fair trade

You re buying coffee. One label says this roasted mountain-fresh Colombian coffee is ideal for all coffee makers. But is it ideal for the coffee bean s maker, the farmer? Your choice is empowering. When you choose fair trade, you get more than coffee; you get the opportunity to enrich someone s life.

What Is Fair Trade?

Fair trade is an international alternative trading system designed to empower disadvantaged farmers, artisans, and labourers. The movement began 50 years ago when international aid organizations worked to help farmers and labourers in Africa break free from oppressive trading practices. These inequitable trading practices still exist today.

Farmers and artisans in developing countries rely on intermediaries for market information and trade. These middlemen usually pay less than market price and keep the producers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Small-scale farmers can t afford to produce the crop. They can t afford the overhead or their financing s interest rates. They abandon their farms, or, in the case of some cocoa producers, they employ unpaid workers, often children.

Through fair trade, farmers and artisans deal directly with members of fair trade organizations, bypassing the middleman and receiving a fair and sustainable wage for their work. According to the Fair Trade Federation, the goal of a member organization is to benefit the artisans they work with, not maximize profits. By reducing the number of middlemen and minimizing overhead costs, FTOs (fair trade organizations) return up to 40 percent of the retail price of an item to the producer. Producers receive a fair wage for their product, children are not exploited, and long-term relationships are encouraged to provide continuity in trading. Fair trade considers the enduring well-being of the person behind the product.

Who Decides What s Fair?

In Canada, the Fair Trade Certified logo is managed by TransFair Canada, a nonprofit organization that belongs to the international Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO). Use of the logo comes with very strict rules and terms, to which all members are bound by contract.

The Canadian Fair Trade Certified logo is applied to product-specific items only, meaning that the product, not the company, is certified as fair trade. On the other hand, the Fair Trade Federation logo identifies the company as a certified member. Two of the largest members in the US are Ten Thousand Villages and SERRV International.

The Fair Trade Federation and FLO monitor their producers and members. They ensure that the playing field of trade is level and fair. For the consumer, these logos assure that the goods are produced in environmentally responsible conditions and that the cultures and communities of the worker are respected and sustained.

Is It Working?

Yes. According to the Fair Trade Federation, sales for Ten Thousand Villages in the US and Canada between 1985 and 1998 increased by nearly $15 million, creating over 12,000 full-time jobs for artisans and farmers.

As more consumers use their purchasing power for social justice, large corporations consider the fair trade alternative. Currently, there are 117 Canadian fair trade licensees, and 44 source countries are registered with the FLO. Today s fair trade products include crafts, coffee, tea, chocolate, soaps, cosmetics, sugar, and fruit. Coming soon are wines, nuts, oils, and more.

A consumer in Canada buys fair trade and a child in Colombia goes to school.

That s a strong cup of coffee.

The US consumes about 20% of the world's coffee production. This makes it a huge market and the demand of that market is one of the things that keeps coffee prices fairly high. One might think that part of that price gets back to the people who actually grow the coffee, but traditionally it hasn't. Only a tiny bit of the price we pay for coffee makes it back to the producers, but it's not enough to support production costs, much less a family.

The tiny, almost trivial, amount that makes it back to the workers forces them into a cycle of poverty and debt. The Fair Trade movement was developed to try to change that. Among other things, to be Fair Trade certified means that the growers will get at least $1.26 per pound for their coffee, much better than the typical 40-60 cents.

Using determination and persistance the Fair Trade movement has convinced over 100 companies, including Starbucks and Peets, to give you the opportunity to buy fair trade coffee. More and more companies are also joining this rapidly growing movement.

In addition to giving the grower a fair price, the movement is also pushing for organic farming methods, the idea being that organic farming is easier on the environment, fewer pesticides and chemicals are used, and it is also cheaper for the farmer. This makes it a win-win situation with the farmer incurring lower costs, getting more money, and not contaminating the land.

So what, exactly, is Fair Trade Certified Coffee? Basically it's the coffee sold by a company, such as Starbucks, that has entered into an agreement with a licensing company to purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee. Transfair USA is the only Fair Trade certification company in the US, but there are 17 of these companies worldwide.

Certification guarantees that the Fair Trade requirements are met. These requirements include that a minimum price is paid to the growers for the coffee, the buyer assists the grower with access to credit (to pay for harvesting,) and an incentive for growers and marketers to enter into longer term contracts. Long term contracts provide stability for the farmer, since he doesn't have to worry about where he will sell his coffee crop.

Before Fair Trade the minimum price for the coffee might be as low as 20 cents a pound. The ability to make enough money to live on, and raise a family on, means a great deal to the growers. It also gives them a greater incentive to be productive, since they know the extra work is meaningful.

In addition to the certifications for the buyers there is a similar system for the growers. The Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) maintains a producers registry. In order to be a part of this registry the producers (farmers) must meet several criteria. They have to be poor, they cannot make use of hired labor, and they have to be democratically organized into small farmer associations. This ensures that the benefits of the Fair Trade movement go to the people who need it the most.

The Fair Trade movement is powered by a small, but growing, and very energetic group of people. Using grassroots activism, not government regulation, they are seeing encouraging and growing results among the various coffee companies. As mentioned above, over 100 companies are participating to a greater or lesser degree. There are a number of companies that are already 100% Fair Trade and more that are transitioning over from the traditional trade methods.

To learn more about Fair Trade Coffee, which companies are involved, and to see if you want to get involved, just go to your favorite search engine and type in "fair trade coffee."

Mainstreaming Fair Trade: The Role of Consumers
By Kamil Kanji

This article is based on a university research project focused on understanding the growth of Fair Trade. The term Fair Trade can be difficult to define. It is generally presented as an ‘ethical’ alternative to conventional, or ‘free’ trade. It guarantees small scale producers a minimum price for their produce, which is often defined as a fair price, or living wage. It forges a long-term relationship between buyer and seller, thereby providing some stability against market fluctuations. The Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO) also stipulates that Fair Trade sources have to meet minimum social and environmental criteria before being accepted for the Fair Trade certifying procedures.

