“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.
Fairtrade Labelling was created in the Netherlands in the late 1980s. The Max Havelaar Foundation launched the first Fairtrade consumer guarantee label in 1988 on coffee sourced from Mexico. Here in the UK, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992, with the first products to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark launched in 1994.
Fair Trade is an ever growing international movement with one main aim: to be sure that producers in poor countries get a fair deal and are not exploited for their labour. The Fairtrade movement believes producers in poorer countries deserve a fair price for their goods. A price that covers the cost of production and enough to guarantees a living income.
The main essence is to offer long-term security by offering contracts which provide real security; and to allow the producers themselves to learn the skills and knowledge they need to develop their businesses and increase sales.
Fair Trade offers consumers an alternative - the opportunity to purchase products from the producers themselves. In doing so, consumers can be assured that they are helping the redistribution of wealth by addressing the poverty-stricken millions of small-scale farmers and producers who are unfairly competing against big business.
Fairtrade Labelling was developed by Max Havelaar in the late 1980's when he launched the first Fairtrade consumer guarantee label in 1986 on coffee sourced from Mexico.
The Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) Board include four producer representatives, two commercial partners and six national Fairtrade Initiative representatives. The marketing and promotion of Fairtrade products remain the responsibility of the individual national initiatives.
In September 2004 there were 422 Fairtrade certified producer groups (including many umbrella bodies) in 49 producer countries selling to hundreds of Fairtrade registered importers, licensees and retailers in 19 countries. [source: Fairtrade Organisation]
To Purchase our Fair Trade products please navigate to the Products page to view our online catalogue.
