Fair Trade Shopping

What is Fair Trade?

In short, fair trade (also known as the single word - fairtrade) is a program that allows growers and producers in developing countries to positively trade in an international arena. This means ensuring that growers have been paid a fair price, that manufacturing has not been undertaken by children in a sweatshop for meager payment and that the rest of the process has been carried out in a fair and equitable manner.

While this sounds like it ought to be a straightforward process and should happen as a matter of course, many producers in developing countries do not have the economical or international power to demand a fair price for their goods. These are often small growers or manufacturers who are unfamiliar with international trade. Therefore, until recently, many producers have been exploited, being paid minimum amounts for goods that end up being sold for a much greater price. This means that the growers and manufacturers in developing countries never get the opportunities to improve their conditions.

Fair trade organizations have been formed to put a framework behind this principle and to ensure that standards are set up and adhered to. The Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) has a set of standards that fair trade companies must follow in order for them to be able to sell and label their products as fair trade. The FLO is an international organization and TransFair US who monitor and certify products sold in the US are part of the FLO. Producer organizations that supply products with the Fairtrade symbol are inspected and certified by FLO. They receive a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects.

What are Fair Trade Products?

Fair trade products range from food items, such as bananas and other fruit, through to non food items such as cotton. Sports balls were the first non food item to be certified by the FLO and this has helped dramatically reduce the amount of child labor in Pakistan.

Each fair trade product group has its own distinct requirements in order to be certified as fair trade. For more information about the requirements, take a look at the Fairtrade Labeling Organization website.

There are products that are fairly traded without being part of a certification program. These include craft items that have been sourced directly from the artisan or handmade clothes and other items. Although these items are not part of the existing FLO program, producers are benefiting through independent fair trade arrangements. Many small specialist stores have direct links with producers in developing countries and sell a range of products. These programs offer the consumer to buy unusual products that might otherwise not be available.

Fair Trade Shopping

There are many stores that embrace fair trade principles and that sell a wide range of fair trade products, including many eco friendly stores. There are organizations that promote fair trade shops both online and in brick and mortar stores. Some Internet sites that offer more information and advise about fair trade shopping include:

• FairTradeFederation.org
• TransFairUSA.org
• GlobalExchange.org
• aGreaterGift.org
• IFAT.org

Tips for Buying Fair Trade Items

Buying fair trade items is becoming increasingly easier. There are a growing number of products and the FLO certification program makes it straightforward to identify the products that are part of their scheme. There are a few tips to help shopping for fair trade items:

• Look for the symbol that indicates that a product has met fair trade standards.
• Ask retailers to stock fair trade alternatives where available. Consumer pressure will help retailers understand market needs.
• Try to avoid discount shops that sell items at improbable prices.

Buying fair trade products helps to encourage sustainable development which has far reaching green implications.