IFAT Standards
ECO CHIC Fair Trade has consciously chosen to source our Fair Trade products range with the Fairtrade Mark, through Organisations accredited by BAFTS and IFAT and those suppliers with the SA8000 Certification and members of the Ethical Trading Initiative ONLY. Our UK suppliers satisfy our own ethical and environmental criteria. All of our organic range carries the soil association or SKAL certification.
We have made this conscious decision so our customers can be assured that they are buying Fair Trade and UK ethical goods that are true Fair Trade and ethical products.
In realtion to Fair Trade, IFAT is the International network of Fair Trade Organisations. IFAT has a global network of 300 Fair Trade Organisations working in 65 countries. Approximately 65% of the members are based in the South (Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America), others being either European, North American or from the Pacific (Japan, Australia, New Zealand).
Members can be producers associations and cooperatives, import-export companies, retailers, national and regional Fair Trade networks, all dedicated to Fair Trade principles. In these various forms and sizes, IFAT members represent the fair Trade chain from production to distribution.
IFAT aims and activities:
- To improve the livelihoods and well-being of disadvantaged producers by linking Fair trade Organisations and speaking out for greater justice in world trade, in particular in the South.
- To serve as a forum for the excahange of information and ides.
- IFATs network activities focus on market development, building trust and advocating Fair Trade.
IFAT monitors all its members through external verification and self-assessment, to ensure these standards are upheld.
IFAT’s 10 standards for a genuine Fair Trade organisation;
1. Fair Trade is about creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers.
Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system.
2. Transparency and Accountability
Fair Trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.
3. Capacity Building
Fair Trade is a means to develop producers’ independence. Fair Trade relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing organizations can improve their management skills and their access to new markets.
4. Promoting Fair Trade
Fair Trade Organizations raise awareness of Fair Trade and the possibility of greater justice in world trade. They provide their customers with information about the organization, the products, and in what conditions they are made. They use honest advertising and marketing techniques and aim for the highest standards in product quality and packing.
5. Payment of a Fair Price
A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. Fair Traders ensure prompt payment to their partners and, whenever possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or pre-production financing.
6. Gender Equity
Fair Trade means that women’s work is properly valued and rewarded. Women are always paid for their contribution to the production process and are empowered in their organizations.
7. Working Conditions
Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment for producers. The participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play and conforms to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the law and norms in the local context.
8. Child Labour
Fair Trade Organizations respect the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as local laws and social norms in order to ensure that the participation of children in production processes of fairly traded articles (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play. Organizations working directly with informally organised producers disclose the involvement of children in production.
9. The Environment
Fair Trade actively encourages better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production through to sustainable development.
10. Trade Relations
Fair Trade Organizations trade with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalized small producers and do not maximise profit at their expense. They maintain long-term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. Whenever possible producers are assisted with access to pre-harvest or pre-production advance payment.
For further information on Fair Trade please see:
http://www.ifat.org
http://www.bafts.org.uk%20/
