About Fair Trade

There are a number of initiatives that seek to improve trade.

The Ethical Trading Initiative is an alliance of companies, development agencies and trade unions which support a process to help companies take more responsibility for the conditions of their employees and effect on the environment of their activities.

The Fairtrade Foundation believes that, at the very minimum, all companies should ensure suppliers have safe and decent working conditions, have effective mechanisms in place to identify problems with suppliers and, when necessary, be prepared to address them promptly and adequately.

The Fairtrade mark and fair trade movement go beyond this. It addresses the injustice of low and decreasing prices of third world commodities and pays a fair price for commodities that covers the costs of production and includes a fair wage for the workers, often above the market rates. The supply chain is also important in fair trade where everyone in the chain should supply honest and transparent information about their costs and profits.

Not all products are yet certified with the Fairtrade mark. Handicrafts is one of these sectors. In this situation, fair trade organisations pay prices and wages that cover the costs of production. They also involve producers in a partnership approach to improve their social and economic position, thus enabling them to take more control over their lives. Many of these organisations are registered with IFAT.

Companies may use phrases such as: ‘trading fairly’ or ‘ethical trade’. If you want to purchase a fair trade product, it is important that you clarify the meaning of phrases such as these and are informed about the specific trading practices of the organisation.

If you want more information about the trading practices of The Book Bag Company, please contact us.