Many Fair Trade products exist, such as handicrafts, flowers and paper, but the main products are coffee, bananas, tea and chocolate. In 2003, global sales of Fair Trade products surpassed $700 million. In 2005, there were 433 producer groups globally working with 5 million farmers and their families, up from 360 in 2002. Since 2001, export prices for coffee have dropped from $1.00 to $0.49c/lb, but Fair Trade coffee prices have remained at $1.26/lb, preventing many small scale farmers from bankruptcy. Nonetheless, Fair Trade has remained a niche market.

Consumers have the power to affect the growth of Fair Trade products. However, this is contingent on their awareness of the inequalities of mainstream trade and the practices of supermarkets, so that they choose, or not, whether to promote Fair Trade by paying a sort of ethical premium for Fair Trade products. To better understand the current levels of knowledge and awareness among consumers, an original consumer survey was designed and carried out at one ‘up market’ supermarket (Waitrose) and one ‘down market’ supermarket (ASDA) in Kingston, south west London. The survey focuses on food as an important sector of the Fair Trade market.

ASDA and Waitrose target different socio-economic groups. According to a survey by Which magazine Waitrose is the leading supermarket chain in the UK in food quality and range. ASDA is ‘Britain’s best value weekly shop with prices that are independently shown to be lower than main competitors’ and holds the title for Britain’s best value retailer. While ASDA and other UK supermarket chains compete primarily on price and try to attract customers through rewards, loyalty schemes and cards, Waitrose tries to build up brand loyalty by offering differentiated, high quality products. Thus, Waitrose can be characterised as ‘up market’ whereas ASDA can be characterised as ‘down market.’ Waitrose holds a Royal Warrant for services, a prestigious symbol. It also has activities to maintain a ‘green’ image. It was the first ever winner of the ‘Organic Supermarket of the Year’ title. Its products are also more exclusive than ASDA’s, and tend to be more expensive.

The objective of the survey was to obtain information about consumer awareness and attitudes towards Fair Trade and to compare Fair Trade potential between the two supermarkets (ASDA and Waitrose) in relation to consumer characteristics (age, gender, education) and product characteristics (price, availability, labelling). The findings were compared to other UK consumer research. For example, the MORI survey, May 2004, commissioned by the Fair Trade foundation, which found that recognition of the Fair Trade mark was highest among women, 42% compared to 35% of men, and in the 45-54 age group.

Consumers entering both supermarkets were presented with a structured questionnaire. Consumers who did not intend to purchase foodstuffs were not included in the sample. Many consumers only wanted a paper, cigarettes or other item not available as Fair Trade. The total number of consumers was 280 (140 at each supermarket). Interviews took place from February 23rd 2005 to March 1st 2005, every day of the week between 11am-12pm and 6-7pm, to ensure a better cross section of consumers. For example, sampling in the evening between 6pm and 7pm accomodated evening shoppers. The survey was also piloted resulting in several improvements.

It was hypothesised that: “Higher awareness and demand for Fair Trade products exists among consumers. However, unavailability and higher cost of these products are key limitations to growth of Fair Trade.”

The key findings of the survey are presented in the graphs below.

It was found that 56% of consumers at ASDA were aware of Fair Trade, compared to 64% at Waitrose. At ASDA, 32% of consumers were both aware of Fair Trade and considered purchasing Fair Trade products, compared to 45% at Waitrose. A chi squared test showed this difference was significant at the 5% level (v = 1). Thus, consumers at Waitrose were more likely to purchase Fair Trade products.

The main reasons for purchasing Fair Trade products were fairer price for the producer (33%) and better taste and quality (20%). For the majority of consumers, both these reasons were important (48%). This implies that consumers who consider purchasing Fair Trade products are generally willing to pay a higher premium for Fair Trade products. Interestingly, more than two thirds (68%) make a link between Fair Trade products and better taste/quality and a fifth (20%) said they considered purchasing Fair Trade products solely for better taste/quality.

Fruit was the favoured Fair Trade product (58%), followed by coffee (51%). The favourite fruit was bananas; also the UK’s most popular fruit. Coffee and fruit were by far the most popular Fair Trade products, also indicated by UK sales figure. Tea (12%) and chocolate (12%) were less popular. Relatively few consumers were interested in vegetables (5%), juice (4%) and honey (1%).

Unvailability is a main limitation to the growth of Fair Trade, as suggested by nearly half (45%) of consumers who did not consider purchasing such products. Fair Trade products are limited to a handful of foodstuffs in supermarkets. They are not available in meat, cheese, bread and ready meals, and a range of other foodstuffs.

Reasons for not purchasing Fair Trade products by supermarket

% ASDA Waitrose Total
Unavailability 21% 68% 45%
Higher Cost 40% 2% 21%
Against Principle 18% 17% 18%
Unclear labeling 13% 2% 8%
Other 5% 13% 9%

At Waitrose, a higher proportion of consumers did not intend to purchase Fair Trade products simply because of their unavailability, 68%, compared to only 21% at ASDA. The range of Fair Trade products at each supermarket was similar, but more Fair Trade fruit was available at Waitrose. Perhaps linked to higher awareness, consumers at Waitrose were more likely to realise the limitation of availability. At ASDA, consumers were more deterred by higher cost: 40% of the group identified higher cost as a reason for not considering Fair Trade products, compared to just 2% at Waitrose. Overall, unavailability is the main limitation to the growth of Fair Trade (45%) and higher cost a secondary limitation (21%).

The findings give weight to the assumption that Waitrose caters for higher socio-economic groups, who may be more aware of Fair Trade and who can better afford such products. Waitrose consumers have a higher disposable income which allows then to spend more money on food. Therefore, the potential of Fair Trade to grow is higher at Waitrose. If there were more Fair Trade products available, 40% of consumers at ASDA would still not consider purchasing them because of higher cost, but at Waitrose, only 2% would still not consider purchasing them due to higher cost.

