At Millars wood roasted coffee we support and purchase fairtrade coffees for use in our blends. Heres some education of what it means to be fair trade. Fair Trade is an organized social movement that aims to help producers of goods in developing countries and promote sustainability. Fairtrade advocates higher payments to producers, as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a variety of goods. It focuses particularly on exports from developing to developed countries - most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, honey, banannas, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate and flowers.
Fairtrade's stratgeic intent is to work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help move towards economic self-sufficiency and stability. Another goal is to allow these producers to become greater stakeholders in their own organizations, as well as to play a wider role in international trade.
In 2008, Fair trade certified sales amounted to approximately US$4.08 billion worldwide, a 22% year-to-year increase. While this represents only a tiny fraction of world trade in physical merchandise, fair trade products account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories in Europe and North America. In June 2008, it was estimated that over 7.5 millino producers and their families were benefiting from fair trade funded infrastructure, technical assistance and community development projects.
Fair Trade advocates usually employ a number of guidelines. The movement intends to provide market access to otherwise marginalized producers, connecting them to customers and allowing access with fewer middlemen. It's goal is to provide higher wages than typically paid to producers as well as helping producers develop knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives. Fair trade advocates also seek to raise awareness of the philosophies among consumers in devloped nations. Fair Trade products are traded and marketed by either an "integrated supply chain" wher products are imported and/or distributed by fairtrade organizations or by "product certification" where products complying with fair trade specifications are certified indicating that they have been produced, traded, processed and packaged according to the standards.
