The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), formerly the International Fair Trade Association ("IFAT"), was created in 1989 and is a global association of 324 organizations in over 70 countries[1]. Members are fair trade producer cooperatives and associations, export marketing companies, importers, retailers, national and regional fair trade networks and Fair Trade Support Organizations.
WFTO's mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade.
WFTO's core fields of activities are:
In 2004 WFTO launched a fair trade certification. The FTO Mark identifies registered Fair Trade Organizations worldwide (as opposed to products in the case of FLO International and Fairtrade mark) and guarantees that standards are being implemented regarding working conditions, wages, child labor and the environment. These standards are verified by self-assessment, mutual reviews and external verification. The FTO Mark is available to all WFTO members who meet the requirements of the WFTO Standards and Monitoring System and so far over 150 organizations have registered.
The WFTO operates in 5 key regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America & Pacific Rim. [2]
Members in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America have come together to form WFTO regional chapters. They are:
The Asian chapter of WFTO comprises 90 fair trade organizations.[3] Member nations represent mostly the poorest part of the continent: Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam. Their roles in the fair trade operations vary, and included are: producers, cooperatives, retailers, NGO's, and faith-based organizations, amongst others.[4]
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