Top 19 Fair Trade Resources

Written by Cathy on November 7, 2008 – 8:16 am -

Welcome back!

 

Definition of Fair Trade (Wikipedia) 

Fair trade’ is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee,cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit and flowers.

Fair trade’s strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to one of security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade. Fair trade proponents include a wide array of international development aid, social, religious and environmental organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Catholic Relief Services, and Caritas International.

In 2007, Fair trade certified sales amounted to approximately €2.3 billion (US $3.62 billion) worldwide, a 47% year-to-year increase.[1] While this represents a tiny fraction of world trade in physical merchandise,[2] fair trade products generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories in Europe and North America.[1] In June 2008, it was estimated that over 7.5 million disadvantaged producers and their families were benefiting from fair trade funded infrastructure, technical assistance and community development projects.[1]

 

19 Great Resources to Learn More About Fair Trade 

 

  1. A Better Footprint- (Green Bay, WS)    Fair Trade, global marketplace, offering unique, moreal and sustainable gifts. 
  2. Alaffia- The Alaffia Blog is a collection of fair trade, Africa and shea butter news, personal reflections, Alaffia profiles and more.
  3. Cebra Fair Trade Blog- Fair Trade Gifts and accessories 
  4. Change- Zarah is the Operations Manager for the Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store, a project of the international human rights organization, Global Exchange. Alongside her work with marginalized communities from all over the world to get their products into the international market, Zarah serves to educate and inform the public about a more just and sustainable trading system.
  5. CRS Blog- (Catholic Relief Services)  The CRS Fair Trade Program creates opportunities for you to bring the values of our faith to bear in the marketplace through your purchase of Fair Trade handcrafts, coffee and chocolate and your contributions to the Fair Trade Fund.
  6. Fair Trade Coffee News- 
  7. Fair Trade Blogger – A blog about living a 100% Fair Trade life and will be sharing my adventures along the way!
  8. Fair Trade Jewelry-  Great information 
  9. Fair Trade Federation The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade movement, building equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creating opportunities to alleviate poverty
  10. Fair Trade Resource Network ftrn.org is an information hub designed to grow the fair trade movement. together, we can create a market that values the people who make the food we eat and the goods we use
  11. Interrupcion Blog 
  12. Make Poverty History 
  13. Muenda Fair Trade 
  14. Organic and Fair Trade News News, essays and other musings on the organic and fair trade movement, following various issues of social and environmental justice.
  15. Ten Thousand Villages of Austin- Retail Store in Austin, TX 
  16. The Fair Trade Blog 
  17. The Fair Trade Movie Blog- Loren A. Roberts runs this blog to support the continued distribution ofThe Fair Trade movie, directed by Lauralee Farrer. His site can be foundhere. He will discuss aspects of the film’s production, as well as issues raised by the movie, including fair trade, depression, hope, small businesses,
  18. Trans Fair TransFair USA, the promoting and certifying body for Fair Trade products in the US. TransFair has grown to over 500 licensees, and is a three-time winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist awards. Our work includes promotion, certification, market building, technical assistance, pre-harvest financing, and capacity building on behalf of small farmers and farm workers around the world. We also assist our licensees in sourcing, marketing, and developing stronger Corporate Social Responsibility programs through Fair Trade.
  19. Ten Thousand Villages- Offers information and has a store locator on site

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What do Fair Trade Labels Mean?

Written by Cathy on November 7, 2008 – 7:34 am -

How do you know if they are Fair Trade? 


When you see either of these labels on a product, you are guaranteed that the international Fair Trade standards were met in the production and sourcing of that product.

The Fairtrade Certification mark covers a wide range of productsinternationally including wine, fruits, sports balls, and more recently,cotton. Certification is regulated by FLO-CERT, an organization autonomous to Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) International, who sets the international standards for Fair Trade. FLO-CERT acts as an independent, transparent and consistent certification system that complies with ISO 65, the internationally accepted norm for certification bodies. When a product carries the Fairtrade Certification mark, it only certifies that specific product as  100% Fair Trade, not the company or organization selling it.

This label, issued by TransFair USA, is seen on products in the U.S. ranging from fruit to rice to chocolate and even to flowers.  It assures U.S. consumers that a product is certified to be Fair Trade according to strict internatonal Fair Trade standards. When you see this label on a product, you are assured that strict social, environmental and economic criteria were met in the production and trade of that product. The Fair Trade Certified label only certifies the specific product to be 100% Fair Trade, not the company or organization selling it.

Fair Trade Business/Organization Labels

When you spot a business or an organization carrying either of these labels, rest assured that they went through a very rigorous screening process to prove that they fully uphold the tenets of Fair Trade.

The Fair Trade Federation label is not found on products but is used to identify an association of North American Fair Trade wholesalers, retailers and producers that ardently practice Fair Trade. In order to become an FTF member, busineses must go through a strict screening process to ensure that they are 100% Fair Trade.

The Fair Trade Organization (FTO) mark identifies registered Fair Trade organizations worldwide that are part of TheInternational Fair Trade Association (IFAT). The FTO label is an organizational, rather than product, mark, which ensures consumers that the approved organizations have met and uphold worldwide Fair Trade standards. There are over 120 IFAT members who have gone through a strict monitoring process to be qualified to use the FTO mark.


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