Fair Trade USA

For years, the Fair Trade certified program has driven change through our rigorous standards, Fair Trade community development funds, and minimum price guarantees. These mechanisms have been critical to protecting workers, driving financial stability, and enabling communities to make life-changing investments. As impactful as these strategies have been, they are not enough to eradicate poverty and transform global supply chains. Engaging consumers by celebrating brands that sell Fair Trade certified products and by educating shoppers about why and how to reward ethical sourcing, resulting in 65% consumer awareness and thousands of certified products on the market. In 2023 Fair Trade launched a coffee innovation initiative, partnering with world-class consultants at ideo.org and an impressive, global coffee impact advisory board.

Rigorous standards are how we fulfill our mission and create trading partnerships founded on transparency, fairness, and economic empowerment. In addition to our robust standards, our vast experience in multiple commodities, our stepped approach to full compliance, and unparalleled in-field support services are some of the reasons our producer partners choose Fair Trade certified. Our impact model protects human rights, enables sustainable livelihoods for farmers, fishers, and workers, and creates more resiliency in both communities and supply chains. More than $1 billion in financial benefit has been delivered to producer communities. In agriculture, Fair Trade USA has made a big commitment to the verification of responsible recruiting practices, as this is essential for eliminating labor trafficking in supply chains.

In 2023 we made significant progress in our technological transformation, innovating our tools and programs to enable future growth and impact at scale. Part of this included the evolution of our factory program, which led to a dramatic increase in new factories joining our certification. In 2023, as we continue to invest in growing and scaling our model, the Fair Trade certified factory program has been a critical focus. These investments have enabled the program to expand its impact significantly, particularly within the beauty industry, where we have successfully certified a manufacturing facility. By the end of 2023, we have a total of 129 Fair Trade certified factories located in 20 countries around the world. This growth builds on our strong impact and market expansion foundation, demonstrating our commitment to driving positive change through Fair Trade practices.

Fair Trade certified products and goods span several industries and categories, including coffee and consumer packaged goods. We are committed to continuously innovating in new categories to accommodate the needs of our partners. Actively manage potential risk with rigorous Fair Trade standards, ensuring safe working environments and improved conditions, wages, working hours, benefits, and the elimination of forced labor and poverty.