Comercio Justo 101: Cómo nuestra misión genera impacto

Pictured: Yolanda Cabrera Quispe, a member of a Fair Trade Certified coffee cooperative in Cajamarca, Peru, picks ripe coffee cherries.

Our Purpose

Across global supply chains farmers, farm workers, factory workers, and fishers face unethical and unsustainable conditions like low wages, forced labor, dangerous working conditions, and environmental issues like the climate crisis and deforestation. Fair Trade USA™ was founded in 1998 with the goal of building and upholding a better system for workers: one where human rights are protected and producers are paid fairly for their products.  

To do this, we have created rigorous standards designed to protect producers and the natural environment while supporting brands in fair and sustainable sourcing. All products with the Fair Trade Certified™ label are supporting fair wages, safe working conditions, a better environment, and opportunities for workers to build up communities and secure strong futures. Since its inception Fair Trade Certification has expanded to more than 50 countries and currently certifies over 12,500 products. 

Cómo funciona

Producers are our top priority, and our model was created to maximize worker benefits while partnering with brands to invest in their supply chains and act on their values.  

1. Certificación: Businesses who are pursuing certification for their products must adhere to the Fair Trade USA standards created for their industry. Standards include requirements for workplace safety, fair wages, systems to report grievances, and environmental considerations. Our team works closely with current and prospective partners and producers to ensure that standards are understood, followed, and making positive impact.   

2. Verificación de terceros: To ensure transparency and accountability, all audits against our standards are conducted by validated, trusted third-party organizations. These organizations conduct yearly audits of farms, factories, and fisheries to keep certification up-to-date and help us meet the evolving needs of workers around the globe.  

3. La Prima de Comercio Justo: Todos Fair Trade USA industry and brand partners pay the Fair Trade Premium, which is an additional sum of money incorporated into a product’s selling price. These funds go into a worker-controlled Community Development Fund at origin.

4. Fondos para desarrollo comunitario: Fair Trade Committees, or groups of democratically elected workers, conduct a needs assessment to develop potential projects that would benefit their communities. From there, everyone votes on which to invest in, and project plans are formed and launched.  

Pictured: Enuka and Seadia hang out after class in Sidama, Ethiopia, where an expansion of the school is under construction with the support of Fair Trade Community Development Funds.

El impacto de Fair Trade Certification

Fair Trade Certification puts capital back into the hands of producers, so that they can use their unique expertise and experiences to create solutions for their communities and beyond. Our factory program alone has distributed over $100 Million in Community Development Funds to worker communities.  

Los beneficios del Comercio Justo incluyen:

• Desarrollo comunitario: Desarrollo Comunitario Comercio Justo go directly to workers to be used on projects of their choosing. Common projects include access to Educación, food distribution, infrastructure, community bonding, medical care, improvements to operations, and more. 

• Fair Wages: Producers, especially smallholder farmers and fishers, can be more vulnerable to exploitation and unfair costs for labor and production. Our standards help producers get a fair shake in global markets and get paid for their work. 

• Proyectos ambientales: Farmers and fishers have always been at the forefront of climate solutions. Fair Trade Standards and Community Development Funds help workers use their industry and ecological knowledge to create innovative environmental solutions and build climate resilience. 

• Transparency and Reporting: Our standards require strong systems for reporting grievances or non-compliance. This means that any workers can make a report without fear of retaliation, which helps us continue to improve our work and offer support where it is needed.  

Pictured: Members of the Fair Trade USA team at the Seafood Expo North America

How you can Support Fair Trade

Como consumidor  

Looking for the label and choosing Fair Trade Certified products as you shop is the best way to support our work. As a consumer, you have the power to set industry standards and demand more ethical and sustainable sourcing. When certified products see market success, brands are more likely to commit to fair sourcing and inspire others to do the same. Supporters can also join our community by signing up for our lista de correos electrónicos, following us on social media, or starting their own Fair Trade Campaigns. 

Como donante

Fair Trade USA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our core budget is used to maintain our standards, facilitate the transparency and systems that ensure our credibility, provide strong support to producers and industry partners, and tell the Fair Trade story. In order to scale and grow, thus reaching new producers and making new categories of Fair Trade Certified products available to consumers, we utilize philanthropic funding. Grants are a big part of that, and individual donations are critical as well. When you donate to Fair Trade USA, you are investing in deeper support for producers, and expansion to establish fair practices from new producers across the globe. Our factory and seafood programs are great examples of how we have been able to increase the impact footprint of businesses and consumers. And neither would exist without the generous support of our donors. 

As a brand  

Sourcing Fair Trade Certified products and ingredients has real, lasting impact on communities. Our label is highly recognized and trusted by consumers around the globe, and partners report that certification helps build brand trust and loyalty. Our brand partners are leaders in their industries and are great examples of how Fair Trade drives change. e.l.f. Beauty became the first in the beauty industry to source from Fair Trade Certified™ factories, and NatureSweet continues to increase access to dental care and educational opportunities for workers. Our team is here to help you through every step of your Fair Trade journey. Whether you’re ready to dive into applying standards or want to talk about what certification could look like for your brand, our nonbinding intake form will get you started.