Fairtrade Internationalįairtrade International is the oldest and largest fair trade organization in the world. Equal Exchange products are not available in many major stores or chains, but they do have an online shop. The co-op specializes in standard fair trade staples such as coffee, chocolate and bananas, but their team also focuses on the avocado industry. Equal Exchange claims it is a “democratic worker co-operative,” meaning its workers are also owners and managers. A vote from an executive director or board member is worth the same as one from a lower-level employee or farmer partner. Their co-op has more than 120 workers who are entitled to an equal stake and vote in the business. The Equal Exchange team is the most dedicated to the cooperative structure that has defined the fair trade movement.
Nonetheless, their label and business are prominent in the fair trade movement. Unlike the other entries in this list, Equal Exchange is not a fair trade certification body. Here are the major players: Equal ExchangeĮqual Exchange is an alternative trade organization that sells fair trade products under the Equal Exchange brand. There are also subtle differences in what each considers fair trade. The qualities that separate these organizations and fair trade labels are their legal statuses, organizational structures, histories, values, priorities and market shares. Leaders in the movement also tend to focus on other foods and consumer products, such as bananas, tea, cotton and clothing. These two are the ones you’ll most likely see at the supermarket. The fair trade industry covers a growing range of products, but the most common ones are coffee and chocolate. Certified brands can leverage fair trade labels to attract consumers who value ethical and sustainable production - and also don’t mind paying a little extra. Some of these nonprofits and cooperatives issue certifications to producers and brands who have proven they are facilitating just labor practices and adequate conditions for workers and artisans. By learning more about fair trade cooperatives and nonprofits, you’ll understand what’s behind each label and whether you care to choose one over another.Īll fair trade organizations have the overarching mission of ensuring farmers, laborers and artisans can receive fair wages, market prices and trade conditions for the goods they produce. Shop: Ground Coffee ($6.50), Coffee Beans ($6.50)īecause there isn’t a single entity that manages the production of fair trade goods on the consumer market, there are multiple labels. Equal Exchange no longer just focuses on coffee they import a range of products from honey to chocolates.Fair trade may be a movement to support farmers and laborers in achieving better trade conditions, but it’s also a system of organizations that label products and certify producers. Now Equal Exchange work with a wide range of farming communities to make the world a fairer and more transparent place. The team imported coffee from Tanzania and Nicaragua, launching Campaign Coffee Scotland. In 1990 Campaign Coffee Scotland re branded as Equal Exchange and became a workers’ co-operative, reflecting the values that we still believe in today. Throwing money at the problem was not the only answer – direct, fairer trading would make a real difference. At the same time, coffee consumption was growing in the UK and yet the people drinking it had no idea that the farmers were not even covering their costs or that they had no other choices. They had seen how small-scale farmers were plunging themselves into debt due to the appallingly low prices they received for their products and buyers’ lack of transparency.
In 1979 three aid volunteers returned from Africa.
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