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What Is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world, such as Asia, South America and Africa. The price paid is socially just and a realistic reflection of the needs of the makers.
Fair Trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their lives and gain more control. It is about trade, not aid or charity.
The more business we give these producers, on fair terms, the more they are able to expand and develop based on the financial security that this trade gives them. In turn, as their own business grows stronger and more secure, their prospects, and those of their families and communities, improve.
Fair Trade creates a “win:win” scenario. A “win” for the consumer as the products are of the highest quality and a “win” for the producer as they receive a fair price with a minimum price guaranteed.
International trade can seem like a remote issue, but when commodity prices fall dramatically it can have a catastrophic impact on the lives of small scale producers. Too many producers in the developing world have to contend with fluctuating prices which may not even cover the cost of production. Imagine that for a second and you can see why an alternative way of trading needs to be offered.
The products offered for sale by THE FAIR TRADE STORE come from responsible suppliers/importers who work directly with the producers themselves to ensure that Fair Trade principles are adhered to. This close working relationship is often based on frequent visits to the producers where contracts are agreed that allow long term planning and help to build a “fair” partnership between producers and consumers based on mutual respect and trust.
By simply switching to Fair Trade you can use your purchasing power as economic muscle, secure in the knowledge that the product is not being brought to you at a terrible cost to the people that produced it. So, by buying from THE FAIR TRADE STORE you really will be “helping to make a difference”.
To find out more please visit The Fairtrade Foundation, The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) and The World Fair Trade Organisation.
About Our Suppliers & Importers
We sell Fair Trade gifts, including bags, jewellery and accessories. All our suppliers/importers are accredited by The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS), The Fairtrade Foundation, or are those who uphold the “Fair Trade Principles”.
You are now just a few steps away from the actual Fair Trade producers in the developing world, such as Asia, South America and Africa.
Fair Trade principles mean that wherever possible, “middlemen” are taken out of the supply chain, to allow as much money as commercially possible to go direct to the actual producers/ farmers themselves.
THE FAIR TRADE STORE deals directly with the importer of the products wherever possible, which gives the unusually short supply chain shown below:-
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Step 1 The producers / farmers themselves, who are usually grouped into locally based cooperatives or associations to help them access the market.
Step 2 The suppliers / importers, always UK based, who work directly with the cooperative or association and buy from them on Fair Trade terms.
Step 3 THE FAIR TRADE STORE, your UK based Online Retailer, has a personal relationship with these suppliers / importers and carefully selects ranges of Fair Trade gifts to sell to you.
Step 4 You, the customer. By buying from THE FAIR TRADE STORE you really are “helping to make a difference”, because after your purchase we then need to order more stock, which in turn creates demand back at the producers / farmers who then have to supply more stock on Fair Trade terms…… and the cycle continues………
