~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE FAIR TRADER: a monthly electronic newsletter published by Culture Clash Communications [cclash@web.net]. Distributed FREE via email to anyone interested in using their consumer power to work for a socially just and ecologically healthy world. Bob Ewing: publisher/ visit our home page: http://www.izad.com/cultureclash ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Issue One: Volume One ----------------------------- July, 1996 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the first edition of the Fair Trader; the Trader was created to enable people to use their consumer power to promote social and economic justice within their own community and around the world. Each issue of the Trader will feature an organization, company or project that operates according to fair trade principles. In order for our readers to better understand the meaning of fair trade, this issue features Fair TradeMark Canada. This month's feature: Fair TradeMark Canada, a membership based federal non-profit company, promotes fairness in trade nationally and internationally by: * Establishing a mark which certifies fairness in trade; * Licensing a label for products which meet international criteria, for sale by Canadian companies; * Educating the public, retailers and government about fair trade benefits; * Working with international movements in research and policy advocacy. Modelled after eco-logos and European fair trademarks, Fair TradeMark Canada licenses a label for use on products and brands bought and sold with a concern for justice for southern producers. Standards monitored by an independent international network include not only a fair price, but also long-term assured markets, provision of credit at reasonable rates, and purchases from registries of democratically organized producers. WHO IS BEHIND US? * An international network of churches, social justice groups, unions, co-ops, businesses, ATOs (alternative trading organizations) and NGO communities, as well as producers and consumers. * Fair TradeMark Canada is the Canadian member of TransFair International, benefiting from the monitoring network, criteria development and promotional experiences of our European colleagues. * Organizational members (as of 29/2/96): Inter-Pares, CUSO, the Canadian Autoworkers Social Justice Fund, World Vision of Canada, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Horizons of Friendship, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund, the Hunger Project in Canada, the United Church of Canada. Individuals from other networks such as the Council of Canadians, Ten Days for World Development, and local Oxfam committees have also joined our fair trade network. A grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has been approved. WHAT IS FAIR TRADE? * Working on a human scale that shows care for the working conditions and community well being of the producer. * Building relationships between producer, retailer and consumer. * Ensuring quality to the customer, security and a better price to the producer. * Recognizing the value of the product and the work involved in production. FAIR TRADE WORKS BY: * Securing long term contracts and relationships so that producers can plan ahead; * Providing pre-purchase credit or working capital at reasonable rates; * Allowing producers to organize democratically for their own benefit; * Ensuring producers are paid a price that values their labour; * Providing customers with a quality product; * Making it easy for customers to buy ethically; * Guaranteeing these claims through an independent agency, Fair TradeMark Canada. HOW DOES IT WORK? The ATO movement now boasts sales in excess of $200 million worldwide, but the potential is much greater. In Europe, it has been shown that at least 5% of consumers are willing to pay extra to ensure fair prices for producers. Before buying however, consumers want certain conditions met: 1) no compromise in product quality; 2) easy availability, ie. no trips to special stores; and 3) an independently monitored guarantee that fair trade conditions are really being met and are not just marketing hype. Our goal is to help southern producers tap this market and expand it to beyond 5% of consumers. Beginning in 1996, a network of volunteers will undertake consumer surveys and other promotional campaigns. These campaigns will determine the needs and characteristics of ethical shoppers in Canada and mobilize a fair trade support network. They will be followed-up later in 1996 by promotional efforts with manufacturers and retailers to show that there is a demand for fairly traded products in Canada. Fair TradeMark Canada will license a label to Canadian companies for those products or brands which meet the criteria of the international network for the product concerned. License fees will be charged to cover the costs of monitoring and promotion. HOW IS FAIRNESS GUARANTEED? Fair TradeMark Canada, as the Canadian member of TransFair International, participates in an international network of fair trade labelling companies. This gives us access to existing producer registers, product criteria and the international monitoring networks that have been developed by our European colleagues. Fair trade labelling companies have been established in Holland, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Canada and Japan. Coffee was first labelled by the Max Havelaar Foundation in Holland in 1988. TransFair International has affiliates in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Japan, Italy, Canada and the USA. The Fairtrade Foundation labels products in the UK market. Max Havelaar now licenses 2.3% of Dutch coffee sales through private roasters and supermarket chains. TransFair members sold licences on more than 5600 metric tonnes of coffee in 1994. They provide a source of fair income and contracts for thousands of small coffee growers in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. These companies jointly administer the international producer registries, have achieved commercial acceptance for fair trademarked coffee and have developed criteria for other products, including tea, cocoa, sugar and honey. Standards for coconut oil, bananas, spices, textiles and handcrafts are under consideration. For further information, contact: Bob Thomson, Managing Director, Organizational memberships $500 Fair TradeMark Canada, Individual memberships $ 50 797 Somerset Street, West, Box 57052 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1R 6I0 Tel. (613) 563-3351 Fax (613) 567-1468 Email: bthomson@web.apc.org WWW: http://www.web.apc.org/fairtrade ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CLASSIFIEDS: Classified advertising is available to individuals, non-profit organizations, community and church groups and businesses that follow the fair trade guidelines. No personals or business opportunity ads permitted. Apartment exchanges, barter and ecottravel encouraged. Ads cost $6.00 per month and can include up to 50 words; additional words are 10 cents each. To place a classified ad email your copy to cclash@web.net. If your ad is accepted we will email approval and payment method back to you within 24 hours. Bob Ewing