Final answer:
Fair trade certification is achieved by meeting criteria that ensure environmentally sustainable production practices, fair prices, and adequate wages for all workers. It includes avoiding synthetic pesticides and GMOs, with a focus on sustainability and social equity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The criteria for the fair trade certification standard primarily include creating trade relationships that are fair and promote sustainability. The certification ensures that producers receive fair prices for their goods, working conditions are safe, and production practices are environmentally sustainable, which often includes restrictions on the use of synthetic pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Enviromentally sustainable food production is a key aspect of fair trade, where methods that minimize harmful environmental impacts are used. This focus on