Fair Trade
Fair Trade
Wine is one of the fastest growing Fair Trade brands with sales up by 12% last year. At Vintage Roots we support the movement whenever we can, but are limited (by our own choice) to listing just those fair trade products that are also organic. You’ll see two different symbols from different certifiers on our labels.
The following extract is from the Stellar (S.Africa) estate’s website, and explains it well:
“Fair trade (two words) is a concept, a way of doing business, a value system, an entire movement built through the convictions of hundreds of thousands of individuals across the globe.
The philosophy is that everyone along the supply chain, from growers to consumers, gets a fair deal. For workers this means that they are treated with dignity and respect, paid living wages, have access to running water and electricity and have job security. They in turn provide a good life for their families which impacts on the communities in which they live.
Fair trade certifiers are independent third party auditors for social accountability and fair trade. Most certifying bodies include a social premium, added on to the product price, which goes directly back to the workers. This money is used for democratically agreed-upon projects that benefit the whole community.
These neutral parties guarantee that the products that carry their brand mark have been stringently audited according to fair trade standards. Examples of third party certifiers are; FLO Fairtrade, Fair for Life, Rainforest Alliance, Ecocert Fair Trade and CU Fair Choice”.