What is Fair Trade?

Fair trade is a social way of doing business that aims to keep skilled artisans an active part of the world market and empowers consumers to make purchases that support their values. By helping artisans to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to develop their own businesses and offering access to a global market, communities in third world countries around the globe have worked their way out of poverty.

Our commitment to Fair Trade shows our strong belief that sustainable employment is the only long term way to break the cycles of poverty. At One World Projects we make a point to partner with small scale artisan groups in economically-disadvantaged countries, and to pay them more of your investment. Through this model, Fair Trade handmade articles can become a powerful tool for creating big change for small artisans, their families and communities. Fair Trade, moreover, is a holistic approach to trade and development that aims to alter the ways in which business is conducted, so that trade can empower the poorest of the poor.

The Fair Trade Federation says, “Fair trade is an approach to business and to development based on dialogue, transparency, and respect that seeks to create greater equity in the international trading system.

Fair trade supports farmers and craftspeople in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized. These producers lack economic opportunity and often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods.

Fair trade is much more than just trade. At the core of the fair trade model is a direct, cooperative, and in-depth relationship between buyers and sellers that keeps all of the principles of fair trade at the forefront.

Fair Trade is about making a tremendous impact on artisan and farmer communities while offering great products to the public.

Fairly traded clothing, coffee, food, furniture, home decor, housewares, jewelry, tea, toys, personal accessories, and many other products are available from Fair Trade Organizations. Communities are improved; nutritional needs met; health care costs are covered; the poor, especially women, are empowered; the environmental impact of production, sourcing, and transport is mitigated to the fullest extent possible. Such an impact is created because Fair Trade approaches development as a holistic process."

Fair Trade is truly the embodiment of global exchange! Its purpose and future in the international market is on the rise, and One World Projects is delighted to offer innovative and unique Fair Trade handmade articles to you. Empower your purchase with us at our Fair Trade online store and have the comfort of knowing that your purchase supports individuals and communities around the world. To learn more read our About Us page.