Who, What, Where, Why, When?
“Fairtrade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system. If fair access to markets under better trade conditions would help them to overcome barriers to development, they can join Fairtrade.”
Fairtrade is a tool for development that ensures disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal through the use of the international FAIRTRADE Mark.
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The Fairtrade Foundation is the independent non-profit organisation that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products in the UK in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. The Foundation was established in 1992 by a number of different charities.
The Vision:
The vision of the Foundation is of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential.
To achieve this vision, Fairtrade seeks to transform trading structures and practices in favour of the poor and disadvantaged. By facilitating trading partnerships based on equity and transparency, Fairtrade contributes to sustainable development for marginalised producers, workers and their communities. Through demonstration of alternatives to conventional trade and other forms of advocacy, the Fairtrade movement empowers citizens to campaign for an international trade system based on justice and fairness.
Their Mission:
The Foundation’s mission is to work with businesses, community groups and individuals to improve the trading position of producer organisations in the South and to deliver sustainable livelihoods for farmers, workers and their communities by –
- being a passionate and ambitious development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade
- using certification and product labelling, through the FAIRTRADE Mark, as a tool for our development goals
- bringing together producers and consumers in a citizens’ movement for change
- being recognised as the UK’s leading authority on Fairtrade
What they do:
Their four key areas of activity are:
- Providing an independent certification of the trade chain, licensing use of the FAIRTRADE Mark as a consumer guarantee on products
- Facilitating the market to grow demand for Fairtrade and enable producers to sell to traders and retailers
- Working with partners to support producer organisations and their networks
- Raising public awareness of the need for Fairtrade and the importance of the FAIRTRADE Mark
The Fairtrade logo...
The FAIRTRADE Mark is a registered certification label for products sourced from producers in developing countries.
For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards which are set by the international certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). These standards are agreed through a process of research and consultation with key participants in the Fairtrade scheme, including producers themselves, traders, NGOs, academic institutions and labelling organisations such as the Fairtrade Foundation, therefore helping those who are producing goods for larger companies (TNCs).
For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards which are set by the international certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). These standards are agreed through a process of research and consultation with key participants in the Fairtrade scheme, including producers themselves, traders, NGOs, academic institutions and labelling organisations such as the Fairtrade Foundation, therefore helping those who are producing goods for larger companies (TNCs).