Certified Products
A certified product is one that meets standards for:
Fair price paid to the raw producer Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
Fair wages and treatment to factory workers of a factory or farm Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
Direct trade linkages Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace
Avoiding use of biochemicals that hurt the employees and the product Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.
What it is
The mission of Fair Trade is to create sustainable incomes for producers in developing countries by providing access to larger markets. By reducing intermediaries between buyers and sellers of agriculture produce or manufactured items.
A label
A buyer knows if they are buying a product that returns profit back to the producer when they see a Fair Trade Label on their product. The central entity that certifies products as fair trade is Fair Trade Labeling Organization. Under this umbrella, there are twenty national Fair Trade Labelers including:
Who lobbies, educates and participates for Trade
Who gets involved in Fair Trade?
Consumers who buy Fair Trade Labeled goods from stores who purchase goods from fair trade, or lobbies for Trade issues that reduce poverty of farmers and reduces blockages for third world goods through laws made at World Trade Organization, the G-8 Summits and other decision making bodies. Note below how students promoted the consumption of fair trade coffee, sugar and chocolate as well as met with world leaders to modify laws, Compliments of Bread For the World.