The Future of Fairtrade Part #3 - Reaching the Poorest of the Poor

I met Malcolm Bruce MP recently, chairman of the International Development Committee. He is a supporter of Fair Trade but also challenged us: how do we reach the poorest of the poor?

Whilst the FAIRTRADE Mark is a important guarantee for consumers in the West and provides a huge contribution to development, it also requires a level of organisation & consistency that excludes many of the poorest people on the planet. Moreover many product categories such as stationery & jewellery defy the product-standard approach that the FAIRTRADE Mark currently requires.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is by far the most recognised symbol of the movement. But many organisations involved are seeking to go beyond this set of minimum standards. For example:

- Fair Trade pioneers like People Tree are so important as they go beyond the FAIRTRADE Mark and implement additional steps throughout their supply chain to ensure a broader definition of what it means to be Fair Trade.
- Fairgift takes a similar approach in homeware and are working hard to increase the range of products from poorer communities, e.g. in sub-Saharan Africa by provide design & production advice on products.
- Traidcraft Exchange does this on an event bigger scale: working directly with organisations that are currently too small to qualify for the FAIRTRADE Mark - such as small-scale tea producers in India.
- Divine Chocolate - provides a different model as it works closely with one large scale co-operative in Ghana that co-owns the UK-based company.

The future of Fair Trade must be to provide a guarantee to consumers in the UK that is as reliable as the FAIRTRADE Mark and at the same time accessible to producers in some of the poorest communities in the world that are unable to organise themselves into a product-standard approach. The international body IFAT is currently consulting on this very issue.

What are your thoughts?