What is fair trade ?
You might have seen the logo of Fair trade on agricultural products such as rice, coffee, tea and so on. These products are from local producers who are excluded from the conventional marketplace.
This is where started fair trade. Fair trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest and weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives through better management of their resources and skills knowledge. Fair trade movement aim to protect the local producers from companies who will buy their products at lower price rather than regularmarket price.
In Thailand, some organizations are known for spreading fair trade in the country : Greennet Cooperative, Oxfam, Thai Social Enterprise Office, and World Fair Trade Organization.
Greennet cooperative is a “social business organization responsible for the management of production, processing, distribution, production and trade”.
Oxfam has been “working with partners at the local and national level to build anenabling environment for sustainable agricultural production of food and income security (including land reform, forest and coastal resources management andclimate change adaptation)”.
ThaiSocial Enterprise Office is a “national agency whose key mandate was to facilitate an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship to flourish inThailand.”.
World Fair Trade Organization is “part of a global organization working to secure a better deal for farmers and workers in Asia and Pacific.”
Can fair trade work in the tourism field ?
The answer is yes !
Fair trade in tourism can be assimilate to responsible tourism. For the tourism company, they will emphasize trustworthy relationship between them and the local community. The goal is to create a touristic product that canbenefit for both sides and build a memorable experience for tourists.
Instead of protecting local producer, fair trade in tourism protects local communities’ tourism resources. These resources are their way of life, their cultural identity and the nature surrounding them.
According to the tourism trend nowadays, tourists are interested in experiencing new things that they couldn't have in their everyday life. So, the idea of traveling to the local community is perfect for their needs.
A concrete example of fair-trade tourism : Africa
We thought it was relevant to illustrate fair trade tourism principles in Africa as it is more developed than in Thailand. Thanks to Fair Trade Tourism, a “non-profitorganization company that provides a networking platform, business support, and certification to support the tourism sector to operate with Fair Trade Tourism”, we can give you the 6 indicators of this type of tourism.
- Fair share
All participants involved in a tourism activity shouldget their fair share of the income, in direct proportion to their contributionto the activity.
Fair say
All participants involved in a tourism activity shouldhave the right and opportunity to participate in decisions that concern them.
- Respect
Both host and visitor should have respect for humanrights, culture, and environment.
- Reliability
The services delivered to tourists should be reliableand consistent. Basic safety and security for both host and visitor should beensured.
- Transparency
Tourism businesses should establish mechanisms ofaccountability.
- Sustainability
The tourism businesses should strive to be sustainable.
To sum up, each participant has equal rights and benefits.
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