- Definition
Fair trade means that the people who make products, often in other countries, are paid fairly for their work and that their communities and the environment are treated well.
Buying coffee with a fair trade label means the farmers who grew the coffee beans were paid a fair price for their crop.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Fair trade is like selling crafts at a school fair and making sure the students who made them get paid fairly for their work.
Ask your child: What would make the price of this shirt 'fair' for the person who made it?
Common mix-up: Kids might think fair trade just means a cheap price for them. The focus is actually on ensuring the producers who grow or make the product earn a fair living wage.
Examples
- A chocolate bar marked as fair trade ensures the cocoa farmers received fair compensation.
- Choosing a t-shirt made with fair trade cotton supports safe working conditions for the people who harvested it.
fair trade is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
