Ok, to be fair, you should always do your own research, but here's a quick guide!
"Fair trade" is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot. On tags, in Instagram captions, on brand websites with gorgeous photography and very vague language. And if you've ever squinted at a badge on a product and thought, what does that actually mean — same, friend, same. So we did some digging.
Here is what we found, in plain language, no PhD required.
"Fair Trade" Isn't One Thing
Here's the first thing worth knowing: "fair trade" is not a regulated term. Anyone can technically put the words "fair trade" on their products without answering to anyone. What separates a brand that genuinely means it from one that doesn't, is whether they've submitted to an independent organization with published standards and real accountability. The badges matter, but only if you know what it actually takes to earn them.
The Fair Trade Federation
Think of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) as the gold standard for fair trade in North America. To become a verified member, a brand has to demonstrate that it's living nine fair trade principles across its entire business, not just one product line.
- Create real opportunities for artisans and farmers who are often overlooked by mainstream business
- Pay fairly and promptly, at or above a living wage covering food, housing, education, and healthcare
- Keep it transparent, with open, accountable relationships up and down the supply chain
- Invest in people, through skills training and capacity building so makers can grow, not just produce
- Promote fair trade, actively spreading awareness of the movement
- Ensure safe working conditions, where every person in the supply chain is protected and respected
- Protect children's rights, full stop
- Respect cultural identity, honoring the traditions and heritage of the communities behind the products
- Care for the environment, with responsible practices at every step of production
Every single one. Not a checklist to cherry-pick from. The whole organization has to mean all of it.
Our FTF-verified brands: LIKHÂ, Sustainable Threads, Belart (a member since 2011), and Starfish Project.
Green America Certified
Green America has been certifying businesses since 1982, making it one of the oldest and most established consumer trustmarks out there. It was also the first certification to require both social and environmental standards together. For Sustainable Threads, that means natural fibers, low-impact dyes, and long-term partnerships with artisan communities. For Belart, it means working with displaced communities in Colombia using sun-powered production and sustainable materials like organic tagua and upcycled horn. Different products, same commitment.
Our Green America certified brands: Sustainable Threads and Belart.
People & Planet First
People & Planet First is a global verification system for businesses that put people and the planet before private profit. Where traditional fair trade focuses mainly on labor, People & Planet First layers the environmental dimension on top, asking whether a business is taking responsibility for its footprint on the planet, not just on the people making the products.
Our People & Planet First verified brands: LIKHÂ, Starfish Project, and Sustainable Threads.
The World Fair Trade Organization
Fair Trade Egypt is Egypt's first and only fair trade certified producer network, having worked in Egyptian handicrafts since 1998. As members of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), they undergo peer review and independent monitoring against ten fair trade principles. Their network supports over 2,000 artisans across 43 artisan groups in 13 governorates, more than 90% of whom are women.
So What Does This All Mean When You Shop?
When you see one of these credentials on a product at Kindred & Kin, it means someone outside the brand has reviewed what's actually happening. Applications were submitted, standards were published, and decisions were made by people who aren't on the payroll.
Fair trade isn't a price premium for its own sake. When you pay a little more for a fair trade product, that difference has a destination. It covers a living wage for the person who made it. It funds safe working conditions, skills training, and in some cases housing and healthcare for artisan families. It keeps craft traditions alive that would otherwise disappear. And it supports practices that don't cost the planet in the process.
Conventional retail is cheap because a human absorbed the cost that didn't make it into the price tag. Fair trade puts it back where it belongs.
We carry brands that have made that commitment verifiably, not just aspirationally. And we think that difference is worth understanding.
