OUR VALUES
TRANSPARENCY |
SUSTAINABILITY | FAIR TRADE
A Global Movement for Fair Trade Practices
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods.
Fair trade focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, and it's strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.
The principles of fair trade have spread rapidly around the globe over the past twenty years. The emergence of international fair trade institutions, such as the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and the Fair Trade Labeling Organization (FLO), signals the widespread reach of international fair trade principles.
By complying with internationally recognized fair trade standards, Promote Africa has become an integrated component of this growing international movement that empowers agents at all levels of the economy. We recognize fair trade as an alternative to standard international trade, and our goal is to economically empower disadvantaged producers and thereby promote sustainable economic development.
IFAT's Ten Standards of Fair Trade:
1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable
development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who
have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the
conventional trading system.
2. Transparency and accountability
Fair Trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.
3. Capacity building
Fair Trade is a means to develop producers’ independence. Fair Trade
relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their
marketing organizations can improve their management skills and their
access to new markets.
4. Promoting Fair Trade
Fair Trade Organizations raise awareness of Fair Trade and the
possibility of greater justice in world trade. They provide their
customers with information about the organization, the products, and in
what conditions they are made. They use honest advertising and
marketing techniques and aim for the highest standards in product
quality and packing.
5. Payment of a fair price
A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been
agreed through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs
of production but enables production which is socially just and
environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and takes
into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and
men. Fair Traders ensure prompt payment to their partners and, whenever
possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or pre-production
financing.
6. Gender Equity
Fair Trade means that women’s work is properly valued and rewarded.
Women are always paid for their contribution to the production process
and are empowered in their organizations.
7. Working conditions
Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment for producers.
The participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their
well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play and
conforms to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the
law and norms in the local context.
8. Child Labor
Fair Trade Organizations respect the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child, as well as local laws and social norms in order to ensure that
the participation of children in production processes of fairly traded
articles (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security,
educational requirements and need for play. Organizations working
directly with informally organized producers disclose the involvement
of children in production.
9. The Environment
Fair Trade actively encourages better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production.
10. Trade Relations
Fair Trade Organizations trade with concern for the social, economic
and environmental well-being of marginalized small producers and do not
maximise profit at their expense. They maintain long-term relationships
based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the
promotion and growth of Fair Trade. Whenever possible producers are
assisted with access to pre-harvest or pre-production advance payment.