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What is Fair Trade?

Essentially, fair trade is a business partnership between a producer or supplier of goods and a purchaser of those goods.

But I think it is much, much more than just a business contract. People not profit, trust & respect are the basis for my fair-trade partnerships!

This partnership has set rules which both parties must adhere to to qualify for recognition as Fair Trade as laid down by either the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) or individual national fair trade associations. In the UK, this is the British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).

There are 10 rules which all Fair Trade organisations must follow:

To create opportunities for marginalised & disadvantaged producers who would otherwise not have access to international trade markets.
To be open, fair and respectfully in management and commercial relations.
To encourage and nurture the producers' skills enabling them to reach independance and access new markets
To pay a fair price for goods which doesn't just cover the goods but enables a just and environmental production. To pay promptly and if possible, provide finance pre-production or harvest.
To provide safe and healthy working conditions for the producers.
To respect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children as well as respecting local laws and practices.
To promote gender equality in the working environment and empower women workers.
To encourage responsibility towards the environment and more responsible production practices.
To trade with specific responsibility to producer's social, economic and environmental well-being, and not to maximise profit at their expense. To promote long-term trade partnerships based on trust and respect.
To actively raise awareness of greater justice in world trade, to provide information to customers on fair-trade, the products and their producers.To use open marketing and advertising.

We are very proud to say that The Fair Trade Faerie is recognised by BAFTS as a fairtrade store and that we have been awarded our fairtrade accreditation.

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