Fair trade the controlled trade with products is called, whose payment lies usually over the world price. This is to make a higher and more reliable income for the producers possible, than would be possible under normal conditions.

Principle

Fair trade is a variant of the trade with branded articles, whereby the increase in value of the mark is represented by the fact that with the additional expenditure is to be helped to economically weaker humans. Differently than e.g. with Wohlfahrtsmarken this assistance is to benefit however not indifferent third, but the producers, so that the purchase between the achievement and the income remains protected.

Practice

Fair trade is common with food and luxuries, which come from origin areas of inferior e.g. with coffee from Africa. Large also non-agricultural products can be used to the fair trade. On the retail trade level the products are sold both in traditional supermarkets and in such markets, which specialized in trade with fair acted products.

Certifying

The trademark owners operate certification bodies, which are to guarantee the adherence to the economic aspects. The certificate becomes part of the mark, e.g. as fair trade seal. The certification body vouches thereby for it that economical and social standards are kept, e.g. Minimum wages or work prohibitions for children. Partly also ecological standards are to become secured.

Acceptance

To an Emnid inquiry in Germany according to 5.4 per cent of the asked ones buys regularly fair acted products. More than one third of the population sympathized with the idea of the fair trade and considers it support worth.

History of the fair trade

The beginnings of the fair trade (1959 to 1980)

The history of the fair trade begins in the year 1959 in the Netherlands: The donation Steun voor Onderontwikkelde Streken, shortened S.O.S., becomes begins S.O.S. in Kerkrade/NL with the trade of products of the so-called third world. In April 1969 Breukelen the first world shop opens in the Netherlands place.

End of the 1960er years unite young people from the district Hildesheim to the working group development assistance (late El Puente). They concern themselves with the north south problem, organize bazaars, accomplish old dress collections and collect auxiliary goods and donations for a health project in Paraguay. It begins the direct import and the sales of goods from Latin America.

Beginning of the 1970er years in Germany (A3WH see below), Austria and Switzerland subsidiary companies are created by S.O.S. Five regional goods depots are furnished in the Netherlands. 1973 are sold to that world-wide first fair acted coffee in the Netherlands. In Switzerland in particular the banana women draw the attention of von Frauenfeld and the organization explanation of Berne to the problems of the world economy into the 1970er year. They plead for improvements without a alms character.

1970 takes place the first hunger marches in Germany. 30,000 humans go requiring the decrease of defence expenditure, the increase of development assistance on the road and on 1% of the gross national product, the dismantling of tariff and trade barriers in the industrialized countries in favor of the products of the third Welt.Im autumn 1970 the action third world trade, shortened A3WH, by the youth federations of the Evangelist and catholic church, working group of the Evangelist youth (aej) and federation of the German catholic youth (BDKJ) are based. The A3WH refers its goods over the Netherlands import organization S.O.S. Wereldhandel/the Netherlands and informs about the problems of the third world.

1971-1975 offers ever more groups of third worlds on bazaars and markets of products of fair trade; the first third world shops develop also in Deutschland.Im June 1972 become El Puente - association for work and social promotion in developing countries registered association based, from which one of the largest German import organizations is to become. On 3 October 1973 the non-profit association society for trade with the third world with seat in Aachen forms. He is the forerunner gepa and as a German daughter of the donation S.O.S. is based. In Nimwegen/NL the Wereldwinkel is solemnly opened. On 26 April 1975 in Frankfurt/Main the working group of the 3.Welt shops (AG3WL) is brought of seven third world shops (Rastatt, Hamm, Berlin West, Hildesheim, Herne, Stuttgart, gentleman mountain) into being.

To 14. May 1975 finds the establishment gepa, (today: gepa fair trading firm), instead of. She is at present world-wide the largest importer of fair acted products. In the year 1975 there are 10 world shops in the Federal Republic of Germany. On 14 October 1977 discharges gepa after two-year discussion its Projektpartner-Kriterien.1977 becomes the GmbH El Puente - import and selling of utensils and arts and crafts articles to the promotion of small firms and cooperatives in developing countries the opening meeting takes place for action jute instead of plastics in Hamburg. In this year there are already 100 world shops in Germany.

End of the 1970er years become independent the subsidiary organizations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 1980 are renamed those fair trade organization of the Netherlands in S.O.S. Wereldhandel.

The years 1981 to 1990

Gepa has in March 1983 approx. 40 partners in over 20 countries; there are approx. 2,500 groups of actions in the fair trade. The gepa annual turnover 4/1982 to 3/1983 amounts to over 12 millions DM. In November 1985 there are approx. 350 third world shops, 70 of it is organized in the AG3WL. In March 1986 the gepa annual turnover amounts to approx. 18 millions DM. Meanwhile approx. 400 world shops and about 4,000 groups of actions are settled in Germany. In the year 1988 the association third world partner Ravensburg registered association (dwp Ravensburg) is created, which is today of Germany third biggest importer of fair acted products. In the year 1990 those is created EFTA - European fair trade Association as union of 11 alternative import organizations. 1988 are inserted in the Netherlands the max Havelaar quality seal for fair trade. In July 1988 the third world partner is created - import, large and retail trade by products of developing countries GmbH, Ravensburg. In order to address and offer above all the trade partners into overseas more sales prospects for its products new groups of buyers, goes gepa the ways new starting from approximately 1989 in the selling. Apart from "the classical "marketing departments of the world shops and groups of actions it expands the selling increasingly also on bio and health food shops, the food retail trade (LEH), big consumer and Versandhandel. The development of the seal Transfair, which supports actively gepa, is likewise part of the strategy for commercial expansion. The alternative import organizations El Puente and third world partner Ravensburg (as well as associated member afrassca) try a co-operation starting from 1989, by offering in each case products to that different one also in the own selling. In the same year the IFAT is created - internationally Federation for alternative trade as world union of alternative import organizations, which 1998 about 100 fair trade organizations have to the member, among them from Germany third world partner Ravensburg, El Puente, gepa, TEAM))In the year 1989 the action of arms world starts the sales of gepa AHA KaffeeDer annual turnover of El Puente as pilot project for coffee in the normal trade in three branches of the God dear commercial company amounts to in the year 1989/90 1.86 million DM. In January 1990 the European combination of the alternatives trading organisations (EFTA = European fair trade Association) is created. In the year 1998 the EFTA 12 fair trade organizations from 9 countries attached, made of Germany are gepa. Gepa 76 project partners in 27 countries have to register in the period 4/1989 to 3/1990 an annual turnover of 18,8 million DM and possess. In Germany 1990 approx. 300 world shops and approx. 3,000 groups of actions exist. In the course of the opening to the food retail trade (LEH) 12 becomes starting from that. May 1990 in 34 branches of the God dear commercial company AHA coffee gepa sells; 27 of the 34 branches has groups of care and/or - persons from the fair trade.

Articles in category "Fair trade"

We found here 30 articles.