Nearly a fifth (18%) of consumers were against the principle of Fair Trade and thus did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products, perhaps because they wer in favour of mainstream ‘conventional’ trade, or completely ‘free’ trade. Advocates of free trade argue that it is unfair to establish a fair price because fewer producers can capture higher prices, whereas low prices ensure that more producers benefit from being paid the lower wage (although demand for Fair Trade products could grow so that more producers would benefit from higher wages). It can also be argued that trade could become fairer by being freer i.e. no government “interference” for efficient and socially optimal allocation of resources. Essentially, developed countries could remove domestic subsidies which protect their producers and force small scale producers in developing countries to compete on an unequal playing field. If World Bank estimates are true, freer mutual trade would benefit developing countries by $31bn a year. However, it has not been in the political or economical interests of Western governments to make trade completely free (or fair).

Around 8% who did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products mentioned that information/labelling was unclear. Fair Trade products are labelled with the Fair Trade logo, which gives consumers a tool or brand which they can recognise, along with the slogan ‘guarantees a better deal for third world producers.’ Thus, it is likely that this group of consumers were referring to unclear supermarket labelling rather than Fair Trade product labels. At ASDA, 13% of the group identified unclear labelling as a reason they did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products, compared to only 2% at Waitrose. At ASDA, it was clear that ‘conventional’ products were prioritised over Fair Trade products. There were many advertisements focusing on the low prices of various conventional products, such as bananas for 59 pence. It could be that the bombardment of consumers by such messages not only appeals to their pockets, but also makes them less willing to find out about alternative production methods (i.e. Fair Trade products).

In 2002, MORI asked people how they first became aware of the Fair Trade logo: 43% indicated that it was while shopping; 20% said features in newspapers or magazines; and 14% cited word of mouth from family and friends. Therefore, because labelling is clearer at Waitrose, it is more likely that consumers at Waitrose are aware of Fair Trade.

The proportion of women who were aware of Fair Trade was 69%, significantly higher than men (46%) (chi-squared: 5%, v=1). As there were a higher proportion of women in the sample, it is probable that women spend more time shopping for food than men, and develop more knowledge about availability of products and, thus, are generally more aware of Fair Trade than men. The findings are also supported by the 2004 MORI survey, which showed that recognition of the Fairtrade mark was higher among women (42% compared with 35% of men). In the total sample, 40% of women were aware of Fair Trade and considered purchasing Fair Trade products, compared to 31% of men. Therefore, Fair Trade potential is higher among women. Interestingly though, 57% of women who were aware of Fair Trade considered purchasing Fair Trade products, whereas 67% of men who were aware of Fair Trade considered purchasing Fair Trade products. This implies that men who are aware of Fair Trade are more likely to consider purchasing Fair Trade products. Perhaps women are more aware of the limitations of Fair Trade products, such as unavailability and higher cost.

The 41-55 age group was most aware of Fair Trade (83%), and most likely to be both aware of Fair Trade and considering purchasing Fair Trade products (63%). The findings can be related to the MORI survey, which identified that recognition of the fairtrade mark was highest for people in the age group 45-54. Consumers between the ages of 26-40 followed in terms of awareness and purchasing power. Over half, 56%, of 16-25 year olds were aware about Fair Trade products, but only 19% considered purchasing them, a relatively small proportion compared to other age groups.

Relationship between age (years) and reasons for not purchasing Fair Trade products

16-25 26-40 41-55 56+
Unaware/not considering purchasing Fair Trade products 34% 27% 9% 31%
Against principle of Fair Trade 21% 11% 7% 36%
Higher Cost 30% 18% 29% 11%
Unavailability 35% 54% 86% 32%
Unclear labeling 5% 10% 11% 13%
Other 13% 11% 7% 9%

Around 30% of 16-25 year olds did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products due to the expense involved. It is likely that younger people generally have less money to spend on food, linked to lower disposable incomes. This is probably particularly true of the many students who live and study in Kingston. Consumers in the 56+ age group were most likely to be against the principle of Fair Trade and found labelling and information about Fair Trade unclear. Perhaps the older generation are less willing to change their patterns of consumption and less sure about Fair Trade, as an alternative to conventional trade which provides conventional products. Only 9% of 41-55 years olds did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products, and 86% put this down to unavailability. This implies that more aware consumers are more likely to see unavailability as the main limitation to the growth of Fair Trade.

The proportion of consumers who were educated to degree level and aware of Fair Trade was 89%, compared to 36% of consumers not educated to degree level. Consumers educated to degree level were also more than twice as likely to consider purchasing Fair Trade products (59% compared to 24%). While 46% of consumers who were not educated to degree level were unaware/uninterested in Fair Trade products, only 10% of consumers educated to degree level were unaware of fair Trade and did not consider purchasing Fair Trade products. Thus, a strong relationship exists between education and Fair Trade purchases. In order for Fair Trade to grow into the mainstream, consumers must make an informed decision to purchase Fair Trade products, which means they must understand and support Fair Trade principles. Perhaps, consumers educated to degree level have a wider awareness of such issues. A higher proportion of consumers at Waitrose were educated to degree level, 54% compared to 35% at ASDA.

Reverting back to the main hypothesis, the Kingston survey finds that high awareness and demand for Fair Trade products exists among consumers, which implies a high level of support for the principles of Fair Trade. However, unavailability and higher cost of these products are key limitations to growth of Fair Trade. Consumer characteristics, including gender, age, and education, affect consumer awareness of Fair Trade. Women tend to be more aware of Fair Trade, as do consumers between 41-55 years and those educated to Degree level. At ASDA, higher cost seems to be the main limitation to growth. Fair Trade potential is higher at ‘up market’ supermarkets such as Waitrose. At Waitrose (and overall) higher cost was a secondary limitation to unavailability. The MORI survey, May 2004, identified that 63% of people who recognise the Fair Trade Mark subsequently buy Fair Trade products and similarly, the Kingston survey shows 64% of consumers who know about Fair Trade products consider purchasing them. This highlights the potential of Fair Trade and the importance of consumer awareness.

