Fairtrade vs. fair trade
Fairtrade, fair trade, fairly traded—what do they all mean? With so many terms out there, it can be confusing to make sense of them all. We’ll help you clear things up.
Greenwashing is a real problem.
It can trick shoppers into purchasing products that they believe were created ethically and sustainably—when in fact they were not. Learning how to spot the right terms will help you buy or source items that align with your values.
Fair trade
Fair trade (two words) or fairly traded is a general term referring to many things—it could be ethical trade, the fair trade movement, or fair trade products. Unlike Organic, “fair trade” is not a protected term—so any company can call their products fair trade, even when they’re not. Some companies create “fair trade” claims without the independent, third-party verification that Fairtrade has, or without being a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) network. Look for the Fairtrade Mark on a product’s packaging to be sure it’s actually Fairtrade certified.
Fairtrade
Fairtrade (one word) is only used by organizations, brands and products that are part of the Fairtrade International system. We are a global network of more than 2 million farmers and workers who grown in almost 80 countries worldwide. You can tell the difference by looking for the blue and green Fairtrade Mark on a product’s packaging. When products have our logo on them, it means that they meet our rigorous social, economic and environmental standards, and they have been independently audited by FLOCERT.
Find out what's behind the Mark
The Fairtrade Difference
Fairtrade is part of a broad landscape of organizations working to make ethical and sustainable sourcing the norm. We can’t do it alone, but we are proud not only of what we do but how we do it.
- 100+ countries participate in the Fairtrade system
- Over 2 million farmers and workers worldwide are Fairtrade certified
- $238M+ in Fairtrade Premium was paid to Fairtrade farmers in 2019
- $40M+ in Fairtrade Premium went back to banana farmers and workers last year