What Fair Trade Is

[AntiLempa]

There has been a lot of talk about Howard Dean supporting Fair Trade. As a Fair Trade activist I appreciate any candidate that comes out in favor of more just trade policies. However, what Howard Dean is calling for is NOT Fair Trade. Dean is calling for NAFTA and other FREE TRADE agreements to include labor and environmental provisions to ensure their fairness. What he fails to mention is that Clinton already talked this game. In fact, NAFTA created the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

The CEC's mission is "an international organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). The CEC was established to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts, and to promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement complements the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)." (http://cec.org/who_we_are/index.cfm?varlan=english)

Agreements such as NAFTA are investor's rights aggreements. They will never protect the environment nor will they increase the standards of living - unless we are talking about CEO's standards of living. Labor and environmental regulations will be overruled and seen as barriers to Free Trade. Afterall, Free Trade is the premise of the North American FREE Trade Agreement.

Fair Trade is currently a consumer's movement. All around the world people are recognizing how bad workers are treated (perhaps this is due to the rise of Free Trade aggreements?) Fair Trade goods provide an alternative to sweat shops and exploitation.

Fair Trade involves the following principles:
*Producers receive a fair price - a living wage. For commodities, farmers receive a stable, minimum price.
*Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
*Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
*Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
*Sustainable production techniques are encouraged
*Working conditions are healthy and safe
*Equal employment opportunities are provided for all

All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability
Fair Trade commodities are certified by non-profit organizations in 17 different countries, all of which are affiliated with Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International. Fair Trade Certified commodities bear the seal of the certifying agency, providing a guarantee that fair trade practices were followed. In the US, TransFair USA certifies coffee, cocoa, and tea.

Fair Trade provides a sustainable model of international trade based on economic justice. It means an equitable and fair partnership between consumers in the Global North and producers in the Global South -- and is an alternative to sweatshop production.

For more information on Fair Trade, go to
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com
http://www.transfairusa.org, http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/, http://www.fairtraderesource.org

[AntiLempa]

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