ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO FAIR TRADE
DIVINE CHOCOLATE
www.divinechocolateusa.com
A major Fair Trade chocolate producer in Africa. It is 45% owned by the producers, the Kuapa
Kokoo co-operative in Ghana.
EQUAL EXCHANGE
http://www.equalexchange.coop/
The first retailer of Fair Trade commodities such as coffee and chocolate. It is a 100% Fair Trade
company, owned by its workers. In xxxx, it split from the Transfair USA certification system,
and helped establish the “FAIR FOR LIFE” certification.
FAIR FOR LIFE (FFL)
http://www.fairforlife.net
Established in 2006, Fair For Life is a certification system that developed when some Fair Trade
businesses wanted an alternative to the certification system of Fair Trade USA (then known as
Tranfair USA). It works in cooperation with the Institute for Marketecology (IMO) and the
Swiss Bio-Foundation. FFL “is a brand neutral third party certification programme for social
accountability and fair trade in agricultural, manufacturing and trading operations. The
programme complements existing fair trade certification systems. . . . Fair for Life Social &
FairTrade Certification guarantees that human rights are guaranteed at any stage of production,
that workers enjoy good and fair working conditions and that smallholder farmers receive a fair
share. Fair trade improves the livelihood of thousands of smallholder farmers and workers by
providing the means for social community projects and empowerment of people” (website).
FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION
http://www.fairlabor.org/
A social justice trade organization. “Since 1999, FLA has helped improve the lives of millions of
workers around the world. As a collaborative effort of socially responsible companies, colleges
and universities, and civil society organizations, FLA creates lasting solutions to abusive labor
practices by offering tools and resources to companies, delivering training to factory workers and
management, conducting due diligence through independent assessments, and advocating for
greater accountability and transparency from companies, manufacturers, factories and others
involved in global supply chains”. See WORKERS RIGHTS CONSORTIUM, a similar but more
radical social justice trade organization.
FAIR TRADE CAMPUSES
http://fairtradecampus.ning.com/
A new organization that is not yet fully established.
FAIR TRADE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES USA
http://www.fairtradeusa.org/
Established in 2010????, this organization actively supports and oversees the Fair Trade Colleges
and Universities movement in the U.S. It has a national steering committee, which includes UW
Oshkosh Professor David Barnhill.
FAIR TRADE FEDERATION (FTF)
http://www.fairtradefederation.org/
Fair Trade Federation is the organization that oversees 100% Fair Trade organizations (rather
than certify Fair Trade commodities), in particular retailers of crafts by artisans such as SERRV
and TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES. The Fair Trade Federation “is the trade association that
strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to Fair Trade. . . . To
become a Fair Trade Federation member, businesses undergo a rigorous screening process that
evaluates their practice of all nine Fair Trade Principles” (website).
FAIR TRADE FOR ALL
http://fairtradeforall.com/
Fair Trade for All is the new certification program offered by Fair Trade USA. With this new
program, Fair Trade USA seeks to strengthen farming communities by investing in cooperatives
and partnering with others to provide more impact, innovating the Fair Trade model by including
more people in more communities around the world, and by igniting consumer involvement by
increasing awareness and sales to build the Fair Trade movement (website).
FAIRTRADE FOUNDATION
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Established in 1991, it is the UK member of FAIRTRADE INTERNATIONAL. “The Fairtrade
Foundation is the independent non-profit organisation that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE
Mark on products in the UK in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. . . .
Our vision is of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade
structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified
livelihood and develop their full potential” (website).
FAIR TRADE INTERNATIONAL (FTI)
http://www.fairtrade.net/
Formerly FLO (Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International). The largest international
certification agency. “We are 25 organizations working to secure a better deal for producers.
From our headquarters in Bonn, Germany, we set international Fairtrade standards and support
Fairtrade producers” (FTI website).
FAIR TRADE RESOURCE NETWORK (FTRN)
http://www.fairtraderesource.org/
A very valuable resource for the Fair Trade movement. FTRN “is an information hub designed to
grow the fair trade movement. Together, we can create a market that values the people who make
the food we eat and the goods we use” (website). It has provided learning opportunities for those
engaged in the debates and schisms within the Fair Trade movement.
