The Organic Consumers Association has launched the Fair World Project to promote fair trade in commerce, especially in organic production systems in developing countries as well as at home, and to protect the term “fair trade” from dilution and misuse for mere PR purposes. This new organization fills the critical need for a watchdog of misleading fair trade claims, and a cheerleader for dedicated fair trade mission-driven companies. The Fair World Project will focus on promoting projects that connect the environmental and health benefits of organic agriculture with the social benefits derived from fair trade.

The article below is featured both on the Fair World Project website as well as in the inaugural publication of “For a Better World.” The website provides a space and forum where consumers and activists can discuss issues within the Fair Trade movement, ask tough questions and share information. Please check it out here.

Going Fair Trade: The Challenges of Setting Up Sustainable and Fair Supply Chains and Getting Them Certified

Being responsible to the people we work with has always been a pillar of Dr. Bronner’s business philosophy. In 2002, we decided to expand that philosophy to our supply chains and determined to shift our major raw materials to certified organic. By 2003, all our soaps were certified under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), but over the next two years we realized that our supply chains were opaque to us: we bought from intermediate brokers and did not know whether the organic farmers, farm workers and factory workers in our supply chains received fair prices and wages, or whether child or exploited labor made our organic oils.