Fair Trade means an equitable and fair partnership between marketers in North America and producers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the world. A fair trade partnership works to provide low-income artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work. Fair Trade Federation (FTF) criteria are:
Paying a fair wage in the local context.
Offering employees opportunities for advancement.
Providing equal employment opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged.
Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices.
Being open to public accountability.
Building long-term trade relationships.
Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context.
Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.
Fair Trade brings the benefits of trade into the hands of communities that need it most. It sets new social and environmental standards for international companies and demonstrates that trade can indeed be a vehicle for sustainable development. Today, a growing movement of workers, environmentalists, consumers, farmers and social movements worldwide is calling for a different framework for trade. They want a global trading system that promotes workers' rights, protects the environment and sustains the ability of local producers to meet community needs. Together, as consumers, they can make a huge difference by demanding significant changes in the ways goods are produced, and vote with their dollars for a more just and environmentally sound trading system. “John Cavanagh, co-director of the Institute for Policy Studies.”
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