One of the interesting findings of the survey was that consumers make a link between Fair Trade products and better taste and quality. There is evidence of the ‘turn to quality’ in the food business, where consumers are making informed purchases based on how they want food to be produced and supplied to them. The trend has been termed ‘green consumption’ where consumers seek foods that are produced outside the agro-industrial system responsible for food scares and widespread environmental degradation. In the UK in particular, this ‘turn to quality’ has been constructed around consumer concerns over health and food safety, which can be linked to a foot and mouth epidemic, public anxiety over GM products and the BSE crisis. Consumers may also seek to boycott food from particular multinationals or countries, or to consume only locally produced or organic food or animal welfare friendly meat, or become involved in ‘community supported’ agriculture and these consumers are a driving force behind Fair Trade. Fair Trade products, along with organic products and a range of natural foods, are perceived to be of better quality and taste, which is increasing Fair Trade sales. The survey may have reflected some confusion among ‘green’ consumers between organic and Fair Trade markets. Nevertheless, it can be argued that Fair Trade may be capitalising on the success of the organic market, and that the products overlap.

Fair Trade is rapidly growing as a market, with powerful consumer support (as indicated by this survey and many others). In some countries, such as Switzerland, Fair Trade coffee has penetrated the mainstream. The success of coffee could be repeated for other products, including staple foods such as rice and potatoes. But Fair Trade is difficult to institutionalise, constrained by continuing policy distortions in importing countries. These range from protectionist barriers on agricultural products (and a range of other products), along with often unnecessarily bureaucratic regulations, which discriminate against small scale producers in developing countries.

Some consumer studies in Europe have also shown that, in general, only a maximum of 20% of people would be willing to pay more for Fair Trade goods. A huge majority of people would rather pay a lower price despite the negative social and environmental consequences of doing so. Fair Trade is often dismissed because of these limitations. It is also argued that Fair Trade is limited because it centres on competing with conventional trade, and not enough on tackling the root causes of poverty and unequal power relations in trade. TransFair USA describes the benefits of Fair Trade as follows: ‘In a global village, we prosper as our less fortunate neighbours prosper. Nations become neighbours, and we accept that some nations (‘neighbours’) are naturally more fortunate than others. The causes underlying global inequality, such as imperialism, neo-imperialism, trade advantages, and the debt crisis, disappear in this quaint metaphor. The notion that natural resources are limited, and that the first world neighbours gobble up a disproportionate share of the global commons, is also implicitly accepted.’

There are many limitations to Fair Trade, and it cannot be seen as an answer to root causes of poverty and inequality. At present Fair Trade is a niche market. It only guarantees protection against unequal and competitive international markets to a minority of small-scale producers in Fair Trade partnerships. However, I would argue that Fair Trade is part of a growing social movement, and one positive element of globalisation and, if growth continues, Fair Trade will penetrate the mainstream market.

This article focuses on the role of consumers in mainstreaming Fair Trade. Consumers are creating demand for more Fair Trade products, but for Fair Trade to become mainstream, economic, political and social factors need to work in tandem to make governments get behind Fair Trade. Fair Trade is at present an individual subsidy, but it should signal pressure for public subsidies (for the environmental and social cost of food production), so consumers are less deterred by cost. Developed countries could allow developing countries to subsidise their producers; open up their markets to exports from the developing world; and dismantle their own protection. Oxfam calculates that if developing countries increased their share of world exports by just 5% this would generate US$350 billion - seven times as much as they receive in aid.

A key challenge for the Fair Trade movement is in educating consumers in developed countries. In fact, about half of the extra price charged for Fair Trade products currently represents the cost of publicity and education work in the consumer market. The Fair Trade banana is a case in point: it costs up to 40% more than the “normal” banana. In other words, the consumer is paying a premium to inform other consumers. If Fair Trade principles and environment and development issues were debated in schools, colleges and universities, even as part of a national curriculum, there would be great potential of Fair Trade to grow and challenge conventional free trade, linked to much higher awareness of the public from a young age.

Politically aware consumers can make ethical purchases but also resist unfair trade practices through citizen campaigns, pressuring governments and companies to improve the social and environmental performance of trade. Non Government Organisations, collaborating with groups of aware consumers can do more to place pressure on transnational companies to participate directly in Fair Trade. For example, Starbucks was essentially compelled to start carrying Fair Trade labelled coffee by activists who picketed stockholder meetings and threatened mass demonstrations. Governments can be progressive at the national level, working with NGOs to develop Fair Trade. In Switzerland Fair Trade has been relatively successful because NGOs have helped to educate the public, raise awareness about Fair Trade, and distribute products, with financial and technical support from the progressive Swiss government. Linked to consumer awareness and demand for Fair Trade products, companies have realised the profitability of Fair Trade.

The time has come for businesses and supermarkets to realise the profitability of Fair Trade, and follow in the success and footsteps of other ‘social enterprises’ such as the Body Shop and Ben & Jerry’s. Governments must regulate the corporate sector so that Fair Trade is not exploited for a niche market. Ironically, the time has come for ethical corporations to take advantage in the food market, this time with a fair outcome.

The findings of this study highlight the importance of better understanding consumer preferences, and raising awareness further, if Fair Trade is to continue to grow into the mainstream. Consumers have and will play a key role in the growth of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is a market and a social movement that seeks to resist unfair trade practices. It operates both ‘within and against the market.’ For this reason, education and public awareness of trade issues and the principles of Fair Trade will be paramount to the growth of Fair Trade.

