What is the FAIRTRADE Mark?
The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK food products as a guarantee that their producers have had a better deal. The Mark is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation, a registered charity set up by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Traidcraft Exchange and the World Development Movement. It shares internationally recognised Fairtrade standards with initiatives in 18 other countries, working together as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
The FAIRTRADE Mark appears on over 850 different food products There is a wide choice of organic coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark and the range is increasing steadily. At the moment there are no GMO crops in the categories covered by the FAIRTRADE Mark so all Fairtrade products are GMO-free. The first non-food item to gain the FAIRTRADE Mark are roses from Kenya.
So look for the Mark. It is your guarantee and the producers' guarantee.
Organisations like Oxfam and Traidcraft have been trading fairly for many years, and sell a wide range of fairly traded food products. Many carry the Traidcraft logo. Consumers can trust these organisations, because challenging poverty is their main purpose.
If you are shopping at other retail outlets and see tea, coffee, bananas or cocoa products without these Marks, there is no independent guarantee that the producers are getting a fair deal. So, if a company is claiming that it meets these standards, you may want to ask them a few questions: do they pay a social premium, provide long-term contracts and develop their producers' capacities, and are they prepared to subject themselves to the independent scrutiny and monitoring of the FAIRTRADE Mark?
