Fairtrade
While you've been out shopping for things like coffee, fruit, sugar and cotton clothes have you ever thought about who originally produced these goods, the way they were produced and where they came from?
You might have seen some of these products carrying the Fairtrade certified mark on them, and the number and range of Fairtrade certified products available is increasing all the time.
What is Fairtrade?
"Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives." (Quoted from the Fairtrade web site, link below).
The Fairtrade Mark is a registered certification label for products sourced from producers in developing countries. Look for this mark on Fairtrade products to be sure that they have been certified against strict standards set by the Fairtrade Foundation to give a better deal to the producers involved.
Why buy Fairtrade stuff?
With today's concerns about climate change and third-world poverty, Fairtrade certified products give a better deal to small-scale producers and promote sustainable development.
Environmental standards are part of the producer certification system. It requires producers to protect the natural environment, minimise energy use, and encorages use of renewable energy.
For Fairtrade products which you buy, a Fairtrade premium goes to the producers which can go towards environmental protection - e.g. coffee farmers in Costa Rica using the premium to replant trees and prevent soil erosion.
What kinds of Fairtrade products can I buy?
There are a large range of Fairtrade products available, including items that are manufactured using Fairtrade certified raw materials. Visit the Fairtrade site to see the whole range. It's not all about bananas and coffee - some well known companies that have ranges of interesting Fairtrade products include:
- Ben & Jerry's
Have a scoop of Fairtrade vanilla ice cream. - John Lewis
If you're looking for a floral gift, you can find a range of Fairtrade flower bouqets. - Marks & Spencer
This is not just food - M&S also have Fairtrade cotton clothing and homewares like their Fairtrade cotton bedlinen. - Tesco
Swap your regular groceries for Tesco Fairtrade Double Choc Chip Cookies, Fairtrade Colombian Coffee, Tesco Fairtrade fresh oranges and more. - Topshop
Fairtrade Hotpants? Topshop has a range of tops and bottoms made with Fairtrade cotton.
Fairtrade Towns and Schools
The Fairtrade Foundation doesn't certifiy towns and schools in the same way as its products, but upon reaching a set of goals based on raising awareness of Fairtrade, making sure the products are available in local stores and encouraging people to buy them, the Fairtrade Foundation will send a certificate of congratulation. The town can then declare itself as a Fairtrade Town if they are committed to continuing their campaigning.
Since March 2005, Kingston has been recognised as a Fairtrade Borough. Later, Tiffin Girls' School became the first Fairtrade School in the borough and in 2006 Kingston University became a Fairtrade University.
Related External Links:
- Fairtrade Foundation
The organisation behind the Fairtrade Mark, guaranteeing a better deal for Third World producers.
*The image of the coffee farmer is a resource from the Fairtrade web site and credited to Simon Rawles.