Remote trade fair visiting: visit an international trade fair without leaving your office!

Your company develops rapidly and you enjoy the wild rhythm of the modern life? You try to keep up with the latest innovations in your business area and plan to enter the international marketplace? Then there is no doubt that visiting international trade fairs is an important part of your marketing strategy, since it is here that industry leaders and prospective customers are present. But what to do if several significant trade fairs take place at the same time, or you and your employees are busy with urgent tasks, which does not allow you to visit the fair yourself?

Just for such a situation the company Serve Businesses Worldwide has created a service called ‘remote trade fair visiting’. All you have to do is make an application and define the scope of tasks for SBW representative to fulfil. You can choose any of the following goals:
- collection of trade fair participants promotional materials (catalogues, price lists, samples);
- distribution of your contact information, business cards, brochures;
- purchasing a trade fair catalogue with the full data about all the exhibitors;
- trade fair follow-up (help with business correspondence and tracking important contacts).

The advantage of this service is that comparing to the cost of a business trip it is a really a money-saving variant. Provided that you book air tickets and hotel rooms in advance the cost of visiting a trade fair abroad amounts to at least 1 500 euro. And taking in account that as a rule two or three employees leave for a fair, it is evident that visiting a trade fair is a costly thing. Serve Businesses Worldwide offers you remote trade fair visiting for only 350 euro, which means that instead of sending one person to a trade fair you can order remote visiting of five fairs! SBW representatives work all over the world – thanks to it you can avoid paying for their staying at a hotel, meals and travel. Entrust trade fair visiting to Serve Businesses Worldwide!

For more detailed information about Serve Businesses Worldwide visit www.sbwcorp.ru and www.expomap.ru

Definition of Fair Trade The question "what is fair trade" might seem elementary to some, while others find it difficult to define without making broad generalizations. According to the Fair Trade Federation, it is "a more equitable and sustainable system of production and trade." Wikipedia defines fair trade as "an organized social movement which promotes standards for international labor, environmentalism, and social policy in areas related to production of Fairtrade labeled and unlabeled goods. The fair trade movement focuses in particular on exports from developing countries into developed countries.

Why Buy Fair Trade Gifts This Holiday Season

2007 has been marked by unprecedented growth in social, economic and environmental consciousness around the world. As we open our eyes to the reality that is socioeconomic inequality, environmental destruction and the exploitation of workers in underdeveloped countries, it can seem overwhelming. One person, after all, can only do so much. We live in a world where the dollar rules. Though this may seem unfortunate in many ways, it also gives us the power to make our voices heard with every dollar we spend. Vote with your dollars and be conscious of the impact your purchases have on the lives of others. Fair trade products make great gifts. Not only will the person receiving your fair trade gift be pleased, but it sends a message to the Big Box stores that we're not going to stand for their strong-arm tactics of beating down the price from local artisans and factories in third world countries to the point where they're forced to save money by cutting costs elsewhere in areas like being environmentally responsible, worker s rights, healthcare and product safety.

How Do You Know If It's Fair Trade?

That's the million-dollar question. Really, there s not much stopping unscrupulous companies from claiming something is fair trade and slapping some bogus label on it. But there are a few Fair Trade labels you can trust, including those from the Fair Trade Federation (see link below), and Trans Fair USA.

Where Can You Find Fair Trade Products?

There are many places on the web to buy fair trade products, including Gaiam (http://www.gaiam.com/retail/2/fairtrade) and the Two Hands Workshop (http://twohandsworldshop.com/). Whether you are shopping for fair trade clothing / apparel and jewelry, or would like to give the gift of fair trade handicrafts and toys, enlightened shops have begun to pop up not only on the web, but in local areas too. As for the Internet, all you have to do is search Google for "Fair Trade Gifts", "Fair Trade Crafts" or whatever it is that you re looking for and there is no shortage of opportunities to make conscious buying decisions. A good place to start finding fair trade products locally is to visit your nearest organic foods store (try Wild Oats or Whole Foods if you don't have smaller ones closer) and ask the people who work there. Eco Mall (http://www.ecomall.com/biz/) has an impressive list of eco-conscious and socially conscious stores from around the world. Another great place to find local fair trade stores is the Fair Trade Federation s Directory of Members by State and Territory (http://www.fairtradefederation.org/memret.html) .

Products Available at Fair Trade Stores

In general, you can find just about anything you want while shopping for fair trade holiday gifts. However, there are certain types of fair trade products that tend to be more readily available than others. These include: Crafts / handicrafts, jewelry, organic cotton bedding and fabric, clothing and apparel, coffee, rice and other food items.

Lavi Fair is held amidst a great deal of fanfare in Himachal Pradesh. Rampur had once been a very important commercial center and with passage of the time it became the venue for the famous age-old Lavi Fair, reputed to be one of the biggest trade fairs in Northern India. The fair is held every year in the second week of November (11th-14th).

Rampur lies along the ancient trade routes to Tibet, Ladakh and Afghanistan. It used to which had its borders well into Kinnaur.

During the reign of King Kesar Singh in the 18th century, a Treaty was signed between be the capital of the mighty Bushahr Empire, Rampur and Tibet.

It was decided that they would be friends till the time comes when all waters of River Sutlej evaporates and the crows change their colors into white. The fair was held to commemorate their friendship.

A modern touch made it all the more glorious and attractive, for the Lavi Fair has been brought back to entertain the weary and sullen men, burdened with their day to day jobs. Lavi Fair is a welcome relief for them.

Large crowds pour in from Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul.They gather on the banks of the Sutlej to buy, sell and barter their produce which includes everything from homespun blankets and wool shawls to dry fruit and even horses .

There are sporting competitions during the day, and dancing around bonfires after dark. The fair coincides with the return of the shepherds from high pastures for the coming winter and has been held for over 300 years.

The fair is also renowned for a variety of handicrafts. Thus the Lavi Fair in Himachal Pradesh is renowned for its excellence in bringing to the forefront the ancient Indian Culture.

