fold faq How was Fairtrade labelling created?
Fair Trade as such has existed since the 1950s. It started as a partnership between non-profit importers, retailers in the North and small-scale producers in developing countries. Many of these producers were at the time struggling against low market prices and high dependence on intermediaries. They saw fair trade as an opportunity to protect their livelihoods, bypass the middlemen and directly access Northern markets. Over the years, more and more Alternative Trade Organisations (ATOs) were created in different countries, often closely linked to volunteer groups and World Shops. These networks of ATOs and World Shops played a vital role in the development of Fair Trade as we know it today. In 1988, in an effort to expand the distribution of fair trade products to mainstream retailers, a Dutch ATO, Solidaridad, found an innovative way to increase sales without compromising consumer trust in Fairtrade products and in their origins. The organization created a label, called Max Havelaar,
