Fair Trade: Going Beyond
the Symbol
www.waterfordoneworldcentre.com
jennifer@waterfordoneworldcentre.com
051 873064
Aims
• To explore the meaning behind the Fair Trade
symbols
• To use Fair Trade as a ‘foot hold’ issue from
which to explore other development topics
• To provide practical examples of development
education methodologies that can be used in
your classrooms
• To provide practical examples of how
development education links to your
curriculum
Today’s Plan…
• Background: What is Fair Trade?
• Our Campaign: Looking Behind the Symbol
• Fair Trade, Development Education and Your
Teaching Practice
Activity: Interdependence
"Before you finish eating your breakfast this
morning you've depended on half the world. We
aren't going to have peace on earth until we
recognize this basic fact.“ – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tea
Asia all over
Yes, readily available
Coffee
Africa, South America
Yes, readily available
Orange Juice
Tropical (FT Brazil)
Yes, Tesco & Lidl, small
shops
Sugar
Temperate (Brazil, EU)
Yes, readily available
Porridge/Grains
Ireland
Eggs
Ireland
Milk
Ireland
Rasher/Sausage
Ireland
Banana
India, Uganda, China
Yes, readily available
Chocolate
Across Africa and South
America
Yes, readily available
Tomato
Probably Spain
No
Strawberries
Probably Spain
No
Baked Beans (Navy)
China
No
Almonds
California, Spain,
Mediterranean
Tough but there are
some
What is Fair Trade or is it Fairtrade?
Fair Trade refers to the overall global trading system
and calls for trade rules and regulations that do not
favour large corporations or governments
Fairtrade, and other labels, refer to a
specific set of requirements for products and
thus is a subset of Fair Trade
Activity: Building the Definition.
A trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, that
seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable
development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights
of, disadvantaged producers and workers—especially in the South.(FINE,
1998)
What role does Free Trade play?
Free Trade
Fair Trade
Main Goal
To increase a nations
economic growth
To empower people
to better their own
lives
Focus On
Trade policies
between countries
Commerce between
individuals and small
businesses
Benefits
MNC’s, governments
Farmers, artisans, etc
in developing
countries
Critics Say
Marginalises small
producers and
environment
Interferes with free
trade, inefficient,
small scale
Compensation
Determined By
Market and
government policies
Living wage and
community
improvement costs
Key Advocate
Organisations
WTO, World Bank,
IMF
Fairtrade
International, World
Fair Trade
Organisation,
Fairtrade Ireland
Adapted from Fair Trade Resources Organisation
Arguments Against Fair Trade
Fair Trade artificially sets minimum wages and prices
Recent study found that Fair Trade didn’t have an appreciable positive
impact on local economy or wages
Fairtrade (the brand) crowds out other ethically sources products
Fair Trade perpetuates charity model of aid vs. justice model
‘The Masking Problem’
What a Fair Trade certification generally means…
Activity: Prioritise the Principles
What’s the difference and does it matter?
Activity: Moving Debate: Let’s Explore Fair Trade…
Statement 1: Reducing food miles is more important than
buying Fair Trade
Statement 2: Trade rules and regulations should be
left to the market to figure out.
Statement 3: Fair Trade is an instrument of justice.
Statement 4: In Ireland today, people are too worried
about their own money to care about producers in far
away countries.
Statement 5: Dubble only?
Fair Trade and the Waterford One World Centre
2012 Kimmage Development Studies Centre Study: Majority of Irish people
support Fair Trade/Fairtrade without understanding the reasons why
80% of people surveyed in Waterford said they would like to know more about
Fair Trade
Waterford One World Centre uses this support for FT to approach a wider
range of development issues such as environmental sustainability, gender
equity, child labour, forced labour, poverty, fair wages, solidarity, etc.
Our goal is for people to understand why they support Fair Trade and when
they buy a Fair Trade product to understand that they are taking an action that
impacts global justice rather than that they are giving charity
We believe that teaching Fair Trade across the curriculum supports both
students’ learning in the subject area and deepens the connection to global
justice
Links to Curricula
Art, Craft, Design:
Have students
design a Fair Trade
poster
Geography:
Explore the
interdependent
nature of trade
Science: Examine
sustainable
farming methods
used by FT coops
CSPE/TY: Promote
active citizenship
through a
campaign during
Fairtrade Fortnight
Fair Trade
Interdisciplinary
Religion: Explore
Fair Trade as a
global justice issue
Business: Look at
FT Cooperatives as
a Model for Small
Business
English: Write a
persuasive letter to
a politician about
importance of Fair
Trade
Maths: Use graphs
to represent Fair
Trade sales over
time
PE: Promote the Use of Fair
Trade Footballs
Home Economics: Hold a Fair
Trade Fashion Show or Fair
Trade Bake Sale
Action Ideas
Across the
Curriculum
Business Studies: Open a
Fair Trade Tuck Shop or
Campaign to Make Existing
Shop Fair Trade
Please answer the following questions on the back of KWL:
1. Do you think you will use any of the activities with your
classes? Which one? Why?
2. Do you think you will use the Fair Trade learning with
your students? How about with people that are not your
students?
3. What is one thing that could be added to this workshop
to make it better?