The Benefits of Buying Fair Trade Items

Fairtrade is a concept that arose from a desire to bring equality to developing-world farmers, growers, and producers.

You can have peace of mind when you buy fair trade products. You are confident that the person or people responsible for creating the clothing or products you purchased were paid fair pay and worked in safe working conditions.

Many of the problems that occur as a result of unfair market competition are addressed through fair trade.

The most important is making it possible for smaller producers and growers in emerging countries to compete on an equal footing.

To participate in fair trade, you must agree to pay reasonable rates that don't fall below market value.

What happens without fair trade?

When fair commerce is not practiced, lives can be lost. Unfair commerce can exacerbate poverty and oppression, harming the world's most vulnerable people.

Children and women are frequently the major victims in impoverished countries. Some instances are as follows:

• Children may be pushed to join the workforce if their parents are not paid a living wage for their labor. Their compensation is typically significantly lower. 

• Children who are compelled to labor are unable to attend school. Children who do not have an education will have fewer opportunities for better careers in the future.

• When parents are injured or killed at work as a result of hazardous or abusive working conditions, they are unable to provide for their children.

Setting pricing isn't the only aspect of fair trade. It's also a movement aimed at empowering individuals.

Growers, producers, and businesses from all over the world can use the fair trade model to promote their products and reach their full potential. Individuals and families may battle poverty and establish a brighter future by allowing farmers to reach out to clients all over the world.

The benefits of fair trade

One of the most fundamental issues that emerge from the question, "How does fair trade work"? involves determining the benefits and drawbacks of fair trade. To appreciate the advantages of buying fair trade products, you must first understand how the system works, and how it affects people on both ends of the spectrum.

 

What are the benefits of fair trade for farmers and producers, as well as for consumers?

Fairtrade has a wide range of advantages. The following are the most important: 

1. Livelihood and economic impacts

Fairtrade has been determined to meet many of its intended goals regarding income gains, but on a fairly small scale, according to a vast number of existing empirical and other quality evidence, studies based on an in-depth investigation of the economic benefits.

Other studies, on the other hand, conclude that Fairtrade producers achieved only marginally higher yields while putting in significantly more labor hours, with the net result being that farm income increased only marginally and that many farmers remained impoverished despite being part of the Fairtrade system.

These divergent viewpoints appear to indicate that the economic benefits of Fairtrade for producers are still a source of debate.

Furthermore, Fairtrade farmers obtain higher prices on average, have easier access to credit, have a more stable economic situation, and are more likely to engage in ecologically beneficial farming techniques.

There was evidence of significant positive revenues from certification in some cases, such as where extra income from certification allowed producer organizations to invest in processing equipment, quality improvements, and/or provision of community facilities and training; and where extra income was substantial enough to reduce reliance on foreign aid.

These encouraging findings must be balanced against the fact that some aspects of Fairtrade, and its consequences, are still unknown.

And, there's evidence that farmers in Fairtrade cooperatives may be unaware of the details and implications of Fairtrade, leading to possible mistrust of those in charge for a variety of reasons.

2. Environmental advantages

Environmental effects: Fairtrade has been found to have a favorable impact on the environment in general. Reduced use of inorganic pesticides/use of more environmentally friendly pesticides, improved soil fertility and structure, reduced use of inorganic fertilizers, reduced use of water resources, reduced contamination of water resources.

 

Another positive environmental impact discovered was linked to the transfer of Fairtrade commodities like bananas and coffee to organic cultivation.

While it is established that Fairtrade certification has a good impact on the environment, the question of how long these measures would be sustained has not been thoroughly researched or demonstrated.

Climate change is linked to questions of sustainability. There is little literature on the effects of climate change on the commodities traded under Fairtrade (particularly bananas, coffee, and sugar), let alone on Fairtrade trading itself, it was discovered.

When it was first reported, it was discovered that growing long-term crops like coffee, bananas, and sugar can improve the natural resource base by preventing soil erosion and the loss of essential nutrients through better land management practices, with potential benefits in terms of climate change mitigation.

3. Social impacts for the primary producers

Improved skills and knowledge, improved self-confidence/esteem and improved access to basic rights (e.g., improved participation in decision-making, extended schooling for children), improved nutrition and food security, and reduced vulnerability to external threats. The Fairtrade Premium was also discovered to be used to invest in enhanced access to health care, education (particularly for children), and housing in several circumstances.

4. Impact on farmworkers on plantations

Fairtrade's impact on farmworkers on plantations was also discovered to be significant, with better working conditions and better worker/management relations, Fairtrade has aided unionization and is assisting in the resolution of workers' rights issues, and workers on Fairtrade have higher salaries than workers on non-Fair Trade plantations.

5. Impacts on producer organizations

Fairtrade has also played an essential role in assisting farmers in their efforts to develop strong collective enterprises and get decent returns for their products, according to the findings.

This has aided them in overcoming problems such as long-term price declines in the banana sector due to the dominance of multinational corporations and supermarkets.

6. Gender impacts

The overall finding was that being involved in Fairtrade was just marginally better for women than being involved in conventional production systems. Where it was discovered that certification has resulted in small benefits in terms of women's empowerment and representation in producer organizations in particular countries and with specific commodities. It's difficult to draw firm judgments on this issue due to a general lack of evidence on both sides.

As previously mentioned, gender equality is a difficult problem that is influenced by factors outside of Fairtrade's control (for example, land tenure).

Fair Trade pros and cons

There is no such thing as perfection in this world. While fair trade is praised around the world, it is not without its detractors.

The following are the most important fair trade advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages

Fairtrade has a number of benefits, including:

Low salaries were one of the most concerning aspects of farming and agriculture in the developing world before fair trade.

