Fair Trade: What's Behind the Label?

International Trade Forum › Num. 1-2/2008, Janvier 2008

Auteur: Hughes, Martin

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Résumé

In an interview, Rob Cameron, CEO of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), talked about the difference between Fairtrade and fair trade. 'Fairtrade', according to Cameron, specifically describes the certification and labeling system governed by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). The broader term fair trade refers to the movement as a whole and encompasses other fair trade organizations. While the prospect of recession and increasing prices of staple foods has attracted extensive media coverage over the last nine months, Fairtrade sales have continued to grow in their biggest markets. A unique feature of Fairtrade is its focus on development; the certification system is specifically designed to facilitate capacity building and empowerment of smallholder producers and disadvantaged workers in developing countries. The growth of Fairtrade in recent years means that they can now make a step change in the impact of their work, and create and sustain enduring change in the way trade is conducted.