UU Utica is a long-time supporter of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Fair Trade Project, a collaboration between Equal Exchange and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, to involve more UUs in supporting small farmers around the world. Fair trade ensures that farmers are paid a fair price for their goods. Through fair trade, farmers and their families stay on their land and care for the environment.

 Working in democratically-run cooperatives, small-scale farmers gain control of their own livelihoods and make strides together in organic agriculture and quality control. With the added income from fair trade, farmers invest in education and social services for their communities. 

Through the UUSC Fair Trade Project, we purchase organic, fairly-traded coffees and teas for our Hospitality hour after services, and for sale in our sanctuary display, with the assurance that more of the money spent on these products reaches the hardworking farmers who actually grow them.