Fair Trade - Who & What

As I stated in my previous post, my blog topic for the semester is Fair Trade. The great thing about October (besides the Pirates) is that it is Fair Trade Month. 

So what is Fair Trade, and who does it affect?

Fair Trade is not only a social justice movement, it is also a means of providing economic support and improving living conditions for producers of food products through social enterprise and Fair Trade certification. 

There are many organizations that provide certification to businesses as well as resources, networking, and opportunities for impoverished individuals and communities around the world. Some organizations work primarily with farmers and co-ops for food products, others with retailers and wholesalers of non-food products.

Major Fair Trade Organizations

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) - Global network of committed fair trade organizations
Charter of Fair Trade Principles | 10 Principles of Fair Trade

Fair Trade International (FLO) - Standards | Workers' Rights

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) - Started in 1994 as the unofficial North American Alternative Trade Organization (NAATO) 
FTF Principles | History of Fair Trade in US | Myths

Fair For Life - Key Aspects

Global Exchange - Not necessarily Fair Trade; "an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.

Definitions of Fair Trade

Fair Trade is a global trade model and certification allows shoppers to quickly identify products that were produced in an ethical manner. For consumers, Fair Trade offers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their everyday shopping. For farmers and workers in developing countries, Fair Trade offers better prices, improved terms of trade, and the business skills necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete in the global marketplace. Through vibrant trade, farmers and workers can improve their lives and plan for their futures. Today, Fair Trade benefits more than 1.2 million farming families in 70 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. (Fair Trade USA) 

The Fair Trade Resource Network states:

The word “fair” can mean a lot of different things to different people. Fair Trade is about more than just paying a fair wage. It means that trading partnerships are based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect; that prices paid to producers reflect the work they do; that workers have the right to organize; that national health, safety, and wage laws are enforced; and that products are environmentally sustainable and conserve natural resources.

From the United Students for Fair Trade website:

Fair trade is a social justice movement that seeks to empower producer communities, by radically redefining power structures through people-centered, democratic trading alternatives. Fair trade is more than just trading: it proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. The fair trade movement values cooperative work and democratic, transparent decision making as a critical component of empowerment. It builds peoples’ power in the face of globalization and highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade.Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering mutually agreed upon trading conditions to and securing the rights of marginalized producers and workers (WFTO).

Look for my next post on the How & Why of Fair Trade!

Resources and additional links:

http://www.fairtradeusa.org/what-is-fair-trade/impact
http://befair.org/
http://www.globalexchange.org/programs/fairtrade
http://strongertogether.coop/
http://www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/faq