Fair Trade Timeline
Contributed by the Fair Trade Resource Network (www.ftrn.org)

1946        From Edna Ruth Byler who  imports needlecrafts from a Puerto Rico low-income women, then displaced in Europe, it is the beginning of North                  America’s first fair trade organization

1948         Second North America’s fair trade organization is Church of the Brethren establishes SERRV,  the purpose is to import wooden clocks from                         German refugees.

1968         United Nations Conference on Aid and Development (UNCTAD) embraces “Trade not Aid” concept.

1969         First shop is in the Netherlands by Oxfam and other European humanitarian organizations, to sell craft.

1972          The first fair trade retail outlet in North America by Ten Thousand Villages opens their store.

1986         Equal Exchange is established as the first fair trade cooperative in North America, importing coffee from Nicaragua to enhance life quality.

1988         Farmers and activists launch the first fair trade certification system, Max Havelaar, in the Netherlands to offer third-party recognition and a                        label for fair trade products

1989         International Fair Trade Association (WFTO), is established as the first global fair trade network

1994          Fair Trade Federation is formed as the first network of North America fair trade organizations.

1997         Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) is formed.

1999         TransFair USA begins is using the TransFair USA label to certify fair trade coffee

2002         FLO confirmed the international “FairTrade” certification mark

2004         Asia, Latin America, and Africa become the produce base land.

2006         The Institute for Marketecology (IMO) begins their “Fair for Life” certification program

2007         Fairtrade retail sales reached $1 billion in the U.S.and $2.5 billion worldwide

2010        Organic Consumers Association (OCA) launches the first fair trade consumer organization, Fair World Project.