Fairtrade and Antrim Borough Council

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is a system developed to ensure that farmers in the developing world are paid a fair price for their produce.

Many of the Farmers who produce everyday items such as bananas, coffee and cocoa are very poor and struggle to survive within a system of trade that often does not allow for them to make any profit.

When market prices drop for their produce many are forced into crippling debt and lose their land, homes or at worst even their lives.

Fairtrade focuses on sustainable development for poorer producers offering an alternative trading option. It aims to do this by providing better trading conditions, raising awareness of the situation and campaigning.

How Does Fairtrade work?

Fairtrade products continue to rise in popularity with more and more products becoming available on the market and even more people now recognising the all-important distinguishing FAIRTRADE MARK. It is ONLY products carrying this mark that ensure that they have been traded according to the Fairtrade standards.

Fairtrade standards comprise both minimum social, economic and environmental requirements, which producers must meet to be certified, plus progress requirements that encourage continuous improvement to develop farmers' organisations or the situation of estate workers (fairtrade.org.uk)

The key features of Fairtrade are:

Producers are paid a fair price guaranteed to always cover their cost of production so even if their crop is not doing well on the world market they can be assured that they will still protection and stability.

There is an extra income for farmers and estate workers; this premium is paid on top of their crop prices. Producers decide as part of a cooperative how this money will be spent within their communities, i.e. health centres, schools or investing back into the business.

Non-Fairtrade does not promise anything beyond the single contract. In Fairtrade there is a promise of a long term trading relationship making it easier for Farmers to plan for their futures.Producers must belong to democratic organisations. These organisations are responsible for deciding how the premium is spent.

Fairtrade suppliers agree to follow internationally agreed labour standards: they will recognise trade unions; they will not use child labour or forced labour; they will not discriminate on the basis of sex or religion, or caste; and they will provide decent working conditions.

Fairtrade suppliers promote environmental sustainability.