Is Fair Trade Really Fair?
Fair Trade USA™ has created rigorous standards to advance ethics in global supply chains, supporting brands in fair and sustainable sourcing. Many consumers often ask, “is fair trade ethical?” Our standards and certification model ensure that farmers, workers, and fishers are educated on their rights and engaged in community development, especially on workplace safety and protection. We protect human rights and grant access to safe environments, additional capital and resources, and education along the Fair Trade Certified journey.
Benefits for Workers
Across global supply chains, many workers face unethical and unsustainable standards. The tea industry alone employs an estimated 13 million people, and 9 million smallholder farmers are growing more than half of the world’s tea. Tea farmers on non-certified farms often experience low wages, forced labor, and consequences of the environmental impacts of tea. Fair Trade Certification works to address these issues, and provide all workers on certified farms, factories, and fisheries with:
- Fair Wages: Producers, especially smallholder farmers, are vulnerable to exploitation and unfair costs for labor and product. Our standards require fair pay, and help producers get a fair shake in global markets.
- Community Development: Fair Trade Community Development Funds go directly to workers to be used on community projects of their choosing. Projects include educational opportunities, food distribution, community engagement, and more.
- Transparency and Reporting: Fair Trade Standards require strong systems for reporting grievances or non-compliance. This means that any workers can make a report without fear of retaliation, helping to continuously improve standards.
Standards that Meet the Moment
However, many consumers still question whether fair trade is actually fair in practice. Our team continues to evaluate standards and carry out scheduled revisions to ensure relevancy in a changing market. We also work directly with producers to discuss how standards impact their work, and what improvements could be made. Our standards have been making measurable progress since inception, and we continue to advance our core mission while staying up-to-date and informed on how to set today’s best practices.