Fairtrade America United Inc

Programs: Fairtrade america represents the international fairtrade certification system in the u. S. And is exclusively responsible for administrating licensing of the fairtrade label. To participate in the international fairtrade system and use the fairtrade label, businesses must purchase from producer organizations certified by fairtrade international standards, undergo a full supply chain audit, and contract with producers to pay prices and premiums as outlined by fairtrade international standards. Fairtrade america supports sustainable markets and awareness growth in collaboration with over 1. 66 million producers, thousands of businesses, and 32 other national fairtrade organizations around the world. 2016 continued to be a period of growth for fairtrade america, with staff size tripling to meet program growth. Fairtrade america invested in internal infrastructure and internal capacity through systems and training, as well as completing the launch as a full member of the fairtrade international system. We ramped up the advisory council started in 2015, to access a diverse network of fair trade movement stakeholders and their expertise. Fairtrade america's activities in programmatic areas are outlined below in 4a through 4d in detailed description. Market development: in 2016 the fairtrade label became the most trusted ethical label by u. S. Consumers. Fairtrade america works through our advisory council, business outreach, consumer engagement, and ngo partnership to create an enabling environment for fairtrade as part of an overall sustainable pattern of production and consumption that benefits farmers, workers, businesses, consumers, and the planet. Fairtrade america focused on 5 major categories; coffee, cocoa, sugar, fresh produce and floral, as those categories represent the majority of fairtrade certified producers globally.

education & awareness: fairtrade america uses a wide variety of in person and digital engagement approaches to connect with the 330 million potential fairtrade supporters in the u. S. Market. Twitter chats, blogs, facebook, instagram, pinterest, and a revamped website make up the bulk of digital engagement, complemented by in person events in collaboration with ngos, grassroots fair trade groups, and embassies. In 2016 fairtrade focused on two major campaigns for education and awareness growth: world fairtrade day and fair trade month. For world fairtrade day (may) american supporters and businesses joined over 2 million participants worldwide to double fairtrade's impact for producers, through a national microsite and events across the u. S. , as part of the world's biggest coffee break. Notably, fairtrade america partnered with the guatemala and bolivia embassies in washington, d. C. , to host world fair trade day coffee breaks, with a combined total of over 17,000 total participants. In 2016, fairtrade america launched a national campaign called the fairest of them all for fairtrade month, encouraging people to consider how fair they are in everyday situations. Citizens connected their perception of fairness with the idea of choosing fairtrade certified products as part of a fair lifestyle. Adapting from a similar campaign from the uk, fairtrade america built on this for the u. S. Market, again allowing us to maximize membership in the international system.

licensing & producer support: in 2016, fairtrade america's licensing department streamlined compliance processes and moved licensee compliance to infocenter, a compliance database. Additionally, the licensing department produced impact reports for licensees to share data around the value and premium they generate for producers. Fairtrade america works directly with licensees to connect them to consumer campaigns, advocacy and marketing opportunities to better tell their fairtrade impact story, through digital and in person supporter engagement throughout the year. In 2016, fairtrade america launched an exploratory project around fundraising from bilateral and multilateral donors to support additional producer development projects at the coop and community level, in collaboration with other fairtrade offices and producer networks.

governance: in 2016, fairtrade america's multi-stakeholder board of directors played a pivotal role in supporting fairtrade america's growth in the u. S. Market, launching as a full member of the international fairtrade system. Specifically, board members who are volunteers advised fairtrade america's development strategy, liaising with key stakeholders and partners.