What is Fair Trade?

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE?  Fair Trade is a system of exchange that promotes social, economic and environmental justice.   It is a model for the global economy rooted in people-to-people connections, sustainability, and achieving self-sufficiency for artisans and farmers in impoverished areas of the world.

IDENTIFYING FAIR TRADE
 

Consumers in search of Fair Trade products have a vast array of products to choose from. Product labels, such as Fair Trade Certified, Fairtrade and Fair for Life, as well as membership in associations like Fair Trade Federation and World Fair Trade Organization, help identify Fair Trade certified products. The labels assure product quality and compliance with criteria established in accord with principles of Fair Trade.

EVERYDAY PURCHASES SUPPORT: 

A Fair Price for Producers 
The price paid covers the cost of production and a living wage to cover the basics of food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care.

Investment in People and Communities
 Fair Trade producer cooperatives and artisan collectives receive premiums  which enable them to engage in community development projects such as building health care clinics and schools, providing scholarships for education, building shelters, importing clean water, providing business training, purchasing new equipment. 


Environmental Sustainability
Fair Trade farmers and artisans respect the natural habitat and must engage in sustainable production methods. Farmers implement integrated crop management and avoid the use of toxic agrochemicals for pest management. Nearly 85% of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee is also organic. 

Economic Empowerment of Small Scale Producers
Fair Trade supports small scale producers, those at the bottom of the economic ladder or from marginalized communities, that otherwise do not have access to economic mobility. Fair Trade encourages and supports the cooperative system where each producer owns a portion of the business, has equal say in decisions and enjoys equal returns from the market.  

Direct Trade
Fair Trade importers purchase from Fair Trade cooperatives as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. The certification also secures long-term, stable relationships between producers and importers.  

Fair Labor Conditions
Workers are guaranteed freedom of association and safe working conditions. Fair Trade also encourages women's participation in and leadership of cooperatives. Human rights and child labor laws are strictly enforced.