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Fairtrade

Guarantees a better deal for Third World Producers.

Watch out for Fairtrade products in shops, supermarkets and cafes in the Coleraine Borough.

Highly Commended certificate awarded to North Coast Integrated College for their "Fairburst" snack.

Congratulations to Class 9F in North Coast Integrated College, Coleraine who received a highly commended award for "FairBurst", their entry into the Snack Attack competition 2011.  Pupils designed and made a new, innovative Fairtrade snack.  The judges, including celebrity judge Stacie Stewart from BBC's MasterChef, were extremely impressed with the entry, especially the learning, marketing and teamwork demonstrated.  The entry was highly creative and colourful and showed huge amounts of effort and attention to detail.  From hundreds of entries across the UK, "FairBurst" achieved one of only two highly commended awards.  Congratulations to all concerned!  Snack Attack Challenge Case Study

Kilrea switches to Fairtrade!

Making the committment to go Fairtrade are Kilrea Credit Union, Saint Vincent de Paul, Toberdoney Fold and the office of MLA John Dallat.   

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.  Fairtrade means a fair salary for fair days work for third world farmers and growers. 

What is the FAIRTRADE Mark?

The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have given their producers a better deal. The Mark is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation, a registered charity set up by CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Traidcraft Exchange and the World Development Movement. It shares internationally recognised Fairtrade standards with initiatives in 20 other countries, working together as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).

Trading standards stipulate that traders must:

• pay a price to producers that covers the costs of sustainable production and living
• pay a 'premium' that producers can invest in development
• make partial advance payments when requested by producers
• sign contracts that allow for long-term planning and sustainable production practices

What does Fairtrade mean for third world producers?

For half a million workers and farmers in over fifty developing countries, Fairtrade means a chance of a better life.  Buying Fairtrade means you are helping third world workers build classrooms, buy medicines, employ nurses, educate their children and invest in a better life. 

What products are available and where can I find them?

The FAIRTRADE Mark appears on over 1500 different retail products. They are available in all local supermarkets and many shops and cafes.  You can also buy Fairtrade by mail order and online. Look out for Fairtrade bananas, tea, coffee, sugar, honey, fruit juice, wine, chocolate and beauty products (for details go to Fairtrade products to look out for). If your store doesn't have the product you want, ask the manager to consider stocking it!

Why are there not more types of FAIRTRADE Mark products?

It takes much time and money to develop criteria to ensure that new Fairtrade products really will benefit producers. The initial focus of Fairtrade was on agricultural commodities, such as coffee and tea, which have the most widespread impact on the livelihoods of small producers in the developing world. Now Fairtrade standards have been extended to rice, seed cotton, sports balls and beauty products.

My existing tea/coffee supplier assures me that they pay a fair price and treat their suppliers decently.  Isn't this as good as Fairtrade?

The purpose of Fairtrade is not merely to avoid exploitation of suppliers but to help make a real improvement in people's lives. Fairtrade is based on a clear set of internationally-agreed criteria, which are independently assessed and monitored, and the whole system is open and transparent. The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only independent consumer guarantee of fair trade. If a company is claiming that it meets these standards, ask them whether they are prepared to subject them to the independent scrutiny and monitorin of the FAIRTRADE Mark.

What is the difference between fair trade and ethical trading?

Ethical trading means companies are involved in a process of trying to ensure that the basic labour rights of the employees of their third world suppliers are respected. The FAIRTRADE Mark, which applies to products rather than companies, aims to give disadvantaged small producers more control over their own lives. It addresses the injustice of low prices by guaranteeing that producers receive fair terms of trade and fair prices - however unfair the conventional market is.

Is Fairtrade a subsidy that encourages farmers to grow more coffee and therefore contribute to global oversupply and low prices?

Absolutely not. Subsidies are government payments which lower the price of goods with the intention of encouraging their production and/or consumption or of making them more competitive than imported goods. The cost of these subsidies is borne by taxpayers or consumers.

Fairtrade, on the other hand, is a voluntary model of trade that brings consumers and companies together to offer small-scale farmers a price for their coffee that covers the cost of production and provides a sustainable livelihood so that they can send their kids to school and pay their bills.

Oversupply is usually a result of coffee growers increasing production in the brief periods when prices are high. However, it is clear that the recent surge in global coffee production, and consequent low prices, is largely a result of government agricultural export policies in Vietnam and large-scale farm expansion in Brazil. Paradoxically, in an attempt to compensate for lower prices, many small-scale farmers dependent on coffee will increase output at the expense of quality.

But our experience suggests that paying a higher Fairtrade price need not increase production; rather, it gives farmers other options - to invest in quality improvements and gain access to speciality markets or diversify into other crops to reduce their dependence on coffee.

Are there organic Fairtrade products?

There is a wide choice of organic coffee, tea, honey, cocoa and chocolate products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark and the range is increasing steadily.

What about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)?

At the moment there are no GMO crops in the categories covered by the FAIRTRADE Mark* so all Fairtrade products are GMO-free. Should GMOs become available in these categories the Foundation and its partners would consult widely with producers and take account of any public concern on this issue before allowing their use - the key factor for Fairtrade organisations is whether such developments would help producers in developing countries.

I use, sell or promote Fairtrade products, so can I use the FAIRTRADE Mark on promotional materials?

We are usually delighted for people to do this, but you will need to obtain our permission to do so first. Read the terms and conditions for use of the FAIRTRADE Mark, and download copies to use (go to www.fairtrade.org.uk for details).

Why do some products claim to be fair trade but not carry the Mark?

Some organisations like Oxfam and Traidcraft have been trading fairly for many years, and sell a wide range of fairly traded products. Consumers can trust these organisations, because challenging poverty is their main purpose (see more about our partnership with Oxfam and Traidcraft). However, some other companies make their own 'fair trade' claims without having the independent scrutiny of the FAIRTRADE Mark, or the interests of producers at heart. If you are shopping and see tea, coffee, bananas or cocoa products without the Mark, there is no guarantee that they give producers a fair deal.

Fairtrade website