Fair trade: Introduction
What is fair trade?
Fair trade is a movement that promotes equitable and just conditions in the production and trade of goods. It does this by promoting minimum standards and giving guidance in relation to both the pay and employment of workers, and to the environmental and social impact of production and trade. It has growing worldwide support.
Fair trade seeks to address current inequality in world trade with an alternative approach, which focuses on sustainable development for poorer producers. The organisation Fairtrade is one of the main drivers of the movement. The Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) is an international body with 20 national members from around the world, including Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It aims to support producers to improve their living conditions, by guaranteeing a fair, minimum price for their product.
Globally, around five million people are benefiting from fair trade, which is working in 58 countries. Almost 500 producer organisations are being supported.
Why study fair trade?
Fair trade provides a meaningful context for learning within the Global Dimension. Education for the Global Dimension is an active process which encourages young people to:
- develop knowledge and understanding of the interdependence of our own and other societies, including the effects of global inequality and poverty
- develop and practise skills and capabilities that enable investigation of global issues
- gain experience of, develop and practise values and dispositions that are crucial to a just and democratic society and a sustainable world
- take thoughtful and responsible action which aims to contribute to the achievement of a just and caring world.
Learning about fair trade helps young people to make real links between local and global issues, exploring, for example, fairness, inequality, poverty and human rights.
Learning about fair trade issues encourages young people to develop an understanding of:
- how Scotland is linked to other countries across the world, and the interdependence of individuals
- the consequences of individual action
- how people can make a difference, bring about social change, and the values associated with that change
- the workings of the world economy
- the role of marketing and advertising in decision-making processes, and individual choice.
This guide will provide an overview of a range of resources that are available for developing work on fair trade. It is not an exhaustive list, but a starting point, with suggestions for further development.
