Fair Trade isn't just about coffee. It's a roadmap for economic revolution

The document advocates for a shift from 'global hypercapitalism' to a green and fair economy based on the model of Fair Trade Enterprises. It outlines four key facets of this approach: local community connection, long-term supplier partnerships, prioritizing employees and communities over investors, and active environmental engagement. The text highlights that these enterprises, operating across 82 countries, utilize local production techniques to create low-carbon models and reinvest profits into fair wages and environmental protection, contrasting this with the profit-maximising models of large corporations.

• Fair Trade Enterprises operate across 82 countries and demonstrate that businesses can be central to a green and fair economy by moving away from 'global hypercapitalism'.
• The WFTO Fair Trade Enterprise approach is defined by four core characteristics: being locally based and connected to communities, maintaining long-term supplier partnerships, running businesses for the benefit of employees and the community rather than investors, and being environmentally engaged.
• By utilizing local production techniques such as metal-work or hand-weaving, Fair Trade Enterprises can implement production models that are low or zero-carbon, which are often ignored by short-term profit-focused businesses.
• Specific examples of this model include Township Patterns in South Africa, founded in 1997 to support township-based sewing co-operatives, and Maquita in Ecuador, which reinvests all profits into local workers and artisans and includes them on its board.

APA

Sahan, E., & Martin, B. (2021). Fair Trade isn't just about coffee. It's a roadmap for economic revolution. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/fair-trade-isnt-just-bananas-and-coffee-its-a-roadmap-for-economic-revolution

Chicago

Sahan, Erinch, and Ben Martin. Fair Trade isn't just about coffee. It's a roadmap for economic revolution. Green Economy Coalition, 2021. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/fair-trade-isnt-just-bananas-and-coffee-its-a-roadmap-for-economic-revolution.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Sahan |first1=Erinch |last2=Martin |first2=Ben |title=Fair Trade isn't just about coffee. It's a roadmap for economic revolution |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=8 May 2021 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/fair-trade-isnt-just-bananas-and-coffee-its-a-roadmap-for-economic-revolution |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sahan2021fair, author = {Sahan, Erinch and Martin, Ben}, title = {{Fair Trade isn't just about coffee. It's a roadmap for economic revolution}}, publisher = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/fair-trade-isnt-just-bananas-and-coffee-its-a-roadmap-for-economic-revolution}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }