Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that pursues equity in international trade. Fair Trade secures the rights of marginalized producers and workers, especially in the South, and forms part of a transnational effort to protect people and the environment.

Principles of Fair Trade

  • Fair Trade means that international exchange as well as investment occurs within a global framework of rules designed to ensure that the benefits of international exchange are experienced by all people.
  • Fair Trade is always negotiated and administered transparently and inclusively. There are no secret negotiations, and there is no fast tracking of corporate gains at public expense. Fair Trade facilitates broad public input across borders.
  • Fair Trade requires the replacement of the corporate-dominated Investor-State Dispute Settlement tribunal system with an independent and transparent legal adjudication mechanism accessible by all stake holders, including civil society, labor, and environmental organizations – not just corporations.
  • Fair Trade honors taxpayer-funded programs in member nations that allow national governments to pursue procurement policies that stimulate their own economies as needed.
  • Fair Trade prioritizes swift and certain enforcement of international agreements and standards addressing human rights, lab­or standards, environmental conservation and protection, climate policy, and product safety, especially food and consumer products. 
  • Fair Trade ensures international investment and trade promote global strategies to mitigate climate disruption and a timely and just transition to fossil fuel-free economies. 
  • Fair Trade requires strict and enforceable rules of origin.
  • Fair Trade includes enforceable standards to guard against and offset currency manipulation. 
  • Fair Trade ensures all persons are guaranteed access to affordable medical treatment, including pharmaceuticals. 
  • Fair Trade prohibits the strategic, mass export of private goods and services subsidized by national governments.
  • Fair Trade facilitates regulation of financial products, transactions, and capital flows to protect national economies against speculation and financial manipulation by large investors and banks. 
  • Fair Trade excludes monopolistic patent and copyright protections, including those for medical technology, intellectual property and cultural products. 
  • Fair Trade guarantees net neutrality for all people, protects public access to information, and protects consumer information from unauthorized uses.

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