Two billion of our fellow citizens on Earth survive on less than $2 per day, despite working extremely hard.  Fair Trade is all about putting people first.  Its main aim is poverty alleviation.

Nature Balance Wellness uses a variety of ingredients sourced from Canada and abroad.  Some of our main ingredients come from developing nations where a fair trade approach is the only ethical approach.

Fair Trade is an internationally-recognized approach to trading which aims to ensure that farmers in poor countries get a fair price for their produce. One that completely covers the cost of production and guarantees them enough income to live, rear their families, and support their local community. When you buy Fair-trade foods, you can be assured the farmer has been paid fairly and treated with dignity.

There are different approaches to fair trading.  All have specific benefits and draw backs.

One approach is to use a certification body who mandates standards that define the obligations for farmers and the businesses who buy from them.  A third  party monitoring system is involved to ensure standards are met and the certification body's licensed logo is granted for display on approved products.

Another approach is to deal directly with a plantation or cooperative of plantations independently.  A "fairly traded" agreement is negotiated that encompasses a fair price for the commodity in addition to fair living conditions, access to health care and at times even a direct involvement in community education and financing of technology.

Our Shea butter comes to us through a small cooperative in Northern Ghana.  The cooperative employs 9 people who coordinate the Shea Butter production of 500 independent adult women.  The women gather, crush and process the shea nuts independently.  They then submit their produce to the cooperative's main plant.

The objective of the cooperative is to alleviate poverty and to empower these women to improve their lives by:

1.Purchasing the product  at a fair price higher than the local government standard.

2.Improve the ancient technology by teaching the women new production efficiencies and productivity

3.Providing a ready market for their produce which eliminates their need to  stand in the market for long hours waiting for a sale that may not come.

Unlike Shea butter that can be crushed and processed at a kitchen level, mangoes are harvested as fruit.  The seed butter is a by-product of mango fruit processing.  A processing plant is required to separate the mango butter from the seed.

Our Mango Seed Butter comes through an ethical Canadian supplier who deals directly with the processor in Central India and not with a third party. This way we know who we are buying from and what their social practices are.   

In this situation, traditional fair trade is not available, however our processor practices Socially Responsible Corporate Philosophy by extending financial aid in establishing health clinics, schools, and recreation programs within its community.

NBW is actively seeking to add to our roster of fairly traded ingredients. Check back with us to stay up to date on our growing list of ethically sourced raw materials.

LINKS

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/default.aspx

http://transfair.ca/en/about-fairtrade/what-fair-trade

http://www.davidmccandless.com/articles/fuss_fairtrade.htm?tw=wn_12techhead