FAIR TRADE TOWNS
http://fairtradetownsusa.org/
FAIR TRADE UNIVERSITIES (UNITED KINGDOM)
http://peopleandplanet.org/ftunis
The agency that oversees Fair Trade Universities in the U.K. Established in xxx
FAIR TRADE USA
Formerly “Transfair USA.” The largest certifying organization for the United States, until
recently the only one in the country. In addition to certification, Fair Trade USA actively
promotes Fair Trade in the U.S., in part by seeking ways to increase sales of Fair Trade products
by mainstreaming Fair Trade. It also is the principal supporter of the Fair Trade Colleges and
Universities movement. Some of its practices have been controversial, leading to several Fair
Trade businesses (such as Equal Exchange and Just Coffee) to drop out of its certification
system. Some have developed a new one, “Fair For Life,” while others have decided to work
directly with producers without certification (e.g., xxx of Oshkosh and Just Coffee of Madison).
In 2011, Fair Trade USA dropped out of being a member of the international FLO certification
system, developing its own certification “Fair Trade For All.”
FLO (FAIRTRADE LABELING ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL)
See “FAIRTRADE INTERNATIONAL.”
FLO-CERT
International certifying agency. Initially a part of FLO (now FTI), it became an independent of
FLO in order to give greater credibility to its certifications.
GLOBAL EXCHANGE (GE) FAIR TRADE PROGRAM
http://www.globalexchange.org/programs/fairtrade
“Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social,
economic and environmental justice around the world” (website). GE has a Fair Trade Program,
which includes selling Fair Trade products online.
INTERNATIONAL FAIR TRADE ASSOCIATION (IFTA)
See WORLD FAIR TRADE ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION (OCA) FAIR TRADE PROGRAM
http://www.organicconsumers.org/fairtrade.cfm
“OCA is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning
for health, justice, and sustainability. . . . The OCA represents over 850,000 members,
subscribers and volunteers, including several thousand businesses in the natural foods and
organic marketplace. Our US and international policy board is broadly representative of the
organic, family farm, environmental, and public interest community” (website). OCA is a strong
supporter of Fair Trade.
SERRV
http://www.serrv.org/
Established in xxx by xxx, like TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES if sells craft items by artisans and is a
member of the Fair Trade Federation. Headquarters in Madison.
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
The first Fair Trade retailer, established in xxx by xxx. Focusing on craft items by artisans, it
continues as one of the largest Fair Trade retailers and members of the Fair Trade Federation.
TRANSFAIR USA
See “Fair Trade USA.”
UNITED STUDENTS FOR FAIR TRADE
http://usft.org/
“USFT is a collaboration of students and youth working in solidarity with cooperative
communities to promote fair trade principles, products and policies. Consciousness raising,
leadership development and capacity building stand at the core of our grassroots organizing”
(website). Recently USFT decided to separate itself from the Fair Trade Colleges and
Universities organization because of disagreements with Fair Trade USA.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN OSHKOSH
http://www.uwosh.edu/fairtrade
In 2008, UW Oshkosh became the first university in the U.S. to declare itself as a Fair Trade
University, helping to jumpstart the Fair Trade Colleges and Universities movement in the U.S.
WORKERS RIGHTS CONSORTIUM (WRC)
http://www.workersrights.org/
WRC “is an independent labor rights monitoring organization, conducting investigations of
working conditions in factories around the globe. Our purpose is to combat sweatshops and
protect the rights of workers who make apparel and other products” (website). It is not a Fair
Trade organization but it shares the values and concerns of Fair Trade concerning social justice.
It is a complement to, and critic of, FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION. The UW Oshkosh Fair Trade
Committee endorses its program.
WORLD FAIR TRADE ORGANIZATION (WFTO)
http://www.wfto.com/
Formerly International Fair Trade Association (IFTA). WFTO is the international organization of
Fair Trade organizations, primarily those dealing with crafts. It is similar in function to FTI,
which focuses on commodities. “Membership of the WFTO is limited to organizations that
demonstrate a 100% Fair Trade commitment and apply its 10 Principles of Fair Trade. . . .
WFTO’s mission is to enable producers to improve their livelihoods and communities through
Fair Trade. WFTO will be the global network and advocate for Fair Trade, ensuring producer
voices are heard” (website).
--David Barnhill, spring 2013