People were putting in exorbitantly long hours for very little pay. Wages are significantly higher now that fair trade standards have been implemented.

People make more money at home, and the extra money is put into community efforts to increase access to services like healthcare.

Farmers can also feel more secure about the stability of their jobs, and thus the security of their pay.

Working conditions: Fairtrade encourages safe and secure workplaces.

Fairtrade has guaranteed that millions of people throughout the world work in environments that prioritize health and safety by eliminating the use of toxic chemicals and unsafe equipment. 

• Fairtrade has helped to eliminate discrimination by ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender or religion, has access to a job. Women make up the majority of the workforce in many nations because the pay is substantially greater than for jobs traditionally associated with female labor.

• Reduced child labor: In developing countries, children generally begin working at a much younger age than in affluent countries. Because adults are earning more, fair trade has contributed to a decrease in child labor. Children with better household incomes have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood and benefit from school rather than needing to work.

• Living standards have improved as a result of the formation of community cooperatives in rural areas as well as better revenues. Villages and towns are now safer, and residents have better access to services and a higher quality of life.

• Opportunities for competitive trade: before fair trade, it was nearly difficult for a small grower to compete with a large corporation. Fairtrade has leveled the playing field considerably.

• The rise of organic farming: farming practices, particularly genetically modified foods, have received a lot of media attention. Organic procedures are utilized solely with fair trade crops.

• Set prices: a common inquiry is, "How does fair trade work?" Setting minimum prices is one of the most important aspects of the business. A minimum charge will be paid to the producer or cooperative responsible for the fair trade product once it has been certified. Growers and fair trade groups will never lose money since the lowest price will never go below the applicable market level.

• Fairtrade products are becoming more diverse all of the time.

The cons 

• Investing in cooperatives provides a wide range of benefits to communities, but success is limited to those who are part of the labor force. If some people are left out of the cooperative, fair trade may cause divides within the community.

• Fees: You must pay fees to become a certified fair trade producer or cooperative. This is a program that may not be available to many, with fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

• Higher pricing and smaller customer pools: The higher prices connected with fair trade may play a role in the customer pool's size. Some products are likely to be less tempting to budget-conscious shoppers, and others may simply be out of reach. Not everyone will want or be able to pay a higher price.

• Limited product selection: While the range of fair trade products is growing all the time, there is still a gap between fair trade and non-fair trade items in terms of selection. Tea, coffee, and chocolate are currently dominating the market. Outside of this range, finding readily available fair trade products is substantially more difficult.

• Administration fees: because administration costs are sometimes borne by local communities, there are concerns regarding the financial impact of fair trade.

• Attracting the heavy hitters: Higher prices make it difficult to attract some of the biggest names in business and retail. When a corporation can save up to 30% on the cost of creating high-quality items, for example, it's difficult to persuade them to choose fair trade products instead.

• Worries regarding well-being: the fair trade model appears to be flawless on the surface, but there are still concerns about working conditions and a lack of direct investment that benefits workers and farmers. Although the vast majority of cooperatives reap enormous benefits to the artists and farmers, there have been instances of labor exploitation.

• Justifying higher costs: It can be difficult for fair trade manufacturers to justify increased fees, and some consumers may wonder if paying more for products that are basically comparable is worth it.

The fair trade certification process

It's critical to understand the fair trade certification process when answering queries like "how does fair trade work?" You can't just customize a label and call yourself a fair trade company and sell fair trade products. You must complete a certification process.

This procedure is broken down into five steps, which are explained below:

1. Register: To get started, you must fill out an application form provided by FLOCERT. To make the application procedure quick and easy, you simply click on a link on the internet.

After you submit your application, you will be contacted and given all of the information you need to determine whether or not you will be granted certification.

To be a fair trade seller, you must meet certain requirements. If you receive the application package and find that you do not satisfy the requirements, you may decide to make changes or postpone the audit.

2. The initial audit: the purpose of the initial audit is to check that a company complies with the required fair trade certification requirements. An auditor will come to the company and inspect the facilities and sites. Auditors and growers, farmers, union members, and management employees will all be interviewed. 

3. Analyze the audit: after the audit, the application will be evaluated in detail, and the auditor will discuss the findings with the representative.

If there are problems, or the business isn’t operating according to fair trade standards, the auditor will make recommendations and provide advice to improve the chances of successful application in the future.

4. Decision-making: if a business was not fully compliant earlier but has made the necessary improvements, the application will be examined and a final decision will be made.

If no serious flaws were discovered during the audit, it may be possible to grant temporary ‘Permission to Trade' status.

Once achieved, producers can begin selling sooner. 

5. Monitoring: Once a cooperative or company has received fair trade certification, they will be watched to verify that they continue to meet the qualifying criteria and produce commodities and products by fair trade rules.

Farmers, growers, producers, and consumers are all protected by audits that are conducted regularly.

 

Conclusions

Fair trade pays people based on the products they offer, not their nation of origin or social or economic status.

Smaller businesses may compete with huge corporations on a level playing field, and workers and producers benefit from greater prices and lower fees.

Fair trade, like everything else in life, has advantages and disadvantages, but in the vast majority of circumstances, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Fair trade has grown in popularity over the years, and ethical, ecological products are now more popular than ever.

The industry has diversified, and there is a considerably greater choice of things available.

Coffee, tea, and chocolate have long been popular, but fair trade clothing and cosmetic products are growing more popular.

Fair trade appears to be growing and flourishing as time passes and studies show that consumers are willing to pay more for certified products that benefit both the local communities, as well as the planet through the use of sustainable practices.