Not fair yet.... The struggle continues

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Policies are one thing; reality is often another.     Producers often report to One Village that many of those claiming to be «fair trade», including some large and respected organizations, appear to have lost touch with their stated ideals.     The reports say that even these buyers often fail to thoroughly check their supply lines back to the actual source; they make no real effort to ensure that adequate prices are paid (and insist on low prices, just like many commercial buyers); they expect economically weak producers to pay interest for funds to finance their orders; they require products that are alien to the producers' own cultures.     Emphasis has widely shifted away from promoting production of higher value finished articles and backwards into simple primary agricultural commodities, keeping the value processing in affluent industrialized countries.     Major fair trade certification labels usually only refer to the raw materials in a product – not the production process. Most claims of fair trade don't at all comply with the FINE definition or ideals.

is a socially-proactive alternative marketing organization founded as a service in 1979.     But One Village has always chosen to try to avoid using the slogan «fair trade» as a description of its programme. Why? –     Whilst One Village strives to fully live out all the social aspirations, plus what is contained in the FINE definition, and the standards set by IFAT, it remains concerned that any use of the words «fair trade» are always an exaggeration that can be easily misunderstood.     According to this view, the slogan «fair trade» is misleading and unhelpful because in reality the struggle for justice and for truly fair relationships has not yet been solved.     Please study One Village Operating principles to see how One Village works towards its social objectives.

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