Large number of traders are coming to the fair to sell a great range of Himachal Handicrafts & Handlooms ,in which the Pashmina shawls still adorn the royal class of the French as French Queen, Marie Antoinette aws very fond of the Himalayan wool products and as such the fair has already been recognized as an International Fair.

Stunning Pashmina Wool is an important item that is sold at the Lavi Fair. The Dry Fruits reminds us of the variety of agricultural products that can be grown in the Indian soil.
The well-known Chaumkhi Horses brought from remote tribal areas are sold at the Lavi Fair at Himachal Pradesh.

Apart from the Horses, woolen pattoos, kala zira and dry fruits (Walnuts,Pine Nuts,Almonds,Apricots-dry,Bitter apricot kernels) are also brought and sold in the Lavi Fair at Himachal Pradesh.

Chinese artifacts, such as jewellery, Chinese Jackets, Track Suites, Crockery, handicrafts, tea, herbs, heavy woolens and even 'bushy Yak tails' are expected to be displayed on the Tibetan and Kinnauri stalls .

This has been possible only after the establishment of an intimate trade relationship with China and Tibet.

Efforts have been made to restore the old glory of the fair and historic places, which recently has been given a modern touch.

FEATURE

FAIR TRADE

As consumers, we don't always think about the impact of our purchasing power. How many times have you actually stopped to ask yourself, "Where was this craft, coffee, chocolate, or tea produced, and did the worker receive a fair wage for his or her work in the production process? That probably hasn't happened too often. After all, we live in a consumer society conditioned with not just an individual, but a collective consumptive mentality. That those products represent some of our largest imports from under-developed nations whose cost of living increases against a backdrop of stagnant wages, makes this a topic well worth consideration.

Not many of us have the phrase "Global Equity" etched across the top of our weekly shopping lists - although that may not be such a bad idea. Conditioned to believe that we need the next best thing and in ever increasing quantities, we've moved through much of our lives down a consistent though generally thoughtless path of frenetic purchasing activity.

Fair Trade is an organized endeavor to correct that course. It serves to help marginalized workers and small scale producers to attain economic self-sufficiency and stability toward an increased standard of living. Fair Trade promotes the practice of fair pricing and ethical consumer consumption through international labor standards, environmentalism, education, and the development of social policies around labeled and unlabeled Fair Trade products.

Contemporary economics traditionally driven by consumerism has been focused primarily on the relationship between product quality and price. Fair Trade seeks to create an equitable exchange and so has developed a labeling and certification process as a means to further protect workers and producers, while assisting consumers in their conscientious shopping activities.

The Fair Trade Debate: Fair Trade Versus Fairly Traded

There are two major camps of debate surrounding the Fair Trade issue: one that sees Fair Trade as an unnecessary subsidy that impedes economic growth; and one that sees organized Fair Trade as paying lip service - that Fair Trade is not enough and somewhat falling short of a thorough challenge to the current trading system.

Amidst it all is the promising hope of change. With the advent of (CSR) Corporate Social Responsibility at the big business level pushing for responsible action, to public education and the quiet conscious efforts of smaller businesses and organizations who have long known and understood the importance of economic equality - Fair Trade has moved from a remote public consideration to a genuine model of moral socio-economic behavior.

One company that plays a strong role towards effecting this type of change is Camano Island Coffee Roasting Company based in Camano, Washington.

Whether you're a coffee aficionado, a tea drinker, or neither, Camano Island Coffee Roasting Company serves as an excellent example of a company that exemplifies the true meaning of Fairly Traded products.

Camano Island Coffee Roasting Company http://www.camanoislandcoffee.com

Jeff Ericson, founder and co-owner of Camano Island Coffee delivers more than great tasting organically grown coffee products.

He is not just another well seasoned businessman singularly concerned with the bottom line either -- Jeff understands the true long-term value of equitable trade, and with proper balance... how to successfully join Fair Trade principles with strong market economy business practices to the benefit of all.

He believes that Fair Trade is not enough:

"We not only must make sure that a fair price is paid for the coffee - we also need to make sure that the farmers own the land that they work on. We need to make sure the children are getting basic health services and learning to read and write - so we do not repeat this process again in the next generation. We need to make sure the people are not totally dependent on just one crop (like coffee) - but that they have other ways to make money. We need to make sure that the village we work with has learned to work together as a team and can create streamlined approaches to business challenges of a rural area and that they have clean water to drink."

THEN- we can pay a fair price for their coffee while requiring the coffee is organic and shade grown.

The challenge with a bureaucracy is that they tend to "lower the bar" in order to get everyone (even the big guns) into the pack.

We feel sustainability is a commitment - not a marketing term. If you do anything less then 100% in your purchasing decisions of coffee - then we feel you should not call yourself "fairly traded".

We use the term "fairly traded" because we do not feel it is our role to promote a bureaucracy but to promote a practice of responsible consumerism.

Jeff has built his organization based on principles of quality, equality and service, not simply a series of campaigns to remain favored in the public eye. When you look into the community at large, you find both a man and a company that lead and inspire. They provide exceptional organic coffee products that are produced with the utmost regard for sustainability. It is a system that is vigorously enforced, providing fair-trade wage and opportunity to the coffee farmers who work so hard to maintain that delicate balance of health and prosperity.

What makes this coffee so special? Camano Island Coffee beans are 100% organic, shade-grown which preserves the native plants, and fairly traded using the top 1% of the available coffee market. The company aims to develop "Prosumers", or customers who are conscious of the impact their dollars have on coffee spending.

To help customers enjoy these benefits, Camano Island Coffee offers, "The Coffee Lover's Club". the Coffee Lover's Club is a great program that provides two pounds of coffee each month (your choice) for just $24.90, plus you get a 1/2 pound share-bag of their coffee of the month - delivered straight to your door at no extra cost!

