Blogging Fair Trade

Not all “fair trade” products bear the Fairtrade Mark. In fact, this now famous logo can only be applied to a limited number of types of products: think fruit, vegetables, cotton, certain drinks and other foodstuffs.

The fact of the matter is, if your product does not belong to one of the categories for which the International Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) has created a process for certifying it fairtrade, it cannot bear the Fairtrade Mark, even if it ticks all the boxes and makes a significant improvement to the lives of the producers.

So what of products like jewellery and handicrafts? Shops like Shared Earth – now recognisable on the high streets of a number of lucky towns in Britain – and online stores like my very own By Hand Fair Trade Shop or The Fair Trade Store are fair trade shops, selling fair trade jewellery and handicrafts, but many of their products may not and do not bear the Fairtrade Mark because of the type of products they are, namely jewellery and handicrafts.

So what makes these products fair trade? And are they comparable to products bearing the Fairtrade Mark?

The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) has been instrumental in developing fair trade across the globe over the last 20 years. The WFTO’s 10 standards of fair trade are the basis upon which the fair trade nature of the products in question are judged. These 10 standards must be adhered to as a minimum. In addition to these, for the products to be truly fair trade, either the producers, the exporter or the importer needs to be a registered member of the WFTO. This may seem like an unnecessary step that could limit and disadvantage the smallest producers and importers, but in reality it is a necessary requirement to ensure that the term “fair trade” is not bandied around and that it is only applied to organisations that have been independently audited by the WFTO and, as such, organisations that have been proven to be acting in line with the 10 standards of fair trade.

The 10 standards of fair trade:

1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
2. Transparency and accountability
3. Fair trading practices
4. Payment of a fair price
5. No child labour or forced labour
6. Non-discrimination, gender equity and freedom of association
7. Safe and healthy working conditions
8. Capacity building
9. Promotion of fair trade
10. A sustainable approach to the environment

The products produced, imported or sold by members of the WFTO (= organisations that prove regularly to fulfil the 10 standards of fair trade) are fair trade products. Even though they may not fall into a category of product that can be awarded the Fairtrade Mark (e.g. foodstuff, drink, etc.) they are fair trade. And even though they do not bear the Fairtrade Mark (because it is not applicable to their type of product yet), they are as beneficial to producers working to improve the lives of their families and communities through trade as those products bearing the Fairtrade Mark.