Introduction While the Fair Trade movement has taken off most notably in the UK and US, its presence in Singapore has room for growth. The majority of Fair Trade products arrive in supermarkets and shopping centres largely through the efforts of UK coffee company Café Direct as well as multinationals such as Marks & Spencers. A smaller though significant percentage arrive through the “organic backdoor”, in products that have double certification. Given the established consumer culture of Singapore, Fair Trade has high potential for encouraging ethical consumption – if leveraged properly. This guide seeks to list the various Fair Trade items available in Singapore, to benefit ethical consumers – and thereby create that leverage.
This guide lists the various Fair Trade items available in Singapore, and provides an overview of the Fair Trade movement itself.
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Introduction
While the Fair Trade movement has taken off most notably in the UK and US, its
presence in Singapore has room for growth. The majority of Fair Trade products arrive in
supermarkets and shopping centres largely through the efforts of UK coffee company
Café Direct as well as multinationals such as Marks & Spencers. A smaller though
significant percentage arrive through the “organic backdoor”, in products that have
double certification.
Given the established consumer culture of Singapore, Fair Trade has high potential for
encouraging ethical consumption – if leveraged properly. This guide seeks to list the
various Fair Trade items available in Singapore, to benefit ethical consumers – and
thereby create that leverage.
A decent living wage
Protect the environment
Sustainable community development
Access to international markets
Ensuring labour rights
Reduce harmful addictions
What’s Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is generally regarded as the gold standard in ethical consumption, given its
wide recognition, comprehensive standards, and independent certification. It’s a good
alternative to unfair trade rules such as import tariffs and Western farm subsidies. Most
of all, it’s proven to make a significant difference in the lives of the producers groups it
supports.
As defined by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation, “Fair-trade is a trading partnership,
based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international
trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to,
and securing the rights of, marginalised producers and workers – especially in the
South. Fair-trade organisations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in
supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules
and prqactices of conventional international trade.”
Why Fair Trade?
Farmers & producer groups are usually paid a fraction of the eventual sale price of a product.
Farmers implement integrated crop management and avoid the use of toxic agrochemicals for pest management.
Farmers’ and workers organisations receive a ‘social premium’ to invest back in their communities. This can be used to improve health services, provide medical supplies, build schools, and provide education for children.
Fair Trade helps producers to gain a better understanding international markets, providing them with contacts and resources to present their products at international fairs.
Through cooperatives and trade unions, workers are better able to defend their rights. Children are not exploited.
Provide farmers with economically viable alternatives to the growing of coca and opium poppies, the raw materials for cocaine and heroin. (according to TransFair USA)
The various trademarks
Consumers, however, do need to take note of the 3 main standards in use:
The Fairtrade Mark is used mostly for commodity products.
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International
(www.fairtrade.net/) develops the standards while FLO-CERT
GMBH (www.flo-cert.net) certifies producers. The most common
Fair Trade logo around.
Used solely by US companies and is administered by TransFair
USA (www.transfairusa.org/).
The World Fair Trade Organisation Mark (www.wfto.com) is
used to certify companies, not products, especially those which
retail “fairly traded” handicrafts.
Community Trade vs. Fair Trade
The Body Shop has been running their community trade scheme
since 1986, much longer than the Fair Trade concept itself. In the late
Anita Roddick's book, Business as Unusual, she lays out the
company guidelines on the small communities they trade with: 1)
Social or economically marginalised involved with and benefit from
the trade, 2) Commercially viable, 3) Able to build a trading relationship that can benefit
the primary producer or processor, and 4) Using a product or process that is both
socially and economically benign and sustainable.
So while its products are ‘fairly traded’ (as opposed to Fairtrade), as big name brands go,
it’s done much more than any of its competitors, with its far-reaching codes of conduct
and extensive reporting on its own social and environmental practices.