Why’s it so much cheaper to buy the hype than to do the real thing?

Take fair trade month, for ex. The intent of this month — at least for me — is to increase awareness about the need for fair trade / labor.

Big corps, however, see this as a fun marketing opportunity. Look at Sam’s Club — a Walmart division — for ex. Sam’s Club, which sells fair trade certified Cafe Bom Dia in its stores, sent out a press release letting everyone know that “To celebrate National Fair Trade Month in October, Cafe Bom Dia will donate $1 for every bag sold of its Member’s Mark Marques de Paiva Fair Trade Certified coffee.”

On the surface, that sounds nice!

But consider the fact that in the last month, Walmart has gutted employee health care plans and added wage caps and part timers.

Donating a mere buck for just ONE coffee blend is NOT gonna make me feel better about Walmart’s labor practices, nationally or internationally.

Which is to say — Just be aware of companies using what really are important issues to just fatten their bottom lines.

This doesn’t end with fair trade. The Worsted Witch writes about those pink goods, the sales of which ostensibly go towards combating breast cancer.

But the disparity between the PR companies get for cashing in on breast cancer awareness — and the actual money from these sales that go towards combating breast cancer — has gotten so wide that a whole new nonprofit — Think Before You Pink (where the left image comes from) — has sprouted up.

Wanna support the real deal? Well I’ll actually take back that statement about it being harder to do the real thing, cuz Global Exchange is selling fair trade yummies for just $15 this Halloween season.

Want that fair trade love all year long? Get thee to Co-op America, and sign up for a $75 membership — You’ll get a big Chocolate Lover’s Fair Trade Basket, along with the priceless assurance that you’re actually REALLY making a difference with a trustworthy org :)

Update, 10/12/06: An indie filmmaker, Ron Galloway, who was pro-Walmart calls Walmart’s wage caps unfair.

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