Fair trade products are becoming increasingly visible in shops across the globe. Common Fair Trade products such as coffees and bananas are now easily available through global supermarkets.
If you want to be part of the movement toward greater equality and fairness in international trade, there are several things that you should do in order to take the next step. Some spices and wines are labeled as being produced under the Fair Trade system.
Fair Trade also covers handicraft products under the label, and this guide will help you decide which ones are most appropriate for your budget. These types of items, such as hand woven baskets, are available on environmentally friendly websites.
Some organic farms offer visitors the chance to travel the farm, meet the farmers, and see the work being done. If I were starting a new business, the first thing I would do would be to help educate people about how to start businesses and what sustainable practices are, such as supporting local farmers and buying products that are made sustainably.
What is Fair Trade?
The Fair Trade product label may look familiar. People are used to seeing it on food in cafés and specialty shops. Do we really know what Fair Trade means? This post explains what Fair Trade is and shows you how to find Fair Trade products, from coffee to jewelry.
WFTO defines fair trade as “a trading relationship based on dialogue, transparency and respect. It seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers, especially in the South.
How Fair Trade works?
Fair Trade products are fair trade products. They charge a fair trade price for each product, and that price is then distributed along the production line to ensure that the producers who make your product earn a living wage and their work environments are safe and clean.
Why Fair Trade was started
Fair Trade (sometimes referred to as Fair Trade USA) is a not-for-profit organization that works with farmers, artisans, educators and businesses to ensure all of their products are produced fairly. As Amazon grew, so did its operations. Eventually, it would spread to trading with poor communities in South America.
The World Fair Trade Organization (WTFO) was established in 1961 in order to shine a light on “trade injustices and imbalances of power in the conventional trade structures.” One important fact to remember is that the Fair Trade Foundation is a separate entity from the World Fair Trade Organization.
This movement took place almost simultaneously in Europe in the 1960’s with UK sales of handicrafts from Chinese refugees and Dutch sales of cane sugar.
Why is Fair Trade important?
Small-scale producers are among the most marginalised by the current trading system. They are often overlooked or discriminated against in the market place. Fair Trade works to reduce this marginalisation by empowering small producers and supporting fair and sustainable business practices.
Child labour isn’t just happening on cocoa farms. It’s happening everywhere around the world, and that’s why it’s important to do what we can to stop it. There are children working long hours in other countries, too, and many of them are being exploited and abused.
Cramping conditions, inadequate medical care, and high performance pressures all play a part in the exploitation of cocoa farm workers.
Fair trade is important not only because of the quality of the good, but because of the quality of the treatment of the workers, which includes: being paid a living wage, having clean and safe working conditions, being empowered to farm / fish responsibly and in general to show support for responsible companies.
Fair trade consumers make the purchasing decision to purchase Fair Trade products, and this shows the consumer’s support for ethical businesses, as well as drawing attention to businesses which are not using sustainable business practices.
Over 1.7 million farmers and workers are already using the Fair Trade principles to improve their lives and working conditions in developing countries. Fair Trade Organisations have a clear commitment to Fair Trade as the primary core of their mission.
The term was coined by the founders of Fair Trade, who also coined the terms ‘fair-trade coffee’, ‘fair-trade cocoa’ and the ‘fair-trade chocolate factory’.
Fair Trade tours
Ecotours are a fair trade service that many people can take part in. Tourism is a service industry that supports communities through work, as well as other benefits. Ecotourism is one way that people can benefit local communities by visiting, while also contributing back to their communities.
Ecotourism and Fair Trade have a natural affinity for each other. Fair Trade makes a priority of empowering small communities, which is why it is only natural that Fair Trade and ecotourism partners up for maximum benefit to the local areas and small producers.
There’s a lot to learn about Fair Trade farms. The first thing you should do if you are planning a trip or want to stay at a Fair Trade farm, is to learn more about the production and farming practices. The best way to learn all of this is to visit a Fair Trade farm.
Most Fair Trade tours visit the locations of the Fair Trade farms in almost all cases. The Fair Trade Federation has over 3,000 members from over 70 countries and has affiliates in each region. Fair Trade producers operate in 73 countries and territories around the globe.
If the traveller is in the locations such as Central/South America, India, some locales in Asia or Africa, the possibilities of fair trade tours are more likely, because fair trade has a focus in these regions. One example of a fair trade tour is the 11 day South Africa Fair Trade Explorer tour that starts off in Cape Town and travels to fair trade farms and vineyards, wildlife sanctuary’s, takes sustainable biking tours, and all accommodations are eco lodges or eco-hotels.
The fair trade vineyard has guided travellers through the process of making the Fair Trade wine. The wine is produced and sold in a sustainable manner. In summary, fair trade ensures that farmers, producers, fishermen are treated in a fair and humane manner.
The Fair Trade Label guarantees that farmers are paid fairly for their work, ensuring you’re not supporting child labour or slave labour in the production of your goods. You’ll find products that have this label on them at a small premium, but it’s well worth it.
Supporting local businesses via purchases, tourism or spreading the word are all good ways to contribute to the betterment of business practices as a whole.
This purchasing decision is a small choice that each of us makes and is worth making a demand for companies to treat workers fairly and with enough consumer demand, it can eventually lead to companies moving to Fair Trade, a principal form of trade.