A Look at Fair Trade Certified

Signs of the Times

   Kermit gave us a great excuse when he said, “It ain’t easy being green.” But no more! Now there are NGOs, not-for-profits, and cooperatives that make being green really easy. In our age of greenwashing and cause-marketing, legitimate green-focused organizations rise like cream to the top.
   Labor rights certifications are a logical compliment to organic practices. Companies that carry these labor-based certifications often employ organic and sustainable farming practices in tandem with their commitment to worker well-being. Companies and products, which adhere to strict labor rights guidelines, improve the health of our planet because they use fewer toxic chemicals and create less overall waste.
   Some of the worst labor rights abuses occur in farming industries, where workers are exposed to dangerous pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemicals. These chemicals contribute to birth defects, ground and surface water devastation, and both chronic and terminal diseases.
   The most widely known certification group is TransFair USA. This is the organization behind “Fair Trade Certified,” the black and white logo most often seen on coffee, chocolate, or herbs at co-op grocers. The certification encompasses six key principles: fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade, democratic and transparent organization, community development, and environmental sustainability.

Why is Fair Trade Important?

   Products that get attention for the most egregious eco-devastation and dangerous labor conditions are chocolate, coffee, bananas, and flowers. These are some of the crops that use the most child labor (under age 15), are the most widely traded, use the most dangerous agrochemicals, and are associated with sexual violence.
   It’s hard to believe the true impact of something as simple as a coffee with friends. Say you have two mocha lattes, a shared slice of banana bread, and a carnation on the table: under $10.00, right?
   Chocolate, unfortunately, is notorious for child slave labor. The Ivory Coast and Ghana produce more than half of the world’s cocoa. Free2Work estimates the number of children actually enslaved by cocoa farms to be between 12 and 600 thousand. These children are trafficked due to civil wars and political unrest in the areas. The price of cheap chocolate is a direct result of child slave labor.
   Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil. Much of the world’s coffee is grown on clear cut land and tended by impoverished field hands. Private coffee farmers may receive around 65 cents per pound of beans. This is hardly sufficient

to pay the field hands a living wage. Many coffee finkas in Central and South America are in remote mountain areas that provide little opportunities for education or medical care. In order to make more money, these farmers clear cut the land to produce more coffee beans. The impact on their local environments leads to climactic changes, soil changes, and shifts in food production.
Bananas are one of the cheapest foods available because of dangerous farming practices. Banana farmers are exposed to a plethora of dangerous agrochemicals, which lead to birth defects, cancers, organ system failures, deformities, sexual dysfunction, sterility, blindness, and more. For decades, banana strikers have marched through the Central American country of Nicaragua to protest the use of these chemicals. Strikers report that petrochemical companies dump surpluses of agrochemicals deemed unsafe by first-world nations onto developing nations. One striker in Managua said, “They change the label from Peter to Paul, but we know it’s the same chemical.” Sadly, relief groups have confirmed the strikers’ suspicions.
The flower industry appears to be run by the Dutch as Dutch tulips are synonymous with springtime. In fact, most globally traded flowers are grown in South American green houses, which primarily employ women.

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These workers are exposed to chemicals that cause disorientation, fertility problems, birth defects, cancers, and diseases similar to those found in fruit workers. Additionally, sexual abuse and exploitation is common in this and other industries where the chief labor force is comprised of women.

A Co-op is …

A co-op is a solution. In fair-trade cooperatives, farmers and craftspeople are organized without the influence of a major corporation. Since the workers have an ownership stake in the business and are able to democratically choose their decision makers, there is no exploitive top-down structure like those commonly found in corporations. Trade is done directly with the farmers and craftspeople whenever possible, bringing more profits directly to the workers. Farmer groups are guaranteed a minimum price, which is increased when crops or products are certified organic.
The fair pricing component of this certification also allows for “pre-harvest credit” to be extended to the cooperatives. This assists the workers in achieving the same financial advantages as corporations. Co-ops are able to expand operations, hire additional workers, and maintain product quality even if

droughts or floods strike their region. All workers make a living wage.
Forced child labor is prohibited. Additional factors improve the safety of Fair Trade working conditions such as safer materials like fertilizers and pesticides, safer factories that provide adequate ventilation and rest periods, and freedom of movement so that workers may associate with or separate from the group at will.
Co-op members have an acute focus on community development initiatives such as schools, roads, water projects, workforce skills training, and organic certification. These programs function to improve the living conditions, social programs, and business practices of the worker’s community. The ultimate goal is to blend business growth with community sustainability. Fortunately, this includes environmental sustainability. Petro- chemicals, pesticides, and other harmful agrochemicals are strictly prohibited. No genetically modified crops are farmed. The co-op implements environmentally sustainable farming methods to protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations. Without middlemen and corporate greed interfering, the environmental impact of business is dramatically changed.

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The Eco-Impact of Business

   The cost of business for corporations is vastly different from the cost of business for cooperatives. This cost is both monetary and environmental.
   Consider the activities necessary for multi-national trade under the standard corporate model. Various carbon calculators estimate a singly weekly business flight as generating around 38 tons of CO2 yearly. The carbon cost and e-waste potential of international executives is beyond detrimental when food, clothing, cell phones, lap tops, and personal needs are taken into account. When considering these factors, Fair Trade certification reinvents the ecological cost of global trade.
   Businesses act according to consumer demand. Television advertising clearly demonstrates this. Fad items with bargain prices scroll across high-def screens each night. The greatest demand now is for low prices. As businesses continue to react to the demand for cheaper goods, they engage in international trade that allows them to fulfill consumer demand.
   The quest for cheaper food has led to factory farming, global pesticide and herbicide use, the spread of viruses (such as the avian

and swine flu viruses), and egregious labor rights abuses. We are now able to produce more food per square foot than ever before. The result is polluted water, soil, and air.
The development of disease associated with high-eco-impact business is astounding. Diseases that cause panic, stigma, and chronic illness have come from the domestication of farm animals and factory farming. From swine flu to herpes viruses like chicken pox, the impact of medication in the waste stream, the development of potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals and vaccines, and the growing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria are all evidence that the standard corporate model is making our planet and the people on it sick.
To maintain a low cost of goods, corporations must operate at a lower cost. Sustainable materials may not be as cost effective. Also, compliance with environmental protection legislation may be more expensive than fines incurred for noncompliance.

Labels to Look For

TransFair USA (top logo) is a non-profit organization and is the only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S.
Fairtrade Labeling Organizations

International (FLO). TransFair (bottom logo)

Fair Trade USA Logo

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uses an audit system to track products from farm to finished product to verify compliance with all of the Fair Trade criteria. TransFair works with U.S. companies which meet strict Fair Trade standards so that they may display the Fair Trade Certified label on their products. Fair Trade Certification is currently available in the U.S. for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and vanilla.
The FLO is a 24 member organization which includes 19 Labeling Initiatives, three Producer Networks, and two Associate Members. These labeling initiatives are world-wide: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S. South Africa has a fair trade marketing organization. Global participation is evidence that fair trade is a viable economic and ecological model for business.
European fair trade promotion organizations are many. The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), Network of European World Shops (NEWS), and European Fair Trade Association (EFTA) are among them.
Searching for ethical goods? Visit the FLO at fairtrade.net

A Look at Fair Trade Certified