The following Fair Trade principals are from the Fair Trade Federation’s website. To read more in depth explanations please check their website.
1. Fair Trade organizations work directly with small business or groups in the community thereby eliminating middlemen.
2. Communities and groups work together with the Fair Trade organizations to protect the environment with environmentally friendly practices.
3. The artisan groups and small businesses have access to credit or loans thru the FTO’s with advance payments and financial assistance.
4. Fair Trade Organizations seek products that retain the cultural identity of the producers.
5. Fair Trade Organizations educate people around the world about fair trade principals and practices.
When following fair trade principals the foremost concern is to benefit the artisans and their communities. Paying fair prices or a living wage doesn’t have to mean high prices for the consumer because many of the middlemen are eliminated. When a greater profit is returned to the producer worker, they are able to feed their families, educate their children and provide other basic needs.
Education And More is working with women’s groups to help them market their products and provide an income for their families. Our mission is to help educate the children but an important way to do this is to help the family and the community.
