DEMOCRATISING TRADE THROUGH SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

“When talking about the SDGs, we should not talk about North and South. We are all developing countries working towards Sustainable Development.”
WFTO Chief Executive Leida Rijnhout walks us through the DNA of mission-led enterprises and how they are contributing to Sustainable Development.
The global community of Fair Trade Enterprises believe development isn’t an end in itself. The wellbeing of people and the planet precedes above all else.
Wealth and power redistribution are a shared responsibility that goes beyond old narratives of the powerful North and the weak South. As inequalities have been longtime rising in the global North too, the strive for global transformation towards Sustainable Development is a global issue with no geographic preference. We can’t afford to work separately to dismantle a broken system, we need to unite.
This week, we celebrate the contribution of the Fair Trade movement to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in catalysing systemic change in the economic system. 25th September both marks the date when the Fair Trade Charter got updated in 2018 and the UN Agenda 2030 was signed in 2015.
The primary goal of the Fair Trade community is fully aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UN Agenda 2030, which streamlined the pathway to sustainable development. The Fair Trade movement has been pursuing the transformation of global value chains for decades now, by supporting the work of small and medium mission-led enterprises even before the SDGs were identified.
None of the 17 interlinked SDGs can be cherrypicked at convenience. The push for unlimited growth has been causing unmeasurable devastation and cannot be addressed through quick fixes, nor minimal adjustments. 
We need systemic change to build the new economy.

Share This Post

Tags

Sign up to our Newsletter

Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific sourcing requests or queries.
Contact us

Sourcing requests or queries

Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific sourcing requests or queries.
Become an Impact Ally

Collaboration is key to successful transformation, meaningful impact, and our movement

Play Video

WHO CAN APPLY

WFTO welcomes applications from established Fair Trade Organisations as well as organisations that support Fair Trade. Individuals in their capacity as researchers, writers, consultants and specialists in their field who can contribute solid skills, knowledge and expertise to WFTO and members are also welcome.

Add Your Heading Text Initial requirements for organisations:

  • Compliance with the WFTO 10 Principles of Fair Trade. Please have a look at the WFTO Fair Trade Standard for more specific information on compliance with these principles.

  • All applicant organisations must already be duly registered (as a legal entity) and active for at least one year.

Who can apply?

  • Fair Trade Organisations (FTO)

    All companies, partnerships, co-partnerships and other legal bodies – as determined by the legal provisions of the country of the member concerned – that are directly engaged in Fair Trade. They may be producers or northern or southern based trading FTOs for whom Fair Trade is the main activity. To qualify for FTO membership, income from sales (turnover) must account for 50% or more of the total income. Applications for FTO membership cannot be accepted from organisations with no prior sales history.

  • Fair Trade Networks (FTN)

    Legal entities whose primary function is to serve as national or international associations of Fair Trade producers and/or Fair Trade Organisations.

  • Fair Trade Support Organisations (FTSO)

    Fair Trade Organisations where trading is not the main activity (proportion of trade is less than 50% of total income). These organisations are engaged in Fair Trade indirectly, through activities that promote and support Fair Trade. These activities can include business counselling, finance, advocacy or networking.

  • Associate Organisations

    This is a special category for national or international organisations that are interested in supporting and promoting Fair Trade, including donor organisations. Organisations that do not meet the one-year legal existence requirement also fit in this group.

  • Individual Associates

    Individual researchers, writers, consultants and specialists in their field that can support WFTO. WFTO expects its individual associates to be active Fair Trade supporters whose experience and expertise in their own particular field can be of practical benefit to WFTO's members. To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae.

    While FTO, FTN and FTSO are entitled to full WFTO membership, organizational and individual associates have only limited rights.

Contact us

enquiries

Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific enquiries
Play Video

OUR PRODUCT LABEL

The WFTO Product Label is more than just a Fair Trade symbol. It signifies not only that the practices across the supply chain are checked against the WFTO Fair Trade Standard, but it also represents support to the battle against poverty and inequality. Products carrying the WFTO Label are made and traded by Guaranteed Fair Trade Organisations dedicated to the sustainable Fair Trade economy. Every purchase of products with the WFTO Label supports small producers and their communities.