Fair Trade
Fair Trade is a social movement that focuses on empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability. It has six main goals that the Gopher Spot proudly supports:
- Fair price
- Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price for their produce.
- Fair labor conditions
- Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
- Direct trade
- With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
- Democratic and transparent organizations
- Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
- Community development
- Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
- Environmental sustainability
- Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers' health and preserve ecosystems.
Fair Trade vs. Traditional Trade
Check out the model of traditional trade in the coffee industry, compared with that of fair trade:
Learn More about Fair Trade!
Featured Products
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Fair Trade Coffee
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Endangered Species Chocolate
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Divine Chocolate
Factoids
The average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day--almost twice the amount of trash the average American produced daily in 1960.