Fair Trade seeks to relieve poverty and improve both social and environmental conditions in the Third World.
Mere growth in the practice of a normal free trade system is unlikely to change the lives of the poor in developing countries. Workers are often prepared to accept pay that is below a living wage only because the alternative is no income at all. Fair trade however, commits to pay a fair price in a long term relationship plus a social premium that is invested in development.

Fair trade gives protection from exploitation and creates a trading partnership based on respect, transparency and dialogue. Fair trade spreads the gains more evenly between all the parties involved and no one in the supply chain makes excessive profits. Many fair trade suppliers fund community initiatives such as schools, orphanages, women rehabilitation centres and disaster relief.

We are all consumers to some degree and it is the choices that we make by considering the social and environmental factors when making a purchase that can really make a difference to some of the world’s poorest communities. There is a huge choice of fair trade products available and the list keeps growing – food, drink, clothing, furniture, soft furnishings, toys, crafts and luxury goods – to mention a few. Purchasing fair trade products ensures a fair deal to the people who make them and a commitment to improving their lives.