The sustainable Mother’s Day gift guide

Mother’s Day is upon us! Did you know that between 60-80% of the world’s food is grown by women, many of them mothers? But despite their hard work they often don’t own the land the land they farm, and see little of the profit made from it. It’s true: women make up 25% of the smallholder farmers and workers partnering with Fairtrade. And this doesn’t account for the many women who work the land that is owned by their husbands or other male relatives!

So, while you celebrate mom this year, why not also honour the mothers who work hard producing our goods so they can build a thriving future for their children?

Read on to find great Mother’s Day gifts from brands that support gender equity, plus some fun ideas for low-carbon footprint activities that’ll make this Mother’s Day her most sustainable yet.

Ana María Gutierrez is a coffee farmer and member of ATAISI cooperative in El Salvador. She became a single mother from a very young age and works to support her two children.

Start with the classics: breakfast in bed

Breakfast in bed never gets old – plus its about as low carbon footprint as you can get! Start mom’s morning off right with some thoughtful treats she can enjoy in bed.

You can make this a fair breakfast by serving up some Fairtrade certified coffee, from a company like Marley Coffee.

Rooted in purpose, peaceful values, and a love of the planet, Marley Coffee’s mission is to bring people together. All of their blends are 100% Fairtrade and sourced from the finest coffee growing regions in the world. Every sip supports the farmers and the planet. (Is mom a reggae fan? The company was started by Bob Marley’s son, Rohan Marley!)

It’s a fact: moms love picnics

Good eats, the great outdoors, quality time with the ones you love – what’s not to love about a picnic? Find a nice spot you can walk or bike to and lay out a spread fit for a queen.

You can find some fun local Fairtrade brands on our Shop Fairtrade Local page, but why not throw in some Fairtrade cashews and dried mangoes to make it truly decadent?

Get your Fairtrade cashews and dried mangoes from Umano, a great choice for a low-carbon-footprint picnic because they are committed to zero-waste distribution.

Fairtrade chocolate, of course

Does mom have a sweet tooth? We do too! Surprise her with some out-of-the-box flavours from The Good Chocolatier, a women-owned company based in Vancouver that handcrafts fine chocolate using clean ingredients.

They’ve just released their seasonal Ice Wine Honey bar, a 75% dark chocolate sweetened with ice wine to bring some more complexity with subtle notes of citrus fruit and pear, which complements the floral notes of honey. We bet she’ll love it!

By making your Mother’s Day fair, you are already supporting Fairtrade’s work on gender equity. But you can go the extra mile by buying from women-owned businesses when thinking of gifts for mom. Many of the brands we work with are women-led and have a great story that you can share with her.

Give mom some ‘me time’

Moms work hard, and sometimes the greatest gift is letting them just put up their feet and relax. While you take care of mom’s chores, encourage her to take a nice relaxing bath sipping on some rosé.

And you know what’s even better than regular rosé? Fairtrade rosé! That’s right, you can get Fairtrade certified wine! We love Fish Hoek’s Cinsault rosé, with its refreshing aromas of fresh raspberries and red berry. It’s currently only available in Ontario and BC, but ask your local liquor store if they can carry it if you’re in another province!

Sweeten the deal for mom by giving her a set of Fairtrade certified towels from Takasa. These are seriously some of the softest towels you’ve felt – PLUS they were made while respecting people and planet.

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