Fair Trade: A Mutually Beneficial System

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Fair Trade is a trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trade by maximizing the benefits of the stakeholders involved (“WFTO”). Nearly all (93%) of the Starbucks Coffee Company coffee was ethically sourced through Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) practices, which include the fair trade system (“Responsibly Grown”). In January 2013, more than 1.2 billion profits from the sale of Kit Kats supported over 7,000 fair trade cocoa farmers through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan (“Kit Kat”). Fair trade products not only prevail in Hong Kong, but also around the globe like in America, Canada, England, and Australia. What makes fair trade products distinct from others is their meaningful impact on both their producers and consumers. Concerning producers, fair trade improves their lives and assists them in developing their communities. As for consumers, fair trade reassures them with high quality products and provides them a way to help protect the environment. Fair trade succeeds in achieving fairness by maximizing the benefits of fair trade producers and consumers in the perspectives of living quality, community development, product quality, and environmental protection respectively. The lives of producers under the fair trade system have been improved with increased income. According to Hans Peter Egler, Head of Trade Promotion of The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SESO), producers with fair trade labels on their products enjoy a thirty percent income increase on average over those without a label (SECO). Data showing quantifiable monetary amounts objectively reveals a rise in earnings among fair trade producers. Additionally, over the last ten years of operation of the Fair Trade system, the producer’s fund has ... ... middle of paper ... ...nth > “Responsibly Grown and Fair Trade Coffee.” Starbucks Coffee Company, 2012. Web. 20 Mar 2014. < http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/sourcing/coffee> Ronchi, Loraine. “The impact of Fair Trade on producers and their organizations: A case study with Coocafé in Costa Rica.” Policy Research Unit: University of Sussex, Sussex (2002). “SECO - Switzerland promotes transparency in the extractive industries sector.” Seco.admin.ch, 2014. Web. 1 Apr 2014. id=27332>. “Teaching Quotes :: Quoteland :: Quotations by Topic.” Quoteland.com, 1955. Web. 3 Apr 2014. . “WFTO - Charter of Fair Trade Principles.” Wfto.com, 2014. Web. 20 Mar 2014. 34&limit=1&limitstart=2 >

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