Women weave in a community-based organization in Bolivia.

Before you sip your morning cup of coffee or snack on a chocolate bar in the afternoon, take a look at the labels. Is your purchase fair trade? How can you tell? Well, nowadays, a small black-and-white label on the bottom of the package will tell you.

But what does “fair trade” mean, exactly? Like the terms “all natural” and “organic,” the words are thrown around a lot. The dictionary defines “fair trade” as “trade that satisfies certain criteria on the supply chain of the goods involved, usually including fair payment for producers; often with other social and environmental considerations.” Basically, fair trade guarantees fair payment of all workers involved in the production process.

Approximately one-third of the world’s population is employed in the agricultural sector. Many of these people are poor third world farmers who struggle to make a living off their crops. Most of the farmers sell their produce to a series of middlemen, who in turn sell it to large distributing companies before it finally makes its way into your local grocery stores.

But with this sale comes a hefty price for farmers. Left with no alternatives except this economically destructive sales chain, many farmers in developing nations are forced to sell their goods at prices well below their value. This is especially true for coffee, one of the developing world’s most important exports. The average farmer in the developing world sells his or her coffee beans at 30 to 50 cents per pound, a far cry from the average cost of store-bought coffee (around $3.25 per pound).

Fair trade, however, eliminates this series of middlemen and unfair pricing standards by providing fairer wages for workers. The average coffee farmer brings in up to $1,000 a year for his crops. But farmers involved with the fair-trade movement enjoy better working conditions and higher payment for their work. The fair-trade coffee bought in your supermarket tastes the same, and each sip works toward global justice.

There are many easy ways to ensure that your purchases are fair trade. When buying coffee beans, look for the black-and-white fair trade logo to ensure the workers who produced your coffee were compensated and treated fairly. Or ask your local barista if your favorite order is made with fair-trade beans. Same goes for tea and hot chocolate—make sure the spices, herbs and cocoa used to make your drink are fair-trade products. Many well-known retailers, including Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Seattle’s Best Coffee offer fair-trade brews. And there’s no need to stop at beverages: Sam’s Club and Whole Foods Market both offer fair trade-certified fruits and rice. Visit Transfair USA to find out where to buy fair-trade food items in your area.

Although there’s no official certification for fair-trade clothing, there are many ways to ensure you’re buying ethically sourced items. Look at the labels on your favorite shirt and check out its country of origin and the materials used. And do some research on your favorite brands to see if they treat their workers fairly. If you want to make sure your clothing and home goods were, in fact, made using fair-trade practices, visit the Fair Trade Federation and look at its list of members.

You can also check out websites like Global Goods Partners (GGP) to buy beautifully handcrafted goods, including jewelry and home accessories. Every one of the items sold on the site is made by community-based organizations in the developing world. GGP puts fair-trade principles into practice by paying fair wages, ensuring clean and safe workspaces and respecting the environment. And if you register your school on the site, GGP will give 20 percent of your purchases back to your school.

Fair-trade goods not only provide you with great stuff, but they also support hardworking farmers and workers around the globe. Through fair pay and ethical treatment, workers in the developing world can afford to make ends meet and regain a sense of humanity and self-worth. You, as the consumer, have the most powerful role in the chain of purchasing—you have the ability to choose which products you buy, and you have the power to promote social responsibility within your restaurants, cafés and grocery stores. So next time you grab a cup of coffee or go shopping, take a few seconds to make sure your purchase is indeed fair trade.

Naomi Heisler is a senior at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in New York. She plans to attend McGill University in Montreal next year and hopes to major in international relations.