This Year's Theme

World Fair Trade Day May 13, 2006 - Fair Trade Organisations NOW!

This year's theme will focus on the unique role of Fair Trade Organisations. Fair Trade Organisations range from producer groups and Fair Trade companies, to retailers.  The Fair Trade network consists of producer and consumer cooperatives, shops, collectives, advocacy groups, unions, producer groups, family workshops, Fair Trade shops, Internet stores, catalogues companies, religious institutions, NGO's, regional networks, national networks and many more.

This World Fair Trade Day calls on all of us to celebrate Fair Trade
Organisations, buy more Fair Trade goods through Fair Trade stores, Fair Trade catalogues and campaign groups and encourage conventional companies to sell more Fair Trade products.

IFAT-registered Fair Trade Organisations are special because:

● Their whole reason for being is Fair Trade
● They aim to benefit marginalised groups in the south to promote livelihoods by building organisational capacity, giving technical and financial assistance, building long term relationships.
● They campaign and lobby for Fair Trade in the political and business arena and raise awareness amongst the general public.

As developing countries face falling prices, subsidies and dumping,
increased poverty and income disparities, and globalization rules
written by the rich countries, there is a need for poverty alleviation
through trade, and through campaigning to level the playing field.  Fair Trade Organisations pioneer this international movement.

Make Poverty History achieved some giant steps forward in 2005, but to alleviate poverty it is down to us all to keep up the momentum of change at this crucial time. This World Fair Trade Day we call on 65 nations to push Fair Trade to the front of the political agenda.  This year's World Fair Trade Day will showcase IFAT's dynamic network of FTOs around the world, proving what excellent role models for Business Sustainability they are, and highlighting their pioneering work in alleviating poverty through trade.