Equal Exchange has joined with other fully committed Alternative Trade Organizations, progressive retailers, non-profit organizations, and consumer activists to sign a petition requesting that TransFair discontinue its attempt to rebrand itself as Fair Trade USA. Please read the following press release written by the Organic Consumers Association and consider adding your name to the petition. Fair Trade is a movement with a strong mission behind it. It is not a brand!
Earth to TransFair: Fair Trade is a Movement Not a Brand!”: Coalition Forms to Stop Rebranding of TransFair as “Fair Trade USA”
January 10, 2011
“For more than sixty years, hundreds of organizations allied with conscious consumers across the United States and the world have actively supported a different approach to trade based on dialogue, transparency and respect, in order to create greater equity in the international economic system. That approach is called Fair Trade,” says OCA Executive Director Ronnie Cummins.
Consumers and organizations dedicated to building equitable markets for disadvantaged farmers and artisans through Fair Trade, believe that the term should be celebrated as a movement, not a brand claimed by any one organization. “It is misguided and misleading for TransFair USA to attempt to claim jurisdiction over fair trade in the United States by changing their name to Fair Trade USA,” explains Cummins.
To help celebrate Fair Trade as a movement of many parts, OCA is asking consumers, stores, companies and organizations to sign a petition to urge TransFair to keep the name they have established. Leading fair trade organizations and companies have already signed their names. The petition can be found at:
Cummins continues, “TransFair previously trademarked the term ‘Fair Trade Certified’ and incorrectly represents itself as the ‘only fair trade certifier in the US.’ The name change is a further attempt to perpetuate the myth that TransFair is the only fair trade certifier in the American fair trade movement. It’s as if an organic certifier re-named itself ‘Organic USA’ and proceeded to aggressively promote itself as the only organic certifier in the US.”
FTC Complaint to Stop TransFair’s “FairWash” of Personal Care OCA has also joined forces with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the top selling brand of certified fair trade soap to request the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launch an investigation of deceptive practices in advertising and labeling of certain “Fair Trade Certified” personal care products. OCA and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps are asking that the FTC prevent TransFair from continuing to allow brands such as Hain’s Queen Helene and Avon’s Mark to use as little as 2% certified fair trade ingredients in products while carrying identical ‘Fair Trade Certified’ marks as products made up mostly or entirely of certified fair trade content. The complaint and supporting exhibits may be viewed online at:
David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps stated that the FTC complaint is the last resort. “We have sent letters and held face to face meetings to stop TransFair from misleading consumers with deceptive fair trade marks and claims, which conflate products with majority and minimal fair trade content. The former provide real market volume for fair trade farmers; the latter sabotages that market. TransFair receives the same licensing fee for their look-alike marks on both majority and minimal fair trade content products, and is losing sight of its mission.”
The Fair Trade movement emerged decades ago with the goal of delivering a better standard of living to many impoverished farmers and workers in the developing world, where unfair and exploitative prices, wages and working conditions prevail, trapping millions in poverty.
The movement, fueled by hundreds of retailers, NGOs, mission-driven for-profit “Alternative Trading Organizations” and conscious consumers, has established criteria and standards for fair pricing, wages and working conditions in farming and processing of diverse commodities and products. Products certified to these standards empower farmers and workers, and their families and communities, enabling them to improve their lives and livelihoods.
One Fair Trade standard and certification organization is the Fair Labeling Organization (FLO), which has developed fair trade standards and certifies producer groups that comply with these standards. TransFair is the US arm of FLO, and receives a “licensing fee” from companies that use the TransFair logo on products that are certified or contain fair trade ingredients.
Another Fair Trade standard and certification system is the Institute for Market Ecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life program. Fully committed fair trade companies including Equal Exchange, Theo Chocolate and Dr. Bronner’s have chosen to use IMO rather than FLO/TransFair for several reasons. In particular, IMO does not allow use of its seal on products and brands that do not have a majority of fair trade certified ingredients or materials. Further, Fair for Life also broadened the scope of fair trade to allow for the certification of virtually all agricultural commodities produced in developing countries if Fair Trade conditions are met along the entire value chain.
The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a US membership organization that accepts only dedicated fair trade “Alternative Trading Organizations,” and screens applicants against rigorous fair trade criteria. Fully committed fair trade companies such as Equal Exchange, Co-Op Coffees, Guayaki and Dr. Bronner’s are proud members.
While TransFair has done an admirable job in promoting the concept of fair trade and broadening its visibility, OCA and Dr. Bronner’s are concerned that TransFair has permitted its certification to be used in ways that mislead consumers and has attempted to claim exclusive use of the term “Fair Trade” in ways that unfairly hurt other certifiers and undermine the fair trade movement.
“Fair trade is a movement not a brand and it’s promise and reach is much bigger than that of TransFair or any single certifier or other fair trade organization,” says OCA’s Cummins.
David Bronner continues, “Many in the movement feel that TransFair needs to be held accountable, and that consumers need to be educated about alternatives, in particular IMO’s Fair for Life certification program. To prevent TransFair from monopolizing and abusing the term “Fair Trade”, the Organic Consumers Association and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. It details the issues and problems with TransFair, along with illustrative examples of ‘fair trade cheater brands’ like Avon/Mark and Hain Celestial/Queen Helene.”
###
To arrange interviews with representatives from the Organic Consumers Association or Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, please contact Ryan Zinn at 907-947-6046, or Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671
Small Farmers. Big Change. 
Are these Fair Trade USA people the same sort of organisation as the one that’s behind the Max Havelaar-label in Europe?
I’ve written many articles on this issue on my blog as on http://www.foodlog.nl .
You’re message is a very important one, and I myself also us the same words wherever I speak before public, that is: wereldwinkels (worldshops) are a movement, Max Havelaar is an office.
It would be a good thing to organise some sort of opposition against these large scale, monopolistic trends.
a banner to use on our blogs:: “Fair Trade Is A Movement Not A Brand”.
Okay, so how is this different from Equal Exchange’s “P6 Cooperative Trade Movement”?
You are doing the same thing you accuse Transfair of doing, which is “branding a movement”. Perhaps worse, because the “P6” brand is owned by Equal Exchange, a for-profit company.
I just don’t understand how you can ignore this reality. The “trust me” approach doesn’t work. If you are serious about branding the cooperative movement with your P6 campaign, then it should be organized as a nonprofit with a board of directors representing the broader cooperative trade movement.
Although I would agree with your statement that “movements are not brands” and they should not be branded in the first place.
Hi Thaleon,
Welcome back.
I won’t respond in full as I think we all pretty much talked through your concerns on the Nov. 9, 2010 post.
(for late comers see http://tinyurl.com/4vpqatb )
What I will add is:
• One difference between the “P6 Co-operative Trade Movement” and “Fair Trade USA” is that the later phrase would – if successful – be now and forever the sole property of one organization, and the trademark of the former would belong, initially, to seven co-operatives, and over time to an ever-expanding number of co-op’s.
• If others were to start talking about the “co-operative trade movement” I think Equal Exchange and the six participating food co-ops would be thrilled. It would be a sign that that idea was gaining traction. I believe that one of the goals is very much to get people thinking about co-ops working and trading together. If we saw Cabot Creamery or the NCBA or the US Fed. of Worker Co-ops using that phrase I really don’t think we or Seward co-op, etc. would be charging anyone with trademark infringement.
• What we did trademark (“P6 Co-operative Trade Movement”) is pretty long, ungainly, and it’s hard to imagine its utility to anyone who is NOT apart this effort.
• Lastly, readers will do best to read this new piece Phyllis has written about the P6 program as the cover article for Cooperative Grocer magazine. We suggest you read that and reach your own conclusions.
Click to access CoopGrocerP6.pdf
Thanks for responding to Thaleon’s concerns Rodney. I have to be honest and say that I’m not getting the parallel here. Fair Trade is a movement that has existed since the 1940s (see our most recent blog post):
https://smallfarmersbigchange.coop/2011/02/01/to-tell-the-truth-who-owns-fair-trade-2/
In a letter defending the name change, TransFair has stated that what they are doing is no different than what other organizations have done with their names. For example, there is the Fair Trade Federation, the Fair Trade Resource Network, and the United Students for Fair Trade. There is in fact, a huge distinction. These other organizations are describing themselves and their relationship to Fair Trade. In contrast, Fair Trade USA simply claims the entire concept and movement in one swoop. The FTRN provides resources to those interested in furthering the mission, the USFT indicates that they are promoting FT, The FTF is a group of organizations committed to growing FT. Fair Trade USA doesn’t convey any relationship to others or to a mission, it simply sounds as if it IS fair trade.
I hope that distinction, and why it has upset so many people, is clear.
In complete contrast, the P6 Co-op Trade Movement is an initiative of seven co-ops; EE and 6 consumer grocery co-ops. Many other grocery co-ops have expressed interest in joining with us to try and grow support for products produced by co-ops, small farmers, and local producers. We hope to grow and have impact, both in terms of educating consumers and in terms of building small farmer, local economies, and co-op made products. We are not claiming ownership over anything nor are we taking something that already exists and appropriating it.
I guess I fail to see the similarities, but I respect Thaleon for having a different opinion. As I have told him many, many times, the food co-ops carrying his products are happy to promote them but he is also clearly and obviously free to request that they not do so.
Thanks.
Alright then, I trust you.
Re: Steven’s question
Yes, TransFair USA is the counterpart to Max Havelaar in the Netherlands, TransFair Germany, TransFair Canada, the Fair Trade Foundation in the UK, and so on. Each is a member of FLO International.
Thanks, Rodney. I’ve also read the follow-up article by Phyllis. Seems to me things are quite similar at both sides of the Atlantic.
I’m a member of the Oxfam-Wereldwinkels, which is ‘the movement’ ever since 1971. But sometimes, a movement can be conservative and even monopolistic too.
what is criteria to be a fair-trade farmer?