A strictly controlled business

Unlike many supply chains, Fair Trade is certified. Experts working for Transfair Canada enforce trading standards with organizations offering Fair Trade products in Canada while its parent organization, the internationally recognized Fairtrade Labeling Organization oversees production standards across the world.

This certification process assures consumers that the producers and their cooperatives, the importers and processors all abide to the strict standards that need to be met before one can print the Transfair label on a products' packaging. While Fair Trade standards strongly promote the use of sustainable agriculture techniques and restricts the use of dangerous chemicals, it is not an organic certification process. Fair Trade empowers producers to improve their production techniques and product quality gradually leading to organic certification opportunities. As more organic certified Fair Trade products become available, Equita will proudly promote these high quality products. Meanwhile, we will continue to support our long term partnerships with other producers. In some cases, for instance in mountainous terrain involving large numbers of very small farms, organic certification may be a nearly impossible goal or just too expensive. The bottom line is that Fair Trade enforced standards gives us a common-sense guarantee of product quality and safety for growers and consumers. For more information visit www.transfair.ca (click on the Fair Trade label).