Fair trade is an international movement that seeks to support disadvantaged third world commodity producers, by ensuring they receive a minimum price while encouraging sustainability in their business practices.

Fairtrade International is the international body that organises fairtrade through certifiying produce, registering producers and awards authority to national bodies to license the fair trade mark for use on manufactured products. More than 250 products carry the fair trade mark. They include cocoa, tea, coffee, honey, rice, sugar, mangoes etc.

The British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is a member organisation representing Fair Trade and World Shops on the High Street.

The body responsible for fair-trade in the UK is the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Fairtrade Foundation is a registered charity, and a registered company in England and Wales. It was set up in 1992 by the following charities and groups – CAFOD, Christian Aid, New Consumer, Oxfam, Traidcraft, and the World Development Movement. Later, they were joined by the Women’s Institute.

The Trade Justice Movement is an organisation of many bodies including trade unions, aid agencies, environment and human rights campaigns, fairtrade organisations, faith and consumer groups. It campaigns for fair not free trade.

Christian Aid provides a good overview upon trade justice at its site.

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