FAIR TRADE IN SPAIN
In Spain the first steps of Fair Trade were taken in the 1970s, when the first initiatives related to direct trade with Latin American artisans were born, but it was only in 1986 that the two first shops opened in San Sebastián-Donostia and in Cordoba.
It the 1990s the majority of Fair Trade Organizations were born and in 2005 Fairtrade España (today Fairtrade Iberica) was founded and FT products started to be sold in big distribution chains.
Despite the fact that Spaniards rank near the bottom of the table of Europeans who buy and consume fair-trade products, in the last years according to the last report of CECJ, the growth of FT sales has been steady, with an exponential increase in 2018 (a growth of 53% on the previous year).
Spain counts already 18 Fair Trade Towns and 9 Fair Trade Universities, being therefore on the right track to create a fairer future for the country!
Our Guaranteed Members
Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo: Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo (CECJ) is a platform of 29 Fair Trade organizations. It was founded in 1996 to promote fairer north-south relations, raising awareness among consumers about human rights and environmental respect.
The mission of CECJ is that of transforming the social reality and the rules of international trade, opening a dialogue between actors and institutional representations.
CECJ has developed numerous researches, consulting, educational and social programs. Have a look at their last report “El Comercio Justo en España 2018” here. Or find out more about them on their website.
Copade: Copade is an NGO founded in 1998 by a group of friends, with the aim of developing Fair Trade, responsible consumption and environmental respect and preservation.
They organize training activities for cooperatives and artisans to support them in the opening up to new markets and they make loans for the acquisition of machinery necessary for the productive activity. Copade sells and produces Fair Trade products in Spain, Honduras and Ecuador and in the South of France. Click here to go to COPADE’s website.
IDEAS: IDEAS (Iniciativas de Economia Alternativa y Solidaria) is a Fair Trade Organization whose misión is creating a fairer and sustainable world. IDEAS is not only WFTO-Europe Guaranteed member, but it is also one of the founding members of CECJ, REAS (Red de Redes de Economia Alternativa y Solidaria, Fiare Sur (Asociacion de Banca Etica).
IDEAS develops Fair Trade with organizations in the South (Asia, Latin America and Africa) through cooperation programs, technical assistance, import, distribution and sale of handicrafts and food products.
Moreover the organization develops numerous research, consulting, education and social mobilization programs to promote Responsible Consumption in the public and private sector. These actions include IDEAS as the Spanish coordinator of international campaigns like Fair Trade Towns. Here is their website.
Oxfam Intermón: Oxfam Intermón was founded in 1956 and currently has more than 30 shops in Spain, all of them managed by volunteers, one of the great values of the organization: in all, Oxfam Intermón has more than 1,500 volunteers.
The Fair Trade products sold by Oxfam Intermón have a very high quality and guarantee better living standards for producers in América Latina, Asia and África.
Oxfam Intermón developed projects with women cooperatives in many countries, dealing with coffee, cacao, cereals production (their food brand is Tierra Madre https://www.tierramadre.org/ ) as well as cosmetics and wellness products, containing fair and organic ingredients. Have a look at their cosmetic brand https://www.senziaethicalbeauty.org/en/
Click here to go to Oxfam Intermón’s website.
Our Provisional Members
Isabel Martin Foundation: The Isabel Martín Foundation is a state-level, private, non-denominational, non-political, Spanish NGO, which works on International Development Cooperation projects.
The organization was born with the vocation to continue the legacy of Isabel Martín. To that aim, it works for the empowerment of women, promoting education, dignity and justice, which are the values she fought for. In addition, it focuses on unprotected children, community development and the promotion of people, according to the principles of community philanthropy.
To read more about the life of Isabel Martín click here.
Currently, the Isabel Martín Foundation supports projects around the cooperative, such as educational programs or nurseries for the children of these workers, who, through their work, have managed to empower themselves and become self-sufficient.
The NGO has also developed a project for the distribution of Creative Handicrafts products in other European countries, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of undertaking corporate responsibility actions based on Fair Trade. It runs street markets and other public events. Thus, it proposes a whole catalogue of products to help organizations in their Corporate social responsibility policies.
In May 2019 a new Fair Trade shop was open sharing the Espacio EntreMujeres project in Zaragoza (Spain). Click here to visit their website.
EquiMercado: EquiMercado was born in 1993 to support the sustainable development of farmer communities in the countries of the South.
They are importers and distributors of food (tea, coffee, chocolate, honey, rice…)and natural cosmetic products, working with 15 cooperatives, mainly formed by women from whom they buy products directly according to Fair Trade criteria and indirectly with 87 producer groups to South America, Africa and Asia.
For more information visit their website or their Facebook page!