How did the fair trade movement start?

Due to globalization, today more than ever, we consume products from all over the world. For this reason, most of us do not know the producers of most of the food we consume, in what conditions they work or how much they earn from their work. Can a fair trade certification be the solution to these questions?

The Fair Trade movement began in the middle of the 20th century in the United States with the Ten Thousand Villages organization that bought embroidery from Puerto Rico or the SERRV International organization that sold handicrafts of European refugees to help with the recovery after World War II. Almost simultaneously, in Europe, the NGO Oxfam opened the first charity shop in London which years later started selling all kinds of handicrafts from countries of the South and which was a great success ... in fact it is still open today!

From the 70s, Fair Trade producer organizations began to be established in Africa, Latin America and Asia. A decade later, the popularity of fair trade products favored the development of many producers and other basic food products began to be incorporated, starting with coffee, and later tea, honey, sugar, cocoa, fruits dry, etc. Finally, in 1987, 11 European importers formed the European Fair Trade Association, which would end up being the World Fair Trade Organization of today.

The literal definition of Fair Trade according to the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is “Fair Trade is a trading system based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade paying special attention to criteria social and environmental. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better commercial conditions and ensuring the rights of disadvantaged producers and workers, especially in the South ”.

Assembly with the tiger nut farmers in Kagnabougou in Burkina Faso.