What Is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is a movement of people and organizations working together to provide a greater degree of local sustainability in developing countries, improve access to quality working conditions, and ensure both farmers and workers are paid fairly.

Historically, poorer countries have been at the mercy of trade deals that have worked less than equally in their favor, resulting in a lower quality of life both at home and in the workplace. By adding products with the FAIRTRADE Mark to your cart, you can help prevent such injustice and ensure that farmers are paid a fair rate for both their products and their labor.

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The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark for products that meet agreed Fairtrade standards. The labeling system helps spread kindness around the globe, so you know your grocery choices enable local producers and farmers to be in control of their own lives, businesses, and communities. Two million farmers and workers worldwide are Fairtrade-certified, with more than 100 countries united as members of the Fairtrade system. In total, over 30,000 products carry the Fairtrade Mark.

Fairtrade creates buoyant communities, focuses on ending child labor, and encourages gender equality – a tasty prospect. Consumers care more than ever about the food they eat, its provenance, and its journey from farm to table. There were $11.4 billion global Fairtrade sales in 2018, which shows that when it comes to what we put in our mouths, we’re prepared to pay a little more to get the very best. After all, a principled banana tastes better than a bitter aftertaste, and paying a little more to benefit those who grow the foods we love is the least we can do

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The biggest employer on the planet is the farming community. But due to inequality and exploitation, millions who grow the produce we consume daily struggle to put food on their own table, a global problem that must be tackled. Education and housing improvements increase by 50% when the Fairtrade premium is reinvested in local communities, and farmers see funding pumped into equipment, giving them the tools they need to run their businesses to the safest and highest of standards.

Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 has placed an unprecedented strain on crop producers. But Fairtrade International – which includes Fairtrade America – has so far raised more than $3.9 million for the Fairtrade Producer Relief Fund to deliver PPE to Fairtrade-certified producers. The fund will also help with the long-term challenges facing the global supply chain, build emergency medical facilities, cover temporary wages for isolating workers, and support businesses to continue. 

Why not be a part of the solution, and add some Fairtrade products to your cart today?