The Fair Trade Challenge

Fair Trade is an alternative way of establishing business relations, based on the principle that producers and workers who manufacture goods should be fairly compensated for their work and products. Sekem has worked for and with this principle since the beginning over 30 years ago.

Globalisation, speculation and hyper consumerism have led the way to a trading system where the most vulnerable elements of the market force, namely millions of small producers or workers from developing countries are no longer able to gain a minimal income from their hard work and are forced into poverty. In that context, fair trade is a pro-active commitment to trading agricultural or manufactured products while guaranteeing producers with:

• Fair prices for their production: Farmers should be able to earn a living and not subsidize ever-decreasing prices of goods in developed countries.
  
  
• Long-term business relations, which facilitate investments, development plans and easier access to distribution markets.
  
  
• Payment of premiums above market price to improve social conditions and avoid forced labor.
  
  
• Support in the implementation of sustainable farming practices and ethical corporate or co-operative governance.

The challenge for fair trade products is that they compete with mass produced goods that reach markets with prices which do not reflect the real value of labor or raw material it took to produce them.

The challenge for fair trade producers, manufacturers, distributors or buyers is to take part in a cycle of production which attempts at maintaining the dignity and value of all those who participate in the production of agricultural or manufactured goods.

The challenge for all of us is to agree to buy fair trade products as a way to support better living conditions for most of us rather than for a few of us.