Fair Trade & Fair Labor

In order to receive this third-party certification and bear the fair-trade label, products must to meet a series of criteria. Different fair-trade organizations frame the standards somewhat differently; the following list shows the most commonly used criteria.

· Guaranteed minimum (floor) prices to producers; fair wages to laborers; social development premium.

· Advance credit or payment to producers.

· Democratically run producer cooperatives or workplaces.

· Long-term contracts and trading relationships.

· Environmentally sustainable production practices.

· Public accountability and financial transparency.

· Financial and technical assistance to producers.

· Safe, non-exploitive working conditions.

Coffee was the first commodity to be fairly traded, and is still the largest (Jaffee, 2014). Tea and cocoa are also common fair trade items.

Fair Labor

Fair Trade