Trade Aid Producer Criteria (2000)

Trade Aid works to develop partnerships through fair trade, with groups and organisations striving for self-reliance and for social and economic justice.

Trade Aid uses the following criteria to choose the groups we trade with.

Producer groups must be able to demonstrate that they are achieving or working towards:

• Group membership for those who suffer poverty and who are disadvantaged or under-privileged.
  A sustainable structure with the capacity to develop independence and self-reliance for its members.
• Participation by producers in decisions which will affect them directly.
  A fair financial return for producers in terms of their local context.
• Benefits for producers in such areas as health, education, saving schemes and housing.
  Safe working conditions.
• Equal opportunities for women in decision-making and as beneficiaries of the enterprise.
• A commitment to not using bonded labour and a responsible approach to the involvement of children in production.
• Environmentally sustainable use of raw materials and production methods.
• Products that are saleable or can be adapted for sale in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
• A willingness to engage in open and frank discussion on the aims, practices and performance of either partner.

Highest priority is be given to groups that:

• Practise collective decision-making and full participation in goal setting and evaluation.
• Have a system of profit sharing.
• Ensure significant leadership by women within the organisation.
• Have the potential to bring about change within the group and in the wider community.
• Offer their members an opportunity to progress into other income-generating activity through education, loan schemes etc.
• Are initiated by and for indigenous peoples.
• Preserve or revive their cultural heritage.
• Trade Aid will include amongst its active partners at least one producer group that has potential, but is not at this stage commercially viable.