About Fair Trade
What is Fair Trade?
Have you ever wondered where your products come from, how they were made or who made them?
Fair Trade is an internationally recognised approach to changing lives through trade. It supports the employment of “fair” practices for the people and planet throughout a business.
Why Fair Trade?
Fair business practices are usually a given in the developed world. However, recent examinations of the supply chains and outsourced facets of seemingly “above-board” businesses have revealed that this is often not the case.
Unfortunately, the ‘true cost’ of production is often passed down the supply chain to producers in developing countries, who are working without the protections afforded by enforceable labour and environmental laws. This leads to unsafe work environments, low or unpaid wages, child labour and a multitude of other appalling and exploitative conduct by businesses.
This is where Fair Trade organisations step-in. Our goal is to not only alleviate the issues mentioned above, but to help producer communities thrive through trade.
How are we involved?
U-Chüs Fair Trade is a co-convener of the West Australian Fair Trade Collective and an active member of the Fair Trade Association Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, we ensure that we only engage with organisations which use the 10 fair trade principles to define their business model and two of our producer partners are even World Fair Trade Certified. View the 10 fair trade principles by WFTO below.
The Impact of Fair Trade
Our business provides sustainable income, development opportunities and community support to artisans in rural communities of Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, through producer partners. Some opportunities include training programs, interest free micro-finance, health services, child educational support as well as disaster relief services. This allows the artisans and their families to lead healthy, financially sustainable lives and provide a better future for their children.