Fair Trade: a change in the world
Welcome to Fair Trade! A powerful way to make a positive impact on the world while getting outstanding products for yourself: the best chocolate and coffee, nice clothes, jewelry, crafts...
It allows us who live in the "North" to make a difference in the lives of those who live in the "South", backing their efforts in producing quality items, raising their kids and caring for the environment. It's a fantastic opportunity to enhance sustainability and justice.
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| Fighting poverty. Photo by C. Guthier |
The central role is that of Fair Trading NGOs; they support producers by several means: granting them an agreed level of income, enough to make a living and to run community development projects, financing them before buying their harvest, providing market access and information, etc.
The price paid by these trading organizations is higher than the average market one. It is never lower; if market prices rise, so do the Fair Trade ones.
Besides this decent wage and the Premium (an extra amount of money), Fair Trade involves encouraging labour rights, promoting women participation, providing market information and, above all, seeking to create a long-term commitment and empowerment, thus making an outstanding frame for a sustainable life.
Commerce has three main actors: producers, traders and buyers. You can be quite easily on the buyer's side; a quite important one, because if there are no customers there is no commerce, be it Fair or not!.
We, as individuals, can fight poverty just by shopping. Can you think of an easier way? Furthermore, producers in the South are not receiving donations: they can feel proud of their quality products and sell them accordingly.
We have a powerful tool to help reverse the effects of current cut-throat economy and start putting some humanness on it.
Thanks for joining.
Looking for a good Fair Trade chocolate? Well, there are many of them around; you may find here some useful hints
Want to know about the history of Fair Trade? You have hit the right page!.
What is Fair Trade all about? It's about creating a better world. As simple as that. You can help doing it just by shopping Fair Trade items. Really. Try.
Fair Trade coffee is the flagship of the Fair Trade movement; the product which the highest impact on producers' living conditions, as it affects millions of people
The benefits of Fair Trade are many, from poverty alleviation to environment caring, from avoiding forced child labour to empowering women and communities. Come and see!
Fair Trade products pass from the hands of the producers to yours; they convey both their work and your will the change the world...
Fair Trade food allows your money to change hands the best way: from those who have it to those who need it. Besides that, you get tasty stuff !
Fair Trade tourism allows you to meet the producers, directly, and be involved with them. Sometimes, it is not the products who travel but the consumers...
Fair Trade cotton literally saves lives of farmers in India. You can get really nice clothes and support a change in the world.
| News & Events |
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| Next September 14th you can be at the live concert, at Media, PA. more... |
| World's largest coffee break record was set! Last May 10th, 12.128 people across 150 places joined for it. more... |
| Researchers and professionals have gathered on the 3rd International Symposium, held in Montpellier (France) on May 14th. more... |
| The 2008 World Fair Trade Day has been celebrated all around the globe on May 10th. more... |
| Have you seen the FairTrade Layer available on Google Earth? Switch it on in your next visit to this nice program! |
