Shoppers purchase goods with good conscience

NORFOLK

Looking for that special holiday gift this year? The one that says “I love you – and the planet ”?

How about a handbag made from used plastic shopping bags, woven by women in Costa Rica and Panama? Or organic vegan chocolate, made by a 10-person company in Matagalpa, Nicaragua? Maybe a Santa pillow, hand- embroidered by women in Afghanistan?

Socially conscious Christmas shoppers headed to Waterside  this weekend for the eighth annual Fair Trade Festival, where, organizer Susan Posey said, they could be sure anything they bought  was not produced by children in sweatshops or by farmers making a pittance for their produce.

“The concept is this is the time of year when people are going to be buying stuff anyway,” Posey said. “Every single thing they buy here is going to be making life better, not just for their families but for people around the world.”

Vendors at the festival have to research their products to ensure they’re consistent with fair trade practices. That includes artists making their own crafts, who  must research even the materials they use, such as metals or thread.

Shoppers sorted through  organic wine from South Africa,  local beer  from Williamsburg,  jewelry  made from recycled decks of old skateboards,  and other crafts. Those who didn’t bring any cash were still in luck – they could stop by the “Freecycle” table, where they could pick through books, shoes and gadgets that others were giving away.

By buying these products, shoppers this weekend were “creating more jobs that pay a living wage,” Posey said.

“You are voting with your dollars for the kind of world everybody wants to see.”

Alicia Wittmeyer, (757) 222-5216, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com