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What Fair Trade is

Trade as a Force for Positive Change

Fair trade values trading relationships that distribute power, risks and rewards more equitably. Trade should be used as a tool to help alleviate poverty, reduce inequality and create opportunities for people to help themselves. Trade should promote fair compensation; safe and healthy conditions, direct and long-term relationships, transparent business practices, and workplaces free from discrimination and forced child labor. When trade encompasses these practices, the lives of all people and their communities improve.

Respectful Partnerships

Fair trade respects the contribution and value of all people in the supply chain and recognizes the dignity of each person and organization in their interactions and relationships. Fair trade promotes the belief that people have a right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives based on open sharing of information.

Community

Fair trade values communities grounded in trust, moral support, cooperation, and a sense of belonging, making people stronger individually and as a whole. Fair trade values the global fair trade movement, recognizing that people are intrinsically interdependent, and believes that a unified voice conveys a powerful message.

Sustainable Practices

Fair trade values continuous improvement and the application of economic, social, cultural, and environmentally sustainable practices. Fair trade embraces the United Nations' definition of sustainability "to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Fullest Commitment

Fair trade is the belief that credibility comes from demonstrating, through open and transparent interactions, the promises people make. Fair trade promotes the responsibility to maintain the highest standards and expectations of ourselves; and values organizations that aspire to fully embrace fair trade principles.

Consumer Knowledge

Fair trade values the impact that comes from empowering consumers with knowledge. Fair trade is the belief that when people understand that trade can be a force for positive change they will use their purchasing power to improve the lives of people and communities.

Definition of Fair Trade from the Fair Trade Federation