Fair Trade Month: Celebrating the People Behind Our Produce 🌎
October is Fair Trade Month, and here at A&A Organic Farms, we’re taking the opportunity to look a little closer at what Fair Trade means and why it continues to matter to farming communities today.
So, what is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is a business model designed to protect workers, support farming communities, and promote environmental responsibility. Participating farms must meet standards related to safe working conditions, workers’ rights, and environmental protection.
Fair Trade Month began in 2004, when TransFair USA—now Fair Trade USA—launched a campaign to bring more awareness to Fair Trade and the people behind the products we buy.
One of the most tangible parts of the Fair Trade model is the Fair Trade Premium—an additional amount paid on Fair Trade products that goes into a Community Development Fund.
Workers help decide how those funds are used, whether for school supplies, medical care, home repairs, clean drinking water, food assistance, or direct cash payments.
And those contributions add up. In 2023, Fair Trade USA’s produce and flower partners generated more than $20 million in Community Development Funds for farmworkers across 16 countries.
Fair Trade Month is a reminder that produce does not simply move from farm to shelf. Behind every box are people, families, and communities.
At A&A Organic Farms, strong relationships throughout the supply chain are an important part of what we do. This month gives us another opportunity to recognize the growers and farmworkers behind the produce we market and the importance of supporting the communities that make our industry possible.
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