What are Fair Trade Goods?

‘Fair trade’ standards are rigorous and products must be in accordance with rules set out by the Fair Trade Labelling Organisations International (otherwise known as ‘FLO’). These rules make several statements or ‘rules’ that are applicable to Fair Trade Standards, with an emphasis on the three areas of social, economic and environmental policy. They:



• ensure a guaranteed minimum price agreed with the producers

• emphasise trade between partners and facilitate long-term business relationships

• negotiate a Fair Trade premium for use in project investment to enhance social, economic and environmental performance



Following such guidelines ensures fair treatment for small-scale farmers and plantations in developing countries in continents such as Africa, Asia and South America. In the UK, the Fair Trade Foundation is the main body responsible for certifying products with the official ‘Fair Trade’ badge.

It’s imperative that producers, manufacturers and dealers of products, such as juices and chocolate, meet these rigorous standards and comply with Fair Trade standards.



Fair Trade Juices



There are numerous ‘internationally-agreed’ commodity products covered by the Fair Trade mark, and one such product is juices. However, over the years, certain commodities for juices (oranges, for instance) have dropped significantly. Because control of juice manufacturing has been under the control of large multinational corporations, small-scale farmers have been forced out of business.



Fair Trade aims to help small-scale ‘juice commodity’ producers by offering stable prices that are independent of global market fluctuations. Fair Trade standards ensure minimum wages and decent living standards for workers plantation and farm workers.



If you want to find out where to buy fairtrade juices, you can visit the National Fairtrade Organisation site which provides information on country-specific suppliers. Other facts and figures about Fair Trade standards are on the www.fairtrade.net site and there’s a database of certified supplies on the FLO-CERT website.



List of Fair Trade Products



• Bananas

• Cocoa

• Coffee

• Cotton

• Flowers

• Fresh Fruit

• Gold

• Honey

• Juices

• Rice

• Spices and Herbs

• Sports Balls

• Sugar

• Tea

• Wine

• Composite Products