What is Fairtrade

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by: jeffjarred
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To qualify, a company or producer must agree to certifiably adhere to a set of environmental, labor and developmental standards set forth by the standard setting and certifying arm of Fairtrade known as FLO-CERT International. By qualifying and labeling their products in this way, participating companies are then able to gain access to the lucrative, expanding market in Fairtrade products in developed countries.

A Good Deal that All Participants Benefit From

It is a win-win deal for all parties involved. It allows consumers a more direct say in how the products that they are consuming are being produced in far flung, difficult to access areas of the globe. At the same time, the system helps to educate otherwise isolated producers about fast changing and lucrative trends in the marketing of ecological, labor and developmental friendly products.

Helping to Facilitate Positive Change

In many areas of the globe, agricultural producers and export companies have been operating by the same set of standards that were handed down to them by those who went before them. Its all they know and at the same time they are often completely unaware of the lucrative and growing market for eco-certified products in developed countries.

Presenting New opportunities in International Trade

Even when businesses and producers in third world and less developed countries do become aware of developing, more progressive eco-marketing trends it is often too difficult adapt to them on their own. Its the surrounding unavoidable prevailing circumstances that dominate the business environment that they operate in that all too often completely block them from accessing and capitalizing on these new marketing trends.

Growing Today and on into the Future

Fairtrade is a proven system that works by leveling the playing field for participants who would otherwise have to face unfair competition from exporters and producers who resist change and continue to adhere to outdated non ecological and outdated labor and developmental practices.

With a current worldwide market of almost $4 billion, combined with annual growth of close to 50%, leading to projected sales of $9 billion by 2012 and $25 by 2020, Fairtrade has a lot to offer.

Promoting International Relations Through Trade

With new trends in globalization, the world has in fact become a much smaller place. Issues that many countries share such as poverty and illegal immigration are turning out to have solutions that require mutual cooperation not higher, stronger fences. Systems such as Fairtrade are helping to insure that all links in a viable self sustaining economic chain that connects developing countries with the more developed are verifiably intact and viable.

Allowing Consumers to Voice their Opinions at Checkout Counters

In the end, it turns out that through Fairtrade the power contained in the money that consumers spend at the very end of this economic chain is able to effect positive change at the exact opposite end where it is needed the most. Where expensive, cumbersome and difficult to enforce international mandates have failed time and again and often fostered corruption, Fairtrade is a proven and growing, entirely voluntary system that is bringing about positive change.