Fair trade (in Portuguese: Comércio Justo) is one of the pillars of economic and ecological (or economical, as it has been called) sustainability.
It is a social movement and an international trade modality that seeks to establish fair prices, as well as balanced social and environmental standards in the production chains, promoting the meeting of responsible producers with ethical consumers. [1]
The idea of fair trade emerged in the 1960s and took shape in 1967, when the Fair Trade Organization was created in the Netherlands. Two years later, the first fair trade store was opened. Coffee was the first product to follow the certification standard for this type of trade, in 1988. The experience spread throughout Europe and, in the following year, the International Fair Trade Association was created, which currently brings together about 300 organizations in 60 countries .
The movement pays special attention to exports from developing countries to developed countries, such as handicrafts and agricultural products. In a nutshell, it is trade where the producer receives fair remuneration for his work.
Some countries have consumers concerned with sustainability and who choose to buy products sold through fair trade. This ethical option has allowed small producers in tropical countries to live in a dignified way by choosing agroecology, such as organic agriculture.
Fair trade is defined by News! (the European network of fair trade stores) as “a partnership between producers and consumers who work to overcome the difficulties faced by the former, to increase their access to the market and to promote the process of sustainable development. Fair trade seeks to create the means and opportunities to improve living and working conditions for producers, especially disadvantaged smallholders. Its mission is to promote social equity, environmental protection and economic security through trade and the promotion of awareness campaigns “.
Information and Certification
- World Fair Trade Organization (https://wfto.com/
- Fair Trade International (International) – https://www.fairtrade.net/
- World Fair Trade Organization (European Organization) – https://wfto-europe.org/
- ECOCERT – https://www.ecocert.com/en/certification-detail/fair-trade-fair-for-life