"I like it when people share our vision, but if they don't, we still want them to buy if they want the best coffee in the world."

A strong part of the philanthropic vision is realized through its mission-based business model. The company participates in two key charity programs:

Coffee Kids: Grounds For Hope - an international organization established to improve the quality of life for coffee-farming families; and Agros International - an organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability.

Camano Island Coffee Roasters donates $1 of ever Coffee Lover's Club program purchase to one of these two key organizations, by customer choice.

For more information on Camano Island Coffee Roasters, or to join the company in its mission to promote strong sustainable business models, with strong sustainable values visit: www.camanoislandcoffee.com

American purchasing dollars can be a powerful tool for positive change. In the case for Fair Trade products the results are convincing. Coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas and many other products can now be enjoyed with the knowledge that the growers are being justly compensated for their efforts. One of the most effective fair trade tools is paying advance credits on coffee purchases and establishing long-term relationships.

Hundreds of new products are coming into the marketplaces of the world labeled as Fairly Traded. These products however must be certified as to their legitimacy by monitoring organizations such as Trans Fair USA and the Fair Trade Federation.

The benefits of Fair Trade products often exceed their goal of paying fair prices by also improving labor conditions, expanding community development and creating more environmental sustainability. (i.e. many Fair Trade products are also organic and/or shade grown which benefits the world's rainforests.)



Our website and catalog now offer many Fair Trade items for purchase like Peace Coffee, Equal Exchange Teas, Cocoas, Chocolates and Sugar.

This February marks the release of the 2008-09 GreenLine Products Catalog with many new planet-cooling, resource-conserving and trash-busting products. Mohawk papers now made with wind energy, Zebra ECO pens made from old CD's and cell phones, biodegradable trash and retail bags, Dataproducts remanufactured toner cartridges, and an increased offering of PLA and Bagasse compostable food containers are now available.

Please contact us at: info@greenlinepaper.com to request a copy of our new 100% recycled paper catalog. Please include your mailing address.

Celebrating 16 Years of Green Products Sales.

A Google search for "fair trade jewelry" will bring up numerous companies, many of which sell ethnic jewelry produced in small villages in the developing world. The 'fair trade' concept draws the socially responsible shopper, yet the third party labeling organization, Fair Labeling Organization (FLO)- of which Transfair USA is a member - does not currently list jewelry as a category certifiable as fair trade. Apart from that, some large players in the mainstream jewelry industry are beginning to tout concepts such as "fair trade diamonds and gold." So how does one make sense of these jewelry claims, especially as they relate to the $150 Billion plus mainstream jewelry industry?

Investigating the Self-Proclaimed Fair Trade Jewelers

'Global Exchange' comes up number one on Google in the organic, unpaid listings for the "fair trade jewelry" search. The Transfair logo at the bottom of their website would lead a shopper to believe that their jewelry, like the coffee they sell, is third party certified.

In the context of their claim, I emailed them, asking about the source of their precious metal and the environmental safeguards for their manufacturer's; proper ventilation and disposal or toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing of the jewelry they sell. Finally, sterling silver is supposed to be .925% silver. Imports out of small villages in developing countries are notorious for labeling as sterling silver jewelry which has less silver content than real sterling silver.

Global Exchange wrote back explaining that that what qualifies as fair trade jewelry is that their jewelry is made in a village by small scale artisans and fair working conditions, which they monitor. They could not answer questions about the environmental practices of these small manufacturers and did not monitor sterling content.

This application of the term "fair trade" to jewelry by Global Exchange is backed by a fair trade concept that exists outside of FLO. Global Exchange also referred me to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), of which they are a member. FTF's website FAQ pages lists jewelry as a "fair trade" product. I interviewed Carmen Iezzi, the executive director of FTF, which helped me understand that FTF has nothing to do with products: only businesses that sell them - a subtle distinction probably lost on the average person.

Global Exchange, at least, has some history behind their ethical stance; there are many small and large companies and stores using the "fair" and "eco" label around jewelry with more questionable accountability.

Though "fair trade" jewelry is helping some villagers in the developing world, it is a negligible niche market in the mainstream jewelry industry as a whole, which does over hundred and fifty billion dollars annually.

The Difficulty of Fair Trade in the Main Stream Jewelry Industry

Taking the concept of "fair trade" jewelry out of the village and into the mainstream global jewelry market (think gold, diamonds, bling bling) is like banging that old square peg into a round hole. At present, the industry is totally commodity based and price driven, somewhat like lumber or oil. Fair trade is just not part of the paradigm.

Consider the general conditions required for a fair trade item which is fairly straight forward: coffee. The beans are organically grown often in farms that work collectively, fostering entrepreneurship which translates into broader community prosperity. Third party certification assures a level of integrity that the ethical consumer buying at Whole Foods feels good about.

To translate the same concept into a jewelry product, one would have to factor in labor and environmental practices in the sourcing of precious metal and gemstones. Mining and development of the raw material - metal refining and gemstone cutting - are additional steps. Manufacturing a finished product presents another process with its own labor and environmental issues. Plus, there is a wide range of jewelry products, from toy rings to the high end. Attempting to come to an agreed upon criteria of what is ethical with such an elaborate, disparate supply chain is daunting.

The Ethical Sourcing Movement in the Mainstream Jewelry Industry

Meanwhile, a small segment of passionate, dedicated people in the mainstream jewelry industry are attempting to define "ethical sourcing", with the ultimate aim of some kind of agreed upon criteria leading to true, third party Fair Trade Jewelry certification. This is going to be a long process.

To that end, the first Ethical Jewelry Summit was held in late October of 2007 in Washington DC. Fair trade oriented suppliers, NGOs, Manufacturuers, Miners from all over the world as well third party certification groups like TransfairUSA came together to start this process.

The jewelry industry derives most of its revenues from diamonds, precious and gemstones and precious metal. The ethical sourcing movement has attracted the interest of governments, large corporations and the World Bank, where the Washington meeting took place.

