Accountable Relationships -- Fair Trade Principle #2

Long-term business relationships that are open, respectful and honest. Relationships that grow to feel like family. That’s what Fair Trade strives to create.

Making a difference for our artisan partners and their families is important to fair trade businesses, and we do this by working with them fairly and consistently. We recognize that the goods we buy enable artisans to lead thriving and self-sustaining lives because they know we will continue to buy from them year after year. We work with them as equal partners, sharing information about the
market and solving problems together.

We work with our customers in the same way, sharing complete details about the goods they buy and seeking their input on new product ideas.

This is what the second principle of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is all about: Fostering Transparent and Accountable Relationships.

The Fair Trade Federation is an internationally-recognized leader in promoting ethical and sustainable trading partnerships. It supports the growth of enterprises around the world that respect workers with a living wage and safe, sustainable working conditions. It’s a non-profit organization, existing solely to forward this mission. The FTF “walks its talk” and you can rely on its logo to
identify products and organizations that take fair trade seriously.

Every member of the federation works to build transparent and accountable relationships. You can read about some of their initiatives on the FTF blog.

 Transparent and consistent relationships are important to the success of Fair Trade. The FTF logo is your assurance that the products you buy were created by businesses that thrive on respectful, honest interactions.