Fair trade

Fair trade is an organized social movement which promotes standards for international labour, environmentalism, and social policy in areas related to production of Fairtrade labelled and unlabelled goods. The movement focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries.

Fair trade’s strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.Fair trade proponents include a wide array of international religious, development aid, social and environmental organizations.

The most widely recognized definition of fair trade was created by FINE, an informal Association of the four main fair trade networks. According to this definition, fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair trade organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.

Fair trade advocates generally support the following principles and practices in trading relationships: creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, transparency and accountability, capacity building, payment of a fair price, gender equity, working conditions and environmental protection. A price that covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound management is known as a fair price. In the regional or local context it is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation.

Most fair trade import organizations are members or certified by one or several national or international federations. These federations coordinate, promote and facilitate the work of fair trade organizations.

Fairtrade labeling is a certification system designed to allow consumers to identify goods which meet agreed standards. Overseen by a standard-setting body and a certification body, the system involves independent auditing of producers and traders to ensure the agreed standards are met. Fairtrade certification guarantees not only fair prices, but also the principles of ethical purchasing. These principles include adherence to ILO agreements such as those banning child and slave labour, guaranteeing a safe workplace and the right to unionise, adherence to the United Nations charter of human rights, a fair price that covers the cost of production and facilitates social development, and protection and conservation of the environment. The Fairtrade certification system also promotes long-term business relationships between buyers and sellers, crop prefinancing and greater transparency throughout the supply chain.

Notes:

1.fair trade – торговля на основе взаимной выгоды, «справедливая торговля»

2. environmentalism – экологизм, энвайронментализм (учение об окружающей среде)

3. stakeholders – заинтересованные стороны; заинтересованные круги

4. trading conditions – торговая конъюнктура

5. fair price – настоящая цена

6. ILO (International Labour Organization) – МОТ, Международная организация труда (специализированный орган ООН)

7. supply chain – канал поставок

8. FINE – ФИНЕ – неформальная ассоциация четырех ведущих организаций, связанных с торговлей на основе взаимной выгоды (ФЛО, ИФАТ, НЕВС, ЕФТА).

I. Прочитайте текст (без словаря).

II. Перепишите следующие предложения, определите в каждом из них видо-временную форму и залог глагола-сказуемого. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. A price that covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just is known as a fair price.

2. Large corporations growing beyond national boundaries may receive a type of subsidy besides being empowered to play a wider role in the global arena.

3. The goods exported from the Third and Second Worlds are often subjected to trade barriers.

4. Fair trade specifies how the work of men and women would be valued and rewarded.

5. Many of these issues have implications for trade, although the precise mechanisms by which trade is affected are not always well defined.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на разные значения слов it, that, one.

1. Fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation.

2. Following private investors’ retreat from equity and bond investments in U.S. dollar-denominated assets, the central banks of these countries have become one of the most important sources of financing for the large U.S. current account deficit.

3. It is due to producers’ independence.

4. It is the commodity crisis that has encouraged a price race to the bottom.

5. Such a rise would have important negative effects on all oil-importing economies, particularly those of low- and middle-income countries that face current account constraints.

IV. Перепишите предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на разные значения глаголов to be, to have, to do.

1. The International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) has nearly 300 member organizations in over 60 countries.

2. In Europe more resolute steps to redress government deficits and to create the fiscal room necessary to deal with the fiscal consequences of aging will be necessary if long-term interest rates are to remain low.

3. Some criteria have to be fulfilled under Fair Trade to protect it from abuse.

4. Should these countries decide to rebalance their reserve portfolio by slowing the pace at which they accumulate dollar-denominated reserves, either downward pressures on the dollar will accentuate, or interest rates will have to rise in order to attract sufficient private capital inflow.

5. Each person is always paid for their contribution to the production process.

V. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на бессоюзное подчинение.

1. Farmers’ decisions about how much to sell depend on the price they receive for their harvest.

2. The principles and practices in trading relationships fair trade advocates support include creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, transparency and accountability, capacity building, payment of a fair price, gender equity, working conditions and environmental protection.

3. Fairtrade labelling is a certification system a consumer can use to identify goods which meet agreed standards.

4. Long-term business relationships the Fairtrade certification system promotes contribute to business contacts between buyers and sellers, social development, protection and conservation of the environment.

5. The way the regulation of international trade is done will show the efficiency of the government.

VI. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык, обращая внимание на функцию инфинитива в предложении.

1. Fair trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.

2. Patterns of regional integration tend to confirm the view that usually trade has preceded trade agreements.

3. Fair trade relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing organizations can improve their management skills and their access to new markets.

4. Because countries begin with broadly similar production and export structures, the scope for using regional trade to establish patterns of specialization and diversification in manufacturing production is limited.

5. EFTA’s (The European Fair Trade Association) goal is to promote fair trade and to make fair trade importing more efficient and effective.

VII. Прочитайте, перепишите и письменно переведите следующий текст.

VIII. Ответьте письменно на следующие вопросы:

1. What are the purposes of fair trade?

2. What organizations are the proponents of fair trade?

3. What principles and practices are generally supported in trading relationships?

4. When was the current fair trade movement shaped in Europe?

5. What is known as a Fairtrade labelling?