Fair Trade
Fair trade is a
method of strengthening the role of the poor in the marketplace by having them
act as dealers, leaders and protagonists of trade, not as objects, victims or
spectators. Their efforts become more than simply commercial activities; they
come to constitute the communication and transmission of their culture to the
consumer. The ultimate goal of fair trade is the
promotion of sustainable development based in an egalitarian society, the
protection of the environment, and economic stability.
Key Points Regarding Fair
Trade
It is in society's
interest that alternative trade continues to improve and be the source for new,
high quality products which will stir competition in traditional marketplaces
while serving as the basis for mutually beneficial, dignified business
relationships.
The true success of fair trade is the elimination of
prejudices that exist with respect to alternative trade - there are various
manners to combat these prejudices, such as stickers indicating organic products
which can help to create a public image of alternative trade and establish
market confidence.
Fair trade producers
and vendors adhere to shared frameworks and practices through affiliation with
various self-regulating organizations: cooperatives, associations, federations,
and non-governmental bodies.
Returns are distributed as profits to the producers and also
reinvested into the production process and in various sectors of the community:
education, public health, social and cultural development, employment, admission
of new members and cooperation with similar organizations, empowerment and local
level decision making.
In the actual marketplace, fair trade products must
sell themselves based upon their quality and price, carry with them information
about their fabrication and the culture they represent, and not be dangerous to human beings or
the environment, neither in the manner in which they are produced nor the
materials from which they are made.
Alternative trade is creating a change in
traditional economic structures, evolving from a slave-like commerce to an independent and dignified
one, a new option for small producers that guarantees them fair prices. This
system provides a link of confidence between the producer, fair trade organization,
and final consumer and at the same time protects the environment through
sustainable methods as well as promotes equality among the sexes, stimulating the assistive
commercialization process.
The proposal of alternative trade
for Ecuador is to transform the economic and work relationships of the country
through a change in perspective among the popular sector, for small producers to
adopt the notion of taking a leading role in their own management, to give these
people the confidence necessary to confront the profound structural problems
that cause injustice, loss of hope, and violence in our
society.
Fair Trade