-profit, The FEED Foundation. And every FEED product is ethically manufactured of course, by either artisans in Guatemala and Kenya or at a fair trade factory in China.
+ Chris Martin Stumps For Fair Trade
Chris Martin is not just the front-man of his band Coldplay, but also a front-man in the fair-trade movement. Performing at benefit concerts and visiting Ghana to meet farmers are just of few of the many ways he's actively supported Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign in the past decade. In 2003, he explained why he supports fair trade by saying "If a few people were slightly less greedy, the people at the bottom would have an awful lot more." We hope his passion for the cause inspires many others to share his vision. If enough turned this thought into action it would undoubtedly have the power to change the world.
+ Kelly Clarkson Creates A Buzz For Coffee
Kelly Clarkson recently teamed up with Green Mountain Coffee and is using her voice to spread word of the impact that everyone can make if they buy fair trade products. The singer took a trip to a coffee bean farm in Peru to learn about how ethical practices benefit farmers and their local communities. She even shared experiences from her travel adventure in an online dairy.
+ Jimmy Fallon Finds His Fair Trade Sweet Spot
You could celebrate Fair Trade Month with an ice cream party (and we're pretty sure Jimmy Fallon would approve). In 2011, The Late Night Show host collaborated with the socially-conscious Ben & Jerry's on Late Night Snack, a fair-trade vanilla bean flavor that gives back. Fallon agreed to donate all proceeds to Fair Trade Universities, a program that works to help students get fair trade products on campus and raise awareness of them.
+ Emma Watson Is Fashionably Fair Trade
Emma's stance on ethical fashion? It's most definitely a do. The actress helped the British fair trade brand People Tree create three collections back in 2010 and 2011. She even traveled to Bangladesh to see the clothes being made and to visit a nearby slum. After experiencing the drastic contrast between an ethical and an underpaid working environment her advice for others is, "if you see something fair trade, buy it. It makes all the difference."
Emma was also recently tapped to star in spread about eco and human-friendly fashion by Green Carpet Challenge founder, Liv Firth. And she obviously looked totally gorgeous.
+ America Ferrera Warms Up The Movement
One of the reasons fair trade is so important is that it helps empower women. America Ferrera is all about girl power! She shared the stories of women & girls from India through her involvement in Nicholas Kristof's documentary Half the Sky. During her trip she spent time with The Anchal Project, an organization that supports women out of sex trade by paying them fair wages to work as full-time artisans. The actress and activist has since partnered with them on a collection of scarves to help provide more women with the opportunity for a brighter future.
+ Hugh Jackman Chuckles For Fair Trade
While on a trip to Ethiopia with World Vision Hugh spent time planting coffee trees alongside Dukale, a 27-year old coffee farmer, and saw first hand how one man's work had the potential to transform a community. The philanthropic actor was so inspired by the experience that he made a promise to help his new friend. As a result he founded Laughing Man Worldwide, a non-profit coffee and tea venture that donates 100% of profits back to the communities in the developing world, like Dukale's, where products are sourced.
You can play your part by purchasing fair-trade certified products when possible and taking links in the widget below.
