The Fairtrade logo is one of the most well-recognised sustainability certifications in the world often found on chocolate bars and coffee jars, sometimes with the text ‘Guarantees a better deal for Third World Producers’.
You will also see it throughout the Bag Maverick website as many of our products/materials are Fairtrade certified as part of our promise to uphold ethical standards. But what does this actually mean?
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is one of the most recognised and trusted sustainability labels in the world. It is a global organisation that was founded in 1992 and is co-owned by more than 1.8 million farmers with the aim of transforming the way trade works.
Their aim is to establish fair and sustainable trade relationships between small-scale farmers in third world countries and the global buyers or distributors who may be purchasing from them.
This helps to ensure that everyone throughout the supply chain is treated equally and with respect, and that producers are provided with enough support to cover their costs whilst being able to invest into the improvement of their standard of living.
What does the Fairtrade certification mean?
The Fairtrade certification system is rigorous and independent to ensure that only those in full compliance with the guidelines receive the certification. Independent certifiers are tasked with auditing producers, traders and companies against Fairtrade’s standards to determine whether or not a product can earn the certification.
These standards include:
- No forced labour, child labour or discrimination
- Commitment to gender equity and women’s economic empowerment
- Decent working conditions
- Fair prices being paid to the producers so that they have a stable income
- An extra sum of money being paid on top of the selling price to invest in business or community projects
All in all, when you purchase a Fairtrade certified product, you can trust that it has adhered to clear guidelines that support social, economic and environmental sustainability.
As it is only applicable to small-scale farmer organisations, only certain products can receive the Fairtrade certification such as coffee, cocoa, cotton and rice.
Our Fairtrade products
At Bag Maverick we are deeply committed to upholding our sustainability values and one of the ways in which we do this is through using ethically-sourced materials to create our products. One of these materials is Fairtrade cotton.
When cotton has been produced sustainably and in line with the guidelines set by Fairtrade, it receives the certification which is how we get Fairtrade cotton.
We procure this material and use it to create a range of products including tote bags, drawstring pouches and home textiles.