Fair Trade Federation
Encyclopedia
The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a Washington DC-based nonprofit
trade association
that provides support to and promotes North America
n businesses that they identify as being fully committed to the principles of fair trade
. In this vein, it describes itself as "part of the global fair trade movement, promoting a system that aims to pay fair wages and create long-term, direct trading relationships based on dialogue, transparency, equity and respect."
s and farmers around the world.
FTF has been an active member of the World Fair Trade Organization
(formerly IFAT) for many years.
s and coffee shop
s.
s begin and strengthen their fair trade operations. It provides business owners with a forum through which to network with other fair trade businesses and raises awareness about the perceived importance of fair trade.
In Boston
on September 10–12, 2010, FTF cosponsored the Fair Trade Futures Conference—the largest fair trade conference in North America.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
that provides support to and promotes North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n businesses that they identify as being fully committed to the principles of fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
. In this vein, it describes itself as "part of the global fair trade movement, promoting a system that aims to pay fair wages and create long-term, direct trading relationships based on dialogue, transparency, equity and respect."
History
The FTF began through alliances formed in the late 1970s when individual alternative trade organizations began holding yearly conferences for groups working in fair trade. In 1994, the group incorporated formally as the North American Alternative Trade Organization (NAATO) and, the following year, changed its named to the Fair Trade Federation. Since then, FTF has focused on supporting businesses aligned with its fair trade ideology in order to expand markets for artisanArtisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
s and farmers around the world.
FTF has been an active member of the World Fair Trade Organization
World Fair Trade Organization
The World Fair Trade Organization , formerly the International Fair Trade Association , was created in 1989 and is a global association of 324 organizations in over 70 countries...
(formerly IFAT) for many years.
Principles
FTF states that its members are required to commit to the following nine principles in all of their transactions:- Create opportunities for economically and socially marginalized producers
- Develop transparent and accountable relationships
- Build capacity
- Promote fair trade
- Pay promptly and fairly
- Support safe and empowering working conditions
- Ensure the rights of children
- Cultivate environmental stewardship
- Respect cultural identity
Membership
FTF members undergo a rigorous screening process to try to ensure adherence to the organization's principles. The Federation does not certify individual products, but instead evaluates an entire business for its commitment to Fair Trade. FTF members include retailers, wholesalers of agricultural and handmade goods, caféCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s and coffee shop
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
s.
Activities
FTF runs annual conferences, publishes market reports, and offers resources to help entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s begin and strengthen their fair trade operations. It provides business owners with a forum through which to network with other fair trade businesses and raises awareness about the perceived importance of fair trade.
In Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on September 10–12, 2010, FTF cosponsored the Fair Trade Futures Conference—the largest fair trade conference in North America.
Partners
- Fair Trade Resource Network
- EquiterreÉquiterreBased in Montreal , Équiterre is a non-profit and non-governmental organization. Équiterre's mission is to contribute to the construction of a citizens' movement by advocating individual and collective choices that are both ecologically and socially fair...
- Green America
- World Fair Trade Organization (formerly known as IFAT)
- World Fair Trade Organization - AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
- International Resources for Fairer TradeInternational Resources for Fairer TradeInternational Resources for Fairer Trade is a non-profit organisation registered as a Public Charitable Trust under the Bombay Public Charitable Trust Act. It was founded by Kirit Dave and Jan Simmonds in October 1995. IRFT gives farmers and artisans access to mainstream markets worldwide, by...
(IRFT) IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa
- World Fair Trade Organization - EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
- La Asociacion Latinoamericana de Comercio Justo
External links
- The Fair Trade Federation, official website
- FTF's Member Directory