What About Other Products That Claim To Be Fair Trade, Fairly Traded, Or Direct Trade?

It is important to know that there are some Fair Trade products available in Metro Vancouver that do not use the FLO certification system. Some companies have developed their own completely legitimate Fair Trade relationships with producers in the developing world without the use of FLO.

There are many good reasons companies may choose to do this. Sometimes a Fair Trade relationship was developed before the advent of the FLO system. In other cases a company may feel the FLO system does not go far enough, and their relationship may actually provide even better standards of living for its producers. Fair Trade brands and products in this category should not be neglected simply because they do not bear the standard Fair Trade mark.

However, consumers must be extremely careful when evaluating ethical claims from companies claiming to be Fair Trade. While many claims out there are real, a good many are not. The major disadvantage of not using the FLO certification system is that there is no independent third party to monitor the Fair Trade claims a company makes. Fair Trade Vancouver recommends consumers do their own research on companies to see if they feel their claims are accurate. Ask questions! Has the company making a claim to be Fair Trade even been known to engage in unethical behavior? Misleading advertising? It can be surprisingly easy to evaluate the accuracy of claims with a little research.

As mentioned above, Fair Trade Vancouver recommends that consumers do their own research; however, here is a list of companies selling products in Metro Vancouver that we believe meet the principles of Fair Trade, but who are not necessarily certified by Fairtrade Canada.

Level Ground Trading
Café Etico
Cafe Justicia