Worldshop
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Worldshops, world shops or Fair Trade Shops are retail outlets that practice the principles of fair trade.
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[edit] History
The start of the movement is usually attributed to the first worldshop in Europe, which was founded by Oxfam in 1959. The Oxfam shop sold Chinese bric-a-brac that had been sourced from Chinese refugees that had escaped the Communist revolution to Hong Kong. However, some sources credit the first fair trade shop that had been opened in the US the year before, selling Puerto Rican needlework.
The shops were not called worldshops at that time, however. Alternative trading organisations imported various third world goods, such as cane sugar starting in the 1960s, and still continuing today. These goods were sold in "third world shops" or "developing country shops" (the actual name differing from country to country). The most active organisations were operating in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The term "worldshop" came into existence in the 1990s. In 1994, worldshops organised themselves under the auspices of NEWS!, Network of European Worldshops. The Fairtrade label, which is used on fair trade products, has its roots in the 1980s worldshop movement.
[edit] Aims
Worldshops' aim is to make trade as direct and fair with the trading partners as possible. Usually, this means a producer in a developing country and consumers in industrialized countries. The worldshops' target is to pay the producers a fair price that guarantees substinence and guarantees positive social development. They often cut out any intermediaries in the import chain.
[edit] Criticisms
The model has been accused of inefficiency, as the volumes of worldshop's goods are so small that they are not making a real effect on the world trade. However, on an individual and producer community level, this may still be significant. The Fairtrade labelling system has been created to make the volumes larger by bringing the goods into conventional retail outlets such as supermarkets.
[edit] See also
| Fair trade topics | Fair trade | History of fair trade | Fairtrade certification | Fair trade and politics | Fair trade impact studies | Criticism of Fair trade | Alternative trading organization | Trade justice | Worldshop |
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| Federations | Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International | International Fair Trade Association | Network of European Worldshops | European Fair Trade Association | FINE | Fair Trade Federation |
| Campaigns | Fairtrade Town | List of Fairtrade settlements | Fairtrade fortnight | Make Trade Fair | World Fair Trade Day |
| Certification | FLO International (standard-setting & producer support) | FLO-CERT (inspection & certification) | International Fairtrade Certification Mark | Fair Trade Certified Mark |
