Fair Trade

The concept of fair trade began in the 1940’s with some shops and church groups in the US and Europe selling products made by Chinese refugees or poor Puerto Rican communities. Such initiatives were called Alternative Trade Organisations. It began with crafts, and included food (sugar initially) in the 1960’s. In 1980 there was more organisational approach to fair trade.  

Understanding of  the underlying principles of  Fair Trade is crucial,has adoption of  processes in isolation from those principles, risks losing an important element of the overall philosophy that has been developed through experience and dialogue  by  Fair  Trade  Organizations  over  many  years. In Fair Trade, it  is  unquestionable  that  effectiveness  is  enhanced  not  just  through  what  an organisation does, but also why and how they do it.  FLO also says it has trademarked the term "fair trade" in about 44 countries and has contacted several companies that were using the term on noncertified goods to "try to reason with them," says Managing Director Luuk Laurens Zonneveld. "Until now it's worked fairly well."  

Oxfam believes that change is possible. The international trading system is not a force of nature. It is a system of exchange, managed by rules and institutions that reflect political choices. Ultimately, there is a clear choice to be made. We can choose to allow unfair trade rules to continue causing poverty and distress, and face the consequences, or can change them. We can allow globalisation to continue working for the few, rather than the many, or we can forge a new model of inclusive globalisation, based on shared values and principles of social justice. The choice is ours. And the time to choose is now.

Finally ,it may say  that literally fair trade is very much fair but in practically it is not fair. So  the organization who are working on this point need to work hard for the development.