Why Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is an internationally recognized equitable system of exchange that supports producers, communities, consumers and the environment. It is an inspiring alternative to the conventional free trade paradigm because it is rooted in social justice and economic sustainability. Most importantly, Fair Trade ensures that marginalized agricultural and craft producers receive a living wage for their products and labor. The Fair Trade price allows farmers and artisans to cover the costs of sustainable production and provides them with a decent standard of living for their families.

This socially and economically just trading model was created because in today's global market, small-scale producers are left out of the bargaining process. One quarter of the world's population lives in absolute poverty. Many of the world's poorest people are farmers, plantation workers and small- scale producers. Fair Trade not only gives these otherwise disadvantaged producers the opportunity to succeed in the global economy, that ordinarily excludes them, but also enables them to maintain their traditional lifestyles with dignity. Fair Trade cooperatives are a healthy alternative to large-scale corporate manufacturing, where unprotected workers toil in sweatshops and where sub-standard wages trap families in cycles of poverty.

In contrast, to corporate manufacturing, Fair Trade Organizations work with small businesses and democratically run cooperatives which directly benefit the communities within which they operate. Banding together enables the workers to gain access to credit, to reduce the cost of raw materials, to establish higher and more equitable prices, and most importantly, to earn a greater return on their labor.