Nancy Demuth, director of outreach and engagement at Chicago Fair Trade, gives attendees a tour of the Chicago Fair Trade Museum following its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 5, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

From our morning cup of coffee to the clothes on our backs, a first-of-its-kind museum in Chicago aims to put a spotlight on the often-overlooked stories behind the products we use in our daily lives — and their wide-ranging impact on people and the environment.

The Chicago Fair Trade Museum opened its first permanent location in Uptown this summer with the aim of educating more people about common exploitative and unsustainable trade practices behind the items we use and consume daily.

“Every single day when we wake up, when we figure out what clothing we’re going to wear or what we’re going to eat for breakfast, there’s a chance for us to try to find out what we’re consuming and consume better,” said Katherine Bissell Córdova, executive director of Chicago Fair Trade.

The museum, run by Chicago Fair Trade, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate its new permanent location. The organization previously ran a successful pop-up museum and shop in Lincoln Park.

The museum features an exhibit on the top global producers of common food products (think bananas, cocoa, sugar and coffee) and the social and environmental issues associated with their production. Another exhibit puts a spotlight on the experiences of garment workers behind some of the biggest fast fashion brands.

The Chicago Fair Trade Museum opened its first permanent location in Uptown this summer with the aim of educating more people about common exploitative and unsustainable trade practices behind the items we use and consume every day. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

For Nancy Demuth, director of outreach and engagement at Chicago Fair Trade, the hope is that visitors feel more connected to the people around the world who make the products they use.

“We take it so for granted that we can get anything we want, pretty much, at a grocery store or online,” Demuth said. “We’re really disconnected as a society from those supply chains and the people that put so much time and effort and hours into making these products.”

Visitors of the museum can also learn about the history of international trade, the production of common food products and clothing pieces, greenwashing, fair trade labels, ethical brands and Chicago’s labor rights movements.

Fair trade is an alternative business model that turns traditionally exploitative and environmentally damaging forms of global trade on its head, according to Bissell Córdova, who noted that fair trade practices can include fair wages, sustainable production methods and democratic workplaces.

In addition to education and advocacy, Chicago Fair Trade promotes local fair trade businesses through its network of more than 60 businesses, with products found at the museum’s store and the organization’s annual holiday pop-up shop.

Visitors of the museum can learn about the history of international trade, the production of common food products and clothing pieces, greenwashing, fair trade labels, ethical brands and Chicago’s labor rights movements. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

This fall, the organization will also be hosting a clothing swap and a mending class and will be participating in Open House Chicago and Chicago Fashion Week.

During a tour Thursday, Bissell Córdova and Demuth spoke to attendees about the importance of small changes and not being bogged down by guilt and the weight of the world in addressing centuries-old global systems of exploitation and unfair labor practices.

Bissell Córdova said she hopes the museum offers a way for people to be more mindful about their consumption habits.

“We really want to get people just reoriented to thinking about what they’re consuming and ways they can change those into a more sustainable, healthy, fair way,” Bissell Córdova said.

The Chicago Fair Trade Museum is open noon-5 p.m. from Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]