What is fair trade?

8/20/2018

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Fair trade is a system of manufacturing and purchasing intended to:

1) level the economic playing field for underdeveloped nations; and

2) protect against human rights abuses in the Global South.

Fair trade farmers are guaranteed fair market prices for their crops, and farm workers are guaranteed a living wage, which means workers who farm fair trade products and ingredients are guaranteed to earn enough to support their families and comfortably live in their communities.

There are rules against inhumane work practices. Fair trade farming organizations are monitored for a safe work environment, lack of discrimination, the freedom to organize, and strict adherence to child labor laws. Agrochemicals and GMOs are also forbidden. If these rules are not followed, a product will not receive fair trade certification. The quality of life in many communities producing fair-trade-certified goods is greatly improved.

Sometimes, farming communities are given profit sharing from the companies that source their ingredients, and those profits go to improving the community as a whole - be it with a library, medical facilities, town infrastructure, opening small businesses to support the residents.

A major goal of fair trade is to help foster sustainable development around the globe. By helping farming communities in third-world countries, the economy of the entire region gets a boost.

This information was taken from Quora. Click here to view the original post.

Have you known this before? Do you understand the term better now?

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

18 Comments

Jacie Lane

I'd like to see a whole lot less Quora on this site as much of their information is both inaccurate and misleading. How did fair trade, an economic issue, morph into a social ideological issue?

Dani Smith

Poverty around the world is a massive problem. Greed by heads of nations keeps fair trade from being perfect, but it is a step in the right direction.

lls

Jacie Lane, ...good question. Maybe it had something to do with folks getting a fair price for their work...?

Stephanie Phillips

Then how did our republic and or capitalist economy get so corrupt? Maybe it is human nature to take unfair advantage whenever and where ever.George Thompson,

Jacqueline Tattam

George Thompson, what utter rot.

Ruthanne Nicholls

Thank you for the most accurate info

Jan Scott

Always good to have accurate information,. Thank you.

Nancy Gardner

Thankyou for your explanation of this designation, I was not certain of some of the rules.

John Barber

It's a great idea, but doubt it would work in some countries!!!

Clarence Quismundo

Not true, not happening. Especially here in Asia.

bettyschierloh

I have known about and supported Fair Trade for quite some time now.

David Holmes

I knew the basics and have looked out for. Fair Trade products when shopping. The article is very interesting and informative.

Marguerite LaHaye

I love the idea of fair trade, but I wonder how easy it is to slap a fair trade label on goods that don’t really qualify.

Michael Roebuck

One of the major problems in Africa , if you try to undertake fair trade it does not work . In South Africa and other States corruption kills that off. The fat cats run the show and on top of this we have unrealistic demands from workers for increases and added benefits to their packages . The miners should be given a decent pay cheque , their working conditions on gold mines are hard and they risk death on a daily basis . Some work on deep mines that are more than 2 -3 km deep .