World Fair Trade Organization
The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is the global community and verifier of enterprises that fully practice Fair Trade. It is an association of SMEs, farmers or retailers that fully practice the 10 Principles of Fair Trade. They also advocate for fundamental change in our current economic system.
Members are primarily fair trade enterprises, whose business model is verified by independent audit and peer review. Verification is at enterprise level, which covers all aspects of the business and supply chain. WFTO verification should not be confused with commodity certification systems, such as Fairtrade certification, where only a component of the product is covered. The WFTO product label can only be used by verified fair trade enterprises, which consist of producer cooperatives and associations, export marketing companies, importers, retailers, national and regional fair trade networks and Fair Trade Support Organizations. WFTO is democratically run on a one member one vote basis. WFTO was created in 1989 and was formerly the International Federation of Alternative Traders ("IFAT").
WFTO members use commercial activity to achieve a social mission and have been referred to as 'Fair Trade Social Enterprises'.
WFTO's stated mission is "to enable producers to improve their livelihoods and communities through Fair Trade". Their five goals are:
- To be the leading network of the Fair Trade movement
- To provide an environment for sharing and learning
- To raise awareness of and promote the Fair Trade model, and advocate for change to conventional trade.
- To create market access opportunities for members
- To enhance WFTO's capability to deliver a broader range of services to its members
In 2017, the WFTO board appointed Erinch Sahan as Chief Executive.