Throughout the year, Oxfam at Queen’s runs a snackbar consisting of a charming offering of coffee, snacks, tea and seasonal specials. The products that are sold are all fairtrade, benefitting producers, small-scale farmers, the economy, and the environment.
What is Fairtrade Exactly?
The main purpose of fair trade practice is all about making trade between crops ethical. Fairtrade practice puts farmers first as small-scale farmers and workers are often marginalized groups in the trade system. The main goals include creating working conditions that are free from discrimination.
A Brief History
In the 1950s, Europeans and Americans who travelled to different countries observed that local artisans and farmers were struggling to cover the cost of their businesses. Many of these travellers would purchase some of those products and return to Europe or the US to sell them for a higher price, then bring the profits directly back to the artisans and farmers. This process led to exploitation, without anyone knowing for sure if the profits went back to the workers. In the 1990s, Fair Trade USA founder Paul Rice wanted to get involved in creating standards that could govern the way that Fair Trade was monitored across the globe, and he ended up returning to the US and founded Fair Trade USA in 1997. The fairtrade movement has progressed considerably, as it is more uncommon to come across coffee, tea and cacao products that are not fair trade nowadays.
How is Fairtrade Sustainable?
Fairtrade is sustainable because it supports environmental protection and climate change adaptation, market access and fairer trade, it supports gender equality, and it also increases standards of living.
Environmental protection and climate change adaptation: Fairtrade Standards require smallholder farmers and larger hired labour production set-ups to comply in key areas. The Standards also promote training for farmers, which can include advice on switching to environmentally friendly practices. This has been shown to lead to good agricultural practices, which have encouraged environmentally sustainable production. The Standards also guide producers in adapting to climate change and mitigate their impact.
Market access and fairer trade: Fairtrade challenges unfair trading practices and empowers farmers and workers to take control of their lives, businesses and communities through trade. Fairtrade also enables businesses and consumers to understand the whole supply chain because it is tracked from producer to buyer.
Gender equality: Fairtrade believes the role of women in agriculture needs more visibility, recognition and value, and that gender equity is important to social sustainability.
Standards of living: Food security is linked closely to economic growth, stable incomes and reduced risk and vulnerability. A better income means more money to buy food and the ability to invest in generating other food sources, such as growing new crops.
Oxfam’s mission
Oxfam Canada runs an extended volunteer movement called Oxfam Wereldwinkels, which are workshops to comply with the following conditions:
-Apply fair trade rules that give everyone a fair chance to sell their products
-Pay a price that contributes to a decent income
-Buy directly with maximum transparency
-Invest in capacity building of marginalized producers
-Respect for people and the environment
-Long term partnership
They pay close attention to trade in underdeveloped countries and take measures to give supportive advice aimed directly at poor or marginalised producers working in democratically managed organisations.
More updates will come including where our snack bar will be located this year and the daily hours.
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