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FAIR TRADE

Fair Trade: trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries.

What is the Fair Trade mission?

To alleviate global poverty by supporting retailers, wholesalers, and producers who distinguish themselves by fully committing to the principles of fair trade.

What is Fair trade exactly?

When the producers receive fair compensation for their products, which means that workers are paid at least that country's minimum wage. Since the minimum wage is often not enough for basic survival, whenever feasible, workers are paid a living wage, which enables them to cover basic needs, such as food, shelter, education and health care for their families. Paying fair wages does not necessarily mean that products will cost the consumer more. Since fair trade organizations bypass exploitative middlemen and work directly with producers, they are able to reduce costs and return a greater percentage of the retail price to the producers.

Fair trade is a system that not only aims to pay fair wages, but also to support participatory workplaces; ensure environmental sustainability; supply financial and technical assistance; respect cultural identity, offer public accountability, and educate consumers about the choices that they can make in their regular shopping habits. Fair trade businesses foster long-term and direct relationships with producers in the developing world, because they know these connections are a highly effective way to help producers help themselves. Fair trade is not about charity; it uses a fair system of exchange to empower producers and to create sustainable development.

Fair trade is about keeping prices affordable for consumers while returning a higher amount of the producers. This relationship is made by possible, because fair trade retailers and wholesalers typically work directly with artisans and farmers, cutting out the middle men who increase the price at each level — enabling retail products to remain competitively priced in respect to their conventional counterparts, while fairly compensating producers.

Finally, fair trade makes a tremendous impact on producer communities. Children's school fees are paid, nutritional needs met, health care costs covered by producers themselves; the poor, especially women, are empowered; the environmental impact is mitigated; all of these benefits are possible, because fair trade approaches development as a holistic process.

What kinds of goods are available fair trade?

Consumers can choose fairly traded clothing, coffee, food, furniture, home decor, house wares, jewelry, tea, toys, personal accessories, and many other products.

Information provided by FTF (Fair Trade Federation)
www.fairtradefederation.org