Fair Trade is an approach based on precise criterion of sustainable development; relations of exchanges of long duration and direct relations removing the intermediaries. According to these criterions, the Fair Trade organizations of North thus begin to buy these products at a just price which ensures the producers a decent life by taking into account not only the real cost of production, but also the financing of projects of local development in education, workers' instruction and health. Reciprocally, the South producers involve themselves in co-operatives, associations or companies with social purposes respecting the interdependent economic values and organizing their work in a transparent and democratic method, while respecting the requirements of the sustainable development and the fundamental principles with the labour laws. The Fair Trade movement pursues a double aim: on the one hand, to get better living standard and working conditions for the small South producers by creating structures to market their products near the North consumers attentive with North-South solidarity, and on the other hand, to attract the publics attention to the injustice and the inequalities caused by the common rules of the international trade and to act close the political and economic authorities.
[...] The associative world fears that a public label is limited to define some measurable criterion - as the price in the producer what would open the door with actors who do not worry about the political aspect of the Fair Trade. A little like AB[14] label for the biological agriculture, which offers the guarantee of the French state, which the product is without pesticides, but does not prevent that a biological apple produced in Italy is packed in Central Europe and sold in a Paris supermarket after thousands of kilometres in the lorry. [...]
[...] Is the Fair Trade, a tool to appease the consciences or a political lever? Its success questions and provokes initiatives, criticisms and debates. Furthermore, the literature grew rich significantly these two last years: reports, articles, publications propagated by Internet, University work . what shows an apparent interest for this question. To analyze these second problems, it is to seek the best tools in order to educating the consumers at this new market and it is also to inquire itself of coherent political actions with the Fair Trade. [...]
[...] The major Fair Trade principle rests on the confidence.[6] Secondly, it is necessary to apply criterions for a trade much just. There are five criterions: Equitable price. The Fair Trade is destined to balance the unfair sharing of the price shares by implementing a just price with the South small producers. The equitable price apprehends two aspects. A basic price observed which, while being fixed in reference at market prices, will not be able to drop below a certain limit. [...]
[...] Whence, the revolution has initiated since 1988 in the Netherlands by the Max Havelaar association (the name of a famous novel anti-colonial who appeared in this country in 1860): to leave the Fair Trade which is a circuit privileged and to reach the consumer where he is: in supermarkets. What implies to attack some flagship products: coffee, then chocolate, bananas, orange juice, rice . and to forget the abundance of the handcrafted productions of the South which are impossible to refer on supermarkets. [...]
[...] 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. [...]
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