The Birth of a Movement
In recent years, the Fair Trade movement has united farmers, workers, traders and consumers with a message of fairness, equity and environmental stewardship in trade with producers in marginalized countries. Representing a convergence of co-operative, solidarity, and social justice movements, Fair Trade emphasizes ownership, empowerment and development for small-scale farmers, artisans and workers in the global South.
Increasingly, we can see that the challenges faced by rural communities are very similar around the world. As the movement for “Domestic Fair Trade” has gained momentum, our organizations have come together to contribute to a movement for fairness, equity and sustainability that supports family-scale farming, farmer-led initiatives such as farmer co-operatives, just conditions for farm workers, and the strengthening of the organic agriculture movement. Our organizations seek to bring these efforts together with mission-based traders, retailers and consumers to contribute to the movement for a more equitable, diverse and sustainable agriculture in North America and around the world. By creating businesses committed to principles of fairness and equity and leading by example, we hope to create positive change in the mainstream marketplace by influencing the conduct of conventional corporations.