Fair Trade began as a grassroots effort in 1946 to improve the living conditions of woman in Puerto Rico. When Edna Ruth Byler, a volunteer for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), visited an MCC sewing class in Puerto Rico, she discovered the talent the women had for creating beautiful lace and the extraordinary poverty in which they lived despite their hard work. She began carrying these pieces back to the United States to sell and returning the money back to these groups directly. Her work grew into Ten Thousand Villages, which opened its first fair trade shop in 1958 and is now the largest fair trade retailer in North America.

In 1989, the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) was founded as a global network of committed fair trade organizations, aiming to improve the livelihoods of disadvantaged people through trade and to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas. An informal group of entrepreneurs in the UNited States and Canada would evolve into the Fair Trade Federation and formally incorporate in 1994.

In 1997, a number of independent inititatives across Europe created the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), an umbrella organization which sets the fair trade certification standards and supports, inspects, and certifies disadvantaged farmers. In 1999, FLO affiliates TransFair USA and TransFair Canada opened in North America.

Since 2000, fair trade sales and consumer awareness have increased tremendously, as the range of fair trade products has also expanded. Handmade items now include clothing, sports equipment, toys, and other items. From its initial focus on coffee, fair trade product certification has expanded to tea, chocolate, sugar, vanilla, fruit, wine, and much more. In 2002, the first World Fair Trade Day was celebrated to heighten consumer awareness and to strengthen connections among fair traders and interested citizens around the globe. In 2006, IFAT reported that total fair trade sales topped $2.6 billion.

Since its humble beginnings, fair trade continues to move across the world,because of the efforts of consumers, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations, and educators.

This site offers you a chance to learn more about Fair Trade and how you can help.