An alternative trading organization (ATO) is usually a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

(NGO) or mission-driven business aligned with the Fair trade movement, aiming "to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in developing regions of the world by establishing a system of trade that allows marginalized producers in developing regions to gain access to developed markets".European Fair Trade Association (1998). Fair Trade Yearbook: Towards 2000. p.23 & 25 Alternative trading organizations have Fair Trade at the core of their mission and activities, using it as a development tool to support disadvantaged producers and to reduce poverty, and combine their marketing with awareness-raising and campaigning. Alternative trading organizations are often, but not always, based in political and religious groups, though their secular purpose precludes sectarian identification and evangelical activity. Philosophically, the grassroots political-action agenda of these organizations associates them with progressive political causes active since the 1960s: foremost, a belief in collective action and commitment to moral principles based on social, economic and

trade justice Trade justice is a campaign by non-governmental organisations, plus efforts by other actors, to change the rules and practices of world trade in order to promote fairness. These organizations include consumer groups, trade unions, faith groups, ...

. Historically, the largest and most influential ATOs include: * EZA Fairer Handel * Oxfam-Magasins Du Monde * Oxfam-Wereldwinkels * Equita * La Siembra Cooperative * Plan Nagua * Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-Op * Alter Eco * Éthiquable * Lobodis * Solidar'Monde * Artisans du Monde *

Veja Sneakers Veja is a French footwear and accessories brand. In Brazil, it also goes by the name of Vert. As of October 2018, Veja supplied its shoes to 1,800 retailers in 45 countries. They sold 550,000 pairs of shoes, generating $21 million in revenues i ...

Gepa The Fair Trade Company The GEPA is Europe's largest alternative trading organization. The abbreviation ''GEPA³'' stands for "Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Partnerschaft mit der Dritten Welt mbH“, literally meaning "Society for the Promotion of Partnership with th ...

* Ethiquable Deutschland * * CTM Altromercato * AgroFair * Fair Trade Original * Alternativa3 *

Ideas In common usage and in philosophy, ideas are the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of being. ...

* Intermon Oxfam *

Claro Fair Trade claro fair trade, commonly shortened to ''claro'' and written in minuscules, is a sustainability-oriented retail company based in Orpund, Biel/Bienne administrative district, in the Swiss Canton of Bern. claro was initiated by Erklärung von Bern, ...

* Siem Fair Trade Fashion * Cafédirect * Equal Exchange Trading *

Traidcraft Traidcraft is a UK-based Fairtrade organisation, established in 1979. The organisation has two components: a public limited company called Traidcraft plc, which sells fairly traded products in the United Kingdom; and a development charity c ...

* Oxfam Trading *

Twin Trading Twin Trading was an alternative trading company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1985 and was based in London. Twin Trading was wholly owned by Twin, a registered charity and membership organisation. It was co-founded by economist Michael ...

Divine Chocolate Divine Chocolate Limited is a British purveyor of Fairtrade chocolate. It was originally established in the UK in 1998 as a company limited by shares co-owned by the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers' co-operative in Ghana, Twin Trading and The Body Sh ...

* Cooperative Coffees *

Ten Thousand Villages Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from more than 120 artisan groups in more than 35 countries. As one of the world’s largest and oldest fair trade or ...

* Equal Exchange * SERRV International

Principles and practices

The defining characteristic of alternative trading organizations is that of equal partnership and respect - partnership between the developing region producers and importers, shops, labelling organizations, and consumers. Alternative trade "humanizes" the trade process - making the producer-consumer chain as short as possible so that consumers become aware of the culture, identity, and conditions in which producers live. All actors are committed to the principle of alternative trade, the need for advocacy in their working relations and the importance of awareness-raising and advocacy work. The idea of the "

invisible hand The invisible hand is a metaphor used by the British moral philosopher Adam Smith that describes the unintended greater social benefits and public good brought about by individuals acting in their own self-interests. Smith originally mention ...

" has given way to the idea of working "hand in hand" with the market regulated by democratic authorities. Alternative Trading Organizations generally support the following Fair Trade principles and practices in trading relationships: ;Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers :Fair trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system. ;Transparency and accountability :Fair trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners. ;Capacity building :Fair trade is a means to develop producers' independence. Fairtrade relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing organizations can improve their management skills and their access to new markets. ;Payment of a fair price :A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. Fairtraders ensure prompt payment to their partners and, whenever possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or pre-production financing. ;

Gender equity Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

:Fair trade means that women's work is properly valued and rewarded. Women are always paid for their contribution to the production process and are empowered in their organizations. ;Working conditions :Fair trade means a safe and healthy working environment for producers. The participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play and conforms to the

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Con ...

as well as the law and norms in the local context. ;Environment :Fair trade actively encourages better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alternative Trading Organization Fair trade organizations *