International Fair Trade Association
Encyclopedia
The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), formerly the International Fair Trade Association ("IFAT"), was created in 1989 and is a global association of 324 organizations in over 70 countries. Members are fair trade
producer cooperative
s and associations, export marketing companies, importers, retailers, national and regional fair trade
networks and Fair Trade Support Organizations.
WFTO's mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade.
WFTO's core fields of activities are:
In 2004 WFTO launched a fair trade certification
. The FTO Mark identifies registered Fair Trade Organizations worldwide (as opposed to products in the case of FLO International and Fairtrade mark) and guarantees that standards are being implemented regarding working conditions, wages, child labor and the environment. These standards are verified by self-assessment, mutual reviews and external verification. The FTO Mark is available to all WFTO members who meet the requirements of the WFTO Standards and Monitoring System and so far over 150 organizations have registered.
The WFTO operates in 5 key regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America & Pacific Rim.
Members in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America have come together to form WFTO regional chapters. They are:
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
producer cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s and associations, export marketing companies, importers, retailers, national and regional fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
networks and Fair Trade Support Organizations.
WFTO's mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade.
WFTO's core fields of activities are:
- Developing the market for fair trade.
- Building trust in fair trade.
- Speaking out for fair trade.
- Providing networking opportunities
- Empowering the regions.
In 2004 WFTO launched a fair trade certification
Fair trade certification
A fair trade certification is a product certification within the market-based movement fair trade. The most widely used fair trade certification is FLO International's, the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, used in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Fair Trade Certified Mark...
. The FTO Mark identifies registered Fair Trade Organizations worldwide (as opposed to products in the case of FLO International and Fairtrade mark) and guarantees that standards are being implemented regarding working conditions, wages, child labor and the environment. These standards are verified by self-assessment, mutual reviews and external verification. The FTO Mark is available to all WFTO members who meet the requirements of the WFTO Standards and Monitoring System and so far over 150 organizations have registered.
The WFTO operates in 5 key regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America & Pacific Rim.
Members in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America have come together to form WFTO regional chapters. They are:
- Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA)
- WFTO Asia
- WFTO Europe
- WFTO-LA - Associacion Latino Americana de Commercio Justo (WFTO Latin America).