The Italian charter of fair trade criteria
The Italian charter of fair trade criteria is a document which defines the shared values and principles of all the Italian fair trade organizations. This charter has been re-drafted many times, introducing changes which have preserved the basic principles without changing the charter founding spirit and values.
The last changes were approved in the Assembly of Associates AGICES in
The charter of fair trade criteria is made up of 6 main articles, each of these article is subdivided into many points. Just the most important ones will be analysed.
1st article
Definition
Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade; it promotes social and economic justice, sustainable development, respect for people and the environment. It is meant to raise consumer awareness, through information campaigns and political action. Fair trade aims at achieving equity for all the actors involved in the chain of distribution, from producers to consumers.
2nd article
Goals of Fair Trade
· To improve the livelihoods and well-being of producers by improving market access, strengthening producer organizations, paying a better price and providing continuity in the trading relationship.
· To promote development opportunities for disadvantaged producers, especially women and indigenous people, and to protect children from exploitation in the production process.
· To protect human rights by promoting social justice, sound environmental practices and economic security.
3rd article
General criteria adopted by fair trade organizations
· To avoid employing and exploiting child’s labour, in compliance with the International Convention on the Right of the Child
· To guarantee workers fair wages for their labour and to provide equal working opportunities with no gender, age, social, religious or political discrimination.
- To respect the environment and promote sustainable development in all production and distribution processes, favouring organic production, use of recyclable materials, and low environmental impact production and distributive processes.
4th article
Producers and Exporters
Producers are production and distribution organizations which share the goals of fair trade and respect fair trade criteria, They have
- To guarantee product quality
Exporters are organizations which mainly purchase from fair trade producers and mostly sell to fair trade organizations: they share fair trade goals and respect its criteria and have:
- To give information on products and producers and on the prices paid to producers
5th article
Italian fair trade organizations
Italian fair trade organizations mostly sell fair trade products and/or export to fair trade organizations and have:
- To be non-profit
In import and export activities Italian fair trade organizations have:
- To endorse, through their own mission and values statements, publicity material and actions, the definition and principles of Fair Trade.
- To give other fair trade organizations the possibility to become aware of travel opportunities to fair trade production resorts, respecting responsible tourism criteria.
In their selling activity Italian fair trade organizations have:
· To provide costumers all the available information material, including transparent price labels.
· To inform the public about their aims, the origin of the products, the producers and about world trade.
6th article
Transformed products
Products which cannot be traced back to only one raw material such as: cookies, chocolate, sweets...
- Transformations must be carried out by people involved in fair trade or by cooperatives or enterprises which are not in contrast with fair trade values.
- Transformed products must quote the wording: “fair trade ingredients total: x٪” in their labels.
