When I created my Sustainable and ethical brands list and my Fairtrade brands list I learnt so much about the Fairtrade Certification and brands and I know people often ask the question why is it important to buy fairtrade products. You may have seen the Fairtrade Certification on a number of products but not really understood why should we choose Fairtrade brands for purchases.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small profit if you buy through my link. I would never recommend something I didn’t believe in or wouldn’t buy myself, thank you for your support.

What Does Fairtrade Mean?

Fair-trade Definition Verb

: to market (a commodity) in compliance with the provisions of a fair-trade agreement

Fairtrade Definition Noun

: trade in conformity with a fair-trade agreement

: a movement whose goal is to help producers in developing countries to get a fair price for their products so as to reduce poverty, provide for the ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promote environmentally sustainable practices

Source

What’s Fairtrade? Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

Fairtrade.org

Fairtrade is to ensure that food, drink and craft items are sourced through a fair supply change. Fairtrade is when the price we pay for products such as food, drink, fashion & crafts gives enough to producers to cover the cost of their products – and to have enough left over to invest in their farms or businesses.

Source

If you’re interested in learning about fast furniture, you can read the full post about what to consider when buying sustainable furniture.

What Do The Fairtrade Symbols Mean?

Fairtrade Foundation’s Fairtrade Mark

When you see this Fair Trade symbol on products that means that the product and ingredients are certified in accordance with Fairtrade standards. It’s such a widely recognised symbol these days that most people in the UK and the USA would have seen this mark at some stage.

When the symbol has an arrow next to it that means that you can check the ingredients for more information about the ingredients and sourcing method.

The European Fair Trade Association (EFTA) which is a group of Fair Trade organisations in Europe.

The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) which is a global membership body of Fair Trade organisations – including producers from Africa, Central and Latin America and Asia who seek to benefit from fair trade.

Fair Trade Certified Seal USA Similar to the Fairtrade Mark and one to look out for if you’re in the US.

Why Should We Choose Fairtrade

1. Fairtrade means fair working pay and good working conditions for farmers and producers.
2. Fairtrade products are readily available in most supermarkets in the UK and also the online stores I specify further down.
3. There is no forced labour or child labour with Fairtrade products.
4. It’s estimated that there are 1.7 million farmers and workers involved in Fairtrade Organisations. Source
5. Handmade items are much better quality because the workers have been able to take their time and pay attention to the details. Quite often food items will be organic as well and therefore much better for us.
6. Lastly and definitely the most importantly, is that you’ll be making a real difference to these workers and producers lives. When they’re paid a premium this is invested in their businesses, their housing and education.

I could probably list other reasons why it is important to buy Fairtrade products but I thought that these were the main reasons to discuss.

Where To Buy Fair Trade Products

You may have already spotted the Fairtrade mark in Supermarkets and stores in your area. There are certainly a lot of Fairtrade brands available in the UK. If you wanted to see the full list, check out my Fairtrade brands list. However, what stands out to me in the UK, is Co-op supermarket because they have been committed to Fairtrade for many years now. However, if you were looking to support some online companies with Fair Trade products. I will list some below.

Fairtrade Online Shops

One World Shop

This fair trade organisation is based in Scotland and they’ve been trading products since 1983.

The One World Shop played a leading role in helping both Edinburgh and Glasgow become Fairtrade Cities in 2004 and 2006 respectively and in 2008, we received the Edinburgh Fairtrade City Long Standing Achievement Award. Our Business Manager, Rachel Farey, is also an award winner and won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Scottish Fair Trade Forum Awards in 2015.

One World Shop

They have the following categories on their website:

• Accessories
• Drinks
• Food
• Hair & Body
• Home & Garden
• Stationery & Books

The Fair Trade Store

Created by Paul Wolfenden in 2009 after finding out first hand about the injustices from trade whilst working with some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets.

We are an online retailer of unique Fairtrade gifts handmade in the developing world.

“Everything you can see in my store can be purchased with the peace of mind that you are making a direct difference to the quality of people’s lives within some of the world’s poorest communities.”

Paul Wolfenden

They work with the Zuri Foundation as their charity partner. They have the following categories on their website:

• The Eco store
• Accessories
• Bags
• Jewellery
• Homeware
• Stationery

Traidcraft Shop

Traidcraft Shop is a great place to buy all of your Fair Trade products in one place. Their main aim is to make capitalism fair, they recognise the huge injustices in trade, the environment and society and want to put a stop to this.

What We Do

We break any rules that inhabit or restrict our mission.

We’re 100% transparent. We tell it how it is.

We advocate less consumption.

We tell the truth about climate change.

Our culture, structure and pay scale is part of our response.

We will always be at the forefront of pioneering change.

We are an everyday activist’s one-stop shop.

We buy and sell fair trade. We are one of the leading, dedicated fair trade companies, in the UK and globally.

Traidcraft Shop

Traidcraft have the following categories on their website:

• Home & Garden
• Food
• Drink
• Fashion
• Household
• Gifts

I hope this post has helped you to realise why we should choose Fairtrade brands for our food, drink, fashion and crafts where possible.

I do appreciate that this might not be possible for everyone’s budget. I’ve managed to switch my bananas, coffee and sugar to Fairtrade certified. Each of these are more expensive than non Fairtrade versions which of course shows just how little the other farmers get paid for their goods.

If everyone just switched a few of their regular purchases for Fairtrade certified products it would make such a huge difference to the lives of these farmers and businesses. This is why it is important to buy fairtrade products when you can.

If would like some inspiration, check out my 100 sustainable quotes post.

If you want regular sustainable inspiration which is suitable for beginners, sign up to my monthly newsletter below.

You can also follow me on Instagram, where I’m the most active or on my YouTube channel.