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Fair and Supportive Trade
The fair and supportive trade, or fair trade, is an economic partnership based on dialogue, openness and respect, which aims at a greater equity between North and South of the world through international trade.
Fair trade contributes to an extensive sustainable development by offering better economic conditions and guaranteeing the rights of producers marginalized by the market and of the workers, especially in the South of the world.
The FTOs - Fair Trade Organizations that join IFAT (International Fair Trade Association) are actively involved in the techinical assistance to producers, in public and institutional opinion awareness raising actions, and in the development of campaigns for the change of rules and practices of the international trade.
IFAT defines the STANDARDS, or general criteria to which accredited fair trade operators are bound to respect, and a shared CODE OF CONDUCT, from a point of view of verification of the correct operations of these organizations and of openness towards consumers and other subejcts.
Fair trade adheres to important guiding lines:
- guarantee to small South producers the direct and sustainable access to market, with the purpose of favoring the transition from unstableness to a situation of economic self sufficiency and human rights respect;
- strengthen the role of producers and workers as primary stakeholders of the organizations in which they operate;
- act in a long range, including at a political and cultural level, attain greater equity of rules and practices of the international trade.
