What are the Fair Trade Standards?
Poor countries are locked in a vicious Catch-22 situation, what has been called the global race to the bottom because they must use low wages, cheap natural resources and careless environmental standards to compete for foreign investment. Fair trade is based on a business model that puts workers and the environment first, not last. Fair-trade concepts hold the promise of transforming globalization into a force that benefits the mass of humanity, not just the rich. Fair Trade principles include: – Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. – Fair labor conditions: Workers on farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited. – Community development: farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic
