When we shop, for most of us, the two key things that we look out for are suitability and price. We know what we want, and we want it to come at a price that makes us smile. But what about the ethical price of a product?

Sure, it's nice to grab a bargain at the til, but how is it that the stores are able to deliver this great bargain to us? It is easy to turn a blind eye and not bother to consider how a product came to land on the shelves of our local supermarket, favourite cafe or chain store, but what if we did consider how it is our products are manufactured? If we knew about the labour conditions of the workers picking our bananas or growing the cocoa that goes into our chocolate - would it change how we shop?

"Fair trade is a global movement that tackles poverty by making sure that people in developing countries are paid a fair price for their produce." Oxfam

Deep down, most of us do care about the people around us. And we care about our local area. When we start reading and watching world news, we start to care more about what's going on elsewhere in the world too. Exposure gives us an awareness and awareness gives us knowledge and the will to then act on what we know.

So when we learn about how it is that tea makes it from the plantation on the other side of the world to the cup we enjoy in our local cafe... or how the cotton harvested on a farm, somewhere equally as far off as that tea plantation, makes up our favourite knee high socks and knickers, we can be armed with a greater consciousness that urges us to make a smarter choice at the store.

It can be hard to understand the importance of what is seemingly a small change of switching to fairtrade products, but imagine if every city worker bought fairtrade coffee each day? That would be thousands more supporting the ethical treatment of farmers and communities. Buying fairtrade is usually only nominally more expensive, and so the difference to our wallets is slight, but the difference in the life of a farmer is significant.

Unfortunately, child labour is a huge problem facing communities that produce many products we consume regularly too. Fairtrade.net puts figures at "an estimated 218 million children aged 5-17" involved in work around the world. By purchasing fairtrade products where available, you are assisting the Foundation address the underlying problems associated with child labour, such as a family's basic need to earn enough money to survive.

"Globally one child in seven is engaged in work that negatively affects his or her education, health or safety – often poverty means children work to help their families survive. Fairtrade helps address the roots of child labour by offering producers in the developing world a fair price and stable trading deals." Fairtrade Fights Child Labour (pdf)

Often, when we don't make the smartest possible consumer choice, like buying fairtrade when it's available, it's not because we don't care, it's just because we haven't stopped to consider what decision we are really facing.

If you'd like to learn more about what's available in your area, please choose the appropriate website from below. You can also keep an eye out for the Fairtrade logo on products (see image above).

Fairtrade Association of Australia and New Zealand - It's Fairtrade fortnight from May 1st through 16th, keep an eye out for events!

Fairtrade Foundation UK - It's Fairtrade Festival May 7th through 9th, events listed on the website. Fairtrade UK has also compiled a list of retailers that you can purchase fairtrade fashion from, check out the listing including Debenhams, Topman, Warehoue and ASOS.

Fair Trade Federation in America - For those in the US who are keen to learn more and get involved.

World Fair Trade Day is May 8th 2010 - get involved in making some positive change for small producers and farmers.

Download a fact sheet on Fairtrade from the Fairtrade Association (pdf).

If you love a morning coffee, why not check out where your coffee starts it's life in one photojournalists glimpse into The journey of coffee in Timor-Leste.

View a video the gives you 45,000 reasons to swap to fairtrade chocolate. Oxfam "...takes you to Ghana, where local farmers talk about the amazing benefits they receive from producing fairtrade cocoa".