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The 10 Standards of Fair Trade
IFAT prescribes 10 standards that Fair Trade organizations must follow in
their day-to-day work and carries out continuous monitoring to ensure these
standards are upheld:
• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically
disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system.
• Transparency and accountability
Fair Trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal
fairly and respectfully with trading partners.
• Capacity building
Fair Trade is a means to develop producers’ independence. Fair Trade
relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing
organizations can improve their management skills and their access to new
markets.
• Promoting Fair Trade
Fair Trade Organizations raise awareness of Fair Trade and the possibility of
greater justice in world trade. They provide their customers with information
about the organization, the products, and in what conditions they are made. They
use honest advertising and marketing techniques and aim for the highest
standards in product quality and packing.
• Payment of a fair price
A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed
through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production
but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It
provides fair pay to the producers and takes into account the principle of equal
pay for equal work by women and men. Fair Traders ensure prompt payment to their
partners and, whenever possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or
pre-production financing.
• Gender Equity
Fair Trade means that women’s work is properly valued and rewarded. Women are
always paid for their contribution to the production process and are empowered
in their organizations.
• Working conditions
Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment for producers. The
participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being,
security, educational requirements and need for play and conforms to the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the law and norms in the local
context.
• Child Labour
Fair Trade Organizations respect the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
as well as local laws and social norms in order to ensure that the participation
of children in production processes of fairly traded articles (if any) does not
adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need
for play. Organizations working directly with informally organised producers
• disclose the involvement of children in production.
• The environment
Fair Trade actively encourages better environmental practices and the
application of responsible methods of production.
• Trade Relations
Fair Trade Organizations trade with concern for the social, economic and
environmental well-being of marginalized small producers and do not maximise
profit at their expense. They maintain long-term relationships based on
solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth
of Fair Trade. Whenever possible producers are assisted with access to
pre-harvest or pre-production advance payment.
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