What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade puts people ahead of profits. Sustainable environmental practices are given high priority.
Here’s a great definition of Fair Trade:
"Fair Trade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade which promotes social equity, economic security and sound environmental practices. It’s goal is to contribute to sustainable development by improving market access for disadvantaged producers, by raising awareness and campaigning. It works to a set of values and objectives that seek to improve living standards and achieve a fairer distribution of income and influence. It is a partnership between all involved in the trading process — producers, workers, traders and consumers."1
A simple summary of Fair Trade is ‘Treating producers as if they were your relatives and the environment as a best friend.’
If you want to go deeper on Fair Trade check out the IFAT (International Federation of Alternative Trade) website.
Fair Trade Concepts promotes sustainability for: third world producers, the environment and local economy. How does that work?
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It
means that if you go to buy a product like coffee – you would address
the issue of the third world producer by finding a Fairly Traded coffee
(purchased from a co-op of producers for a price which provides them a
fair living wage). You would address the environment by ensuring the coffee
was grown without the use of harmful chemicals (i.e. pesticides and fertilizers).
As for local economy, purchase a product that's locally owned geographically
closst to you. Ensure that the company which gets your financial endorsement
(money) upholds the sustainable standards suggested for third world producers
and the environment. In short, buy farily traded, environmentally sustainable
coffee from a local roaster/retailer!
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Understandably, all of a person’s consumer priorities can’t always be harmonized in every buying decision. However, it’s a wonderful goal to which you can aspire. You may be pleasantly surprised! When you become more aware as a consumer you will often succeed in making a consumer choice that does address all the key factors of sustainability.
When our consumer choices do not advocate sustainability, we set a course for destruction. Unsustainable trading partnerships with producers cannot continue indefinitely. Either producers are paid fairly or they and their way of life are forced into extinction.
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When
green coffee prices (paid to producers) continue to plunge, farmers find
their expenses exceeding their revenue. This is an ongoing dilemma. Farmers
may find another crop to grow, they may not have access to other markets
with varied crops and thus languish in poverty. You can be sure farmers
won't grow coffee if they aren't paid enough to sustain their farming
practices. Current green coffee prices are not sustainable for coffee
farmers. My concern for this inequity forced me to do something about
it. That's why before I started Fair Trade Concepts, I co-founded Level
Ground Trading in response to the radical economic inequities
of the traditional coffee trade.
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Paul Hawken is a wonderful communicator and thinker on the topic of sustainability. Here’s his definition of sustainability in relation to the environment:
"Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations. It can also be expressed in the simple terms of an economic golden rule for the restorative economy: Leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do."2
To research further on the topic of sustainability check out the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development website.