Most raw materials in the jewelry industry are sourced from small scale mining and efforts are under way to bring ethical practices to this sector. FLO's early efforts focus on ARM (Association For Responsible Mining). Some companies, such as the Rapaport Group and Columbia Gem House, have taken strong initiatives on their own, extrapolating the fair trade concept to apply to gemstone sourcing. However, precious metals and gems in themselves do not make up an entire piece of jewelry.

Though a finished piece of jewelry could be analogous to a fair trade chocolate bar which may have parts that are independently certified, we cannot have ethically sourced jewelry without addressing manufacturing which has its own labor and environmental concerns. Fair trade concerns items that are produced in developing countries. Unlike coffee, mainstream jewelry cannot be easily manufactured in a developing world village because it requires a huge initial investment in equipment and raw materials.

Apart from companies that source their manufactured products from ethical factories, the most notable experiment in this regard is taking place in South Africa in a project called, Vukani-Ubuntu. The project essentially trains people from local townships into the mainstream jewelry trade, providing training, mentoring and equipment. It is heavily supported by government and NGOs. But according to Lores Mares, CEO of the South African Jewelry Council, one of the most difficult challenges is bringing the product to a market.

Jewelry is strictly a commodity that is heavily cost driven. This ethical sourcing concept does not bring added value because the market is undeveloped. My anecdotal research shows that the progressive, green shopper who buys from Patagonia does not feel at ease with a typical jewelry sales person. Winning the progressive 'eco' demographic back will not be easy. Yet those in the mainstream jewelry world who are involved, are sincere and heavily driven by humanitarian concerns - with the possible exception of the larger corporations who may be joining to polish their blood diamond, dirty gold image.

Though millions of websites reference "fair trade
jewelry," the designation is, at this point, too ambiguous for all but a few main stream jewelry manufacturers to use. The consumer interested in ethically sourced jewelry needs to look for detailed information as to sourcing, labor and environmental practices. At present, transparency is often more valuable to the consumer than any 'fair trade' designation.

What is remote trade fair visiting? Let’s ask a professional!

Serve Businesses Worldwide is an international consulting which offers a unique service called ‘remote trade fair visiting’. In 2006 an SBW branch was established in Russia, and now Russian companies can also make use of this innovative service. We have asked SBW CEO Douglas Robinson about the essence of this revolutionary idea and the characteristics of operating in Russia.

- Mr Robinson, how did the idea of setting up your business come to you?

While working at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center where I was in charge of organizing trade fairs, I understood that not all companies who wish to participate in a trade fair or visit it eventually send there their representatives, although it would really do them good. The reasons for it are varied: firstly, the enormous speed of modern life and business. A lot of top managers simply don’t have the time to go to a trade fair or to obtain a visa. You will say that it is always possible to send there one of your employees. But employees can also be busy with urgent tasks. The cost of a business trip per person (and usually two or three people are going) is more than 1 500 euro, which is beyond some companies’ means. So many enterprises just skip fairs, whereas you can ask another company to gather the fair’s brochures and samples, leave your contacts and distribute your ads among participants. Now it is not a dream, but reality, and the company that does it is Serve Businesses Worldwide. The idea turned out to be viable. What’s more, it became a separate business, a kind of trade fair outsourcing. That’s how SBW was born. The essence of our work is expressed in its name, isn’t it?

- As far as I understand you need workers in the cities where trade fairs take place, don’t you?

Yes, that’s right. We have an extensive network of specialists at our disposal, and that is our company’s main treasure. Thanks to the fact that there are people of different professions among our employees, we can select the best one for executing each order, since fairs are very specific as to their topics. We sign a contract with each client, where the functions of our representative and the client’s goals are clearly stated. During the fair the executive keeps in touch with the client and they exchange the necessary information in real-time mode which allows to coordinate their actions and meet the company’s expectations.

- In which countries do you work?

There are branches in the USA, Germany and Italy and since last year in Russia. Apart from that, there are people working for in more than 20 countries in Asia and Europe. It may sound unbelievable, but as far as trade fairs are concerned we can give our clients the necessary support in any country all over the world.

- Does your business have good prospects in Russia?

What is going on in Russia is now is very similar to what took place in the USA a few years ago. The stages of business development are the same all over the world, although they are influenced by politics and economy of each state. In my view, Russia shows a great potential, and not barely in word but truly in deed, which is backed by statistics. For example, tourism is a booming industry in Russia at the moment. More and more Russians gain an opportunity to go abroad on a holiday or on a business trip. As a result, the number of tourist operators and agencies also grows, as well as the competition in the field. To survive, a company needs to be always in the limelight and show how unique it is again and again. That’s where our services would be of great help. And this is just one industry, not the only one, which may need our assistance. A great many Russian companies are now on the point of entering international marketplace. Mechanical engineering, logistics, communication services, show business, power engineering – enterprises who work in these fields will really gain from taking part in international trade fairs.

- It sounds very convincing. Your optimism is contagious. Do you have any ideas of developing your business or starting a new one?

Naturally, as any other business, SBW Ltd develops and transforms as well. I can’t show you my cards yet, the only thing I can say is that we are preparing a new business line for those who decide to visit a trade fair his- or herself: business tour organization, fair tickets booking, provision of interpreter services. You know, we do not deny that a top manager’s trip to a fair is the most rewarding thing. So sky’s the limit, and we are always trying to improve the quality of the services we provide and increase our clients’ level of satisfaction. The word ‘Serve’ in the name of our company means a lot to us!

- Thank you for your time. What would you like to wish the Russian people?

- I’d like to wish them not to lose their chance as long as they have it: today it is a very favorable time to start and develop a business in Russia. Lots of my friends and partners establish their branch offices nowhere but here, because they know for sure: business in Russia is a promising thing. And we, in case of need, are always willing to help organize it.