Fair trade

Fair trade as a concept (not to be confused by the UK ‘Fairtrade mark', see below) is a social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement promotes the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of products. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit and so on. The philosophy behind the concept of fair trade products is to work deliberately with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them to move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It is also about empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organisations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.

It's important to realise that there are a number of products which could be classified as ‘fair trade' by nature of their production but not as part of an organisation or mark.

Fairtrade mark

The Fairtrade mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have been certified as complying with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. It shares internationally recognised Fairtrade standards with initiatives in 20 other countries, working together globally with producer networks as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). The mark indicates that the product has been certified to give a better deal to the producers involved, however it does not act as an endorsement of an entire company's business practices.

Organic cotton

This fabric will feature more prominently across the industry with the move against free plastic bags and the need for alternative materials.

Organic cotton is that which is grown in soil without pesticides and from plants which are not genetically modified. High levels of agrochemicals are used in the production of non-organic, conventional cotton. Cotton production uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop and accounts in total for 16% of the world's pesticides. The chemicals used in the processing of cotton also pollute the air and surface waters. It's also important to note that organic cotton can only be grown on land which has been free of pesticides for a set period before it can be considered organic.

Organic agriculture uses crop rotation instead of agrochemicals and artificial fertilisers, and biological pest control instead of pesticides. Quite simply, organic cotton offers a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Fair Wear Foundation

The Netherlands-based Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) aims to promote humane labour conditions in the garment industry. The organisation works with the Code of Labour Practices for the Garment Industry and comprises member companies which endorse this code.  Verification by the FWF guarantees that member companies actually improve labour conditions where possible.

This is one example of an independent organisation that ensures items are fairly traded. Again, while FWF is an organisation, other garments not endorsed by this mark can well be fair trade garments if manufactured under the criteria of fair trade products.

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