Fair Trade: a definition

Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair Trade organisations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising, and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.

This definition of Fair Trade has been agreed by an informal network of the four Fair Trade Organisations below, known by their initials as FINE. For contact details, see global partners.

Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO)
In order to co-ordinate the work of the various national Fairtrade initiatives and to run the monitoring programmes more efficiently, an umbrella organisation, FLO was set up in April 1997. A central responsibility for FLO is to collect data and ensure the audit of all Fairtrade-labelled products from the producer to the supermarket shelf. One of its aims is to see the introduction of a single international Fairtrade label. The national initiatives retain responsibility for marketing and promoting Fairtrade in their respective countries.

International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT)
IFAT is a global network of Fair Trade organisations working to improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of disadvantaged people in developing countries, and to change the unfair structures of international trade. Established in 1989, IFAT now has more than 150 members in over 45 countries. Through IFAT, producers of handicrafts and farm products from developing countries join forces with traders in the North and South to develop a fairer approach to international commerce.

Network of European World shops (NEWS!)
NEWS is the Network of European World Shops which
co-ordinates the co-operation between World Shops all over Western Europe. The Network consists of 15 national World Shop associations in 13 different countries, which together represent about 2,500 World Shops in Europe.

European Fair Trade Association (EFTA)
EFTA, established in 1987, is an association of 12 Fair Trade importers in 9 European countries. EFTA facilitates co-operation and co-ordination between its members in the areas of trading with suppliers in the south, advocacy and campaigns work, monitoring of fair trade and marketing fair trade products.