Going Mainstream: Fair trade in Germany and England.

Fair trade is an alternative system of trade which guarantees that producers in the developing world are given a price for their goods that at least covers the amount it cost them to produce the goods plus provides an additional profit. In a fair trade arrangement, importers cut out the ?middlemen? and work more directly with farmers and farmers\u27 groups in long-term contracts. While fair trade coffee could be found in England and in Germany thirty years ago, its aroma first came to the United States in 1986. Not surprisingly then, the fair trade movement is more advanced in these two European countries. America?s budding fair trade movement can, therefore, learn from the methods and strategies of those across the Atlantic who have found success campaigning on this issue. To expand the fair trade market, organizations in Germany and England are thinking and acting more like businesses by making packaging attractive and eye-catching, conducting market research, securing celebrity sponsorship, and launching large promotional campaigns that highlight quality. Other important elements of the awareness-raising efforts are keeping the ?fair trade message? simple, mobilizing and concentrating grassroots efforts, delivering the same message from an array of organizations, and heavily promoting an independent fair trade label. By learning from the successes and obstacles facing fair trade public awareness campaigns, the American fair trade movement can more effectively plan its development