In our daily actions towards social, environmental and economic sustainability, we are guided by 10 principles of WFTO, the World Fair Trade Organization.
The principles of fair trade are our compass and our main guarantee system.
Poverty reduction through trade forms a key part of the organisation’s aims. The organisation supports marginalised small producers, whether these are independent family businesses, or grouped in associations or co-operatives. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership. The organisation has a plan of action to carry this out.
The organisation is transparent in its management and commercial relations. It is accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information supplied. The organisation finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes. It ensures that relevant information is provided to all its trading partners. The communication channels are good and open at all levels of the supply chain.
The organisation trades with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalised small producers and does not maximise profit at their expense. It is responsible and professional in meeting its commitments in a timely manner. The organisation maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade.
A fair payment is one that has been mutually negotiated and agreed by all through on-going dialogue and participation, which provides fair pay to the producers and can also be sustained by the market, taking into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. The aim is always the payment of a Local Living Wage. Fair Payment is made up of Fair Prices, Fair Wages and Local Living Wages.
The organization ensures that there is no forced labour and that there is no exploitation in the producer groups with which it has business relations, in compliance with national and local laws. The involvement of children in the production of fair trade products (including learning a traditional art and craft) is always monitored and does not adversely affect the children’s well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play.
The organisation has a clear policy and plan to promote gender equality that ensures that women as well as men have the ability to gain access to the resources that they need to be productive and also the ability to influence the wider policy, regulatory, and institutional environment that shapes their livelihoods and lives. Organisational constitutions and by-laws allow for and enable women to become active members of the organisation.
The organisation provides a safe and healthy working environment for employees and / or members. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety. Fair Trade Enterprises are aware of the health and safety conditions in the producer groups they buy from. They seek, on an ongoing basis, to raise awareness of health and safety issues and improve health and safety practices in producer groups.
The organisation seeks to increase positive developmental impacts for small, marginalised producers through Fair Trade. Organisations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets – local / regional / international / Fair Trade and mainstream as appropriate.
The organisation raises awareness of the aim of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in global trade through Fair Trade. It advocates for the objectives and activities of Fair Trade according to the scope of the organisation. The organisation provides its customers with information about itself, the products it markets, and the producer organisations or members that make or harvest the products. Honest advertising and marketing techniques are always used.
Fair Trade Organisations support and practice production, agriculture, service and trade activities that are natural resource conserving, low-emitting, culturally sensitive, socially just and economically viable. They work on adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of their operations. In addition, they contribute to the conservation of their territories and protect their biodiversity.
WFTO sets out 10 Principles that Fair Trade Associations must follow on a day-to-day basis in their work and monitors them to ensure that they abide by those principles.
More information on wfto.com
