what's a World Shop?
A World Shop is the place where you can change the world just by shopping!
Can you think of a better place? 
Most of them are run by Alternative Trade Organizations and serve as local focal points for Fair Trade. You may find there all kinds of Fair Trade products: coffee, tea, clothes, chocolate, handcrafts, jewelry, etc. Usually they are served by volunteers who will be delighted to explain you where they products come from, who have maked them, what is Fair Trade...
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| the one where I buy, in Madrid. Photo from Copade |
They were almost the only place to get Fair Trade items until the arrival of mass FLO certified coffee to supermarkets.
Today you can buy lots of Fairtrade certified goods at a number of large retailers but... you know... it's not the same that getting them here, because:.
- They have been set up to help producers make their way out of poverty; they are the "worm hole" in the globalized economic system by which money flows nicely from the people who have it to the people who really need it. So, they are more for "fairness" than for "trade".
- Normally, they sell only Fair Trade products, whether they bear the FLO label or not. Mainstream supermarkets may have some fairtrade goods available along with the "standard" items
- They provide you with human contact with other Fair Trade supporters, who can talk a while about the next event to be celebrated, their experiences...
Even if their business volume is lower than that of FLO certified items sold elsewhere, World Shops are important to create and keep alive a Fair Trade "culture" and activism.
So, if you know of any of them near you, walk to it and buy something! If not, please follow these hints about where to get Fair Trade stuff. Also, don't forget that Fair Trade items are also available at events organized by Town Councils, churches, students meetings, etc.
