Fair trade is market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. It aims to educate and empower disadvantaged producers and connect them to a market, so they too can participate in global trade. It encompasses principles such as:

• Anti-slave, anti-child labor
• Environmentally friendly processes
• A respectful relationship between producers and buyers
• A fair wage for the producers
• A healthy working environment for producers
• Gender equality with respects to wages and working conditions
• The development of communities for self-sustainability

Fair trade exists to give a chance to small farmers, artisans and workers around the world, so they can also benefit from globalization. This philosophy provides a platform that enables these disadvantaged people to rise above poverty and improve their standard of living.

The Fair Trade movement is constantly gaining popularity in North America, as consumers begin to ask where their products come from, what they are made of, and if their purchases will make a difference in the world. This behavior has been named by some as “social consumerism”, where people look to buy products from ethical companies and want to support good causes.