The fair trade product also must use smart farming principles that are environmentally sustainable.

It also must have safe and respectable work environment, which includes no child labor. There also is a fair trade premium built in that provides money for community building projects in addition to the fair price for the goods. Many fair trade cooperatives use the money to build roads or schools.

"You're not just giving a farmer more money, you're helping his children, his future," Woods said.

Those are real people who will be affected by the purchases consumers make in the U.S.

"Sometimes we actually forget that something was made by real people," Bhand said.

So the members of Norman Fair Trade have a lot of motivation to promote fair trade. During fair trade month, they have hosted tastings and documentary screenings. Friday, members will bike around Norman to Reverse Trick-or-Treat. Instead of asking for candy at doors, they will hand out fair trade chocolate along with information about fair trade.

In the future, the group members will continue to host educational events and try to make people more aware of fair trade. If people know about it, they are more likely to help, said Claire Malone, a member of Norman Fair Trade.

She said many people just don't know what fair trade is. She urged Normanites to make a difference with their purchases, to "vote with your dollar."

Members of Norman Fair Trade have high hopes for the city to become a Fair Trade town.

"Norman is a progressive community dedicated to sustainability and green living," Bhand said.

Those who would like to get involved with Norman Fair Trade may visit http://fairtradenorman.blogspot.com or e-mail fairtradenorman@gmail.com. Or they may attend one of the committee meetings 7 p.m. Monday at Cafe Plaid, 333 W. Boyd St.

Even though it may seem a small step, purchasing fair trade products can have a big impact, Malone said.

And the City of Norman as a whole can make an even greater difference. What if every cup of coffee consumed in Norman were fair trade certified, Malone asked.

"Imagine how many people that could help, how many communities," she said.

The benefits of fair trade truly outweigh the extra cost the products sometimes are to the end consumer, Bhand said. What is worth more: the increase in price here in the U.S., or the independence and value that will be felt by a worker paid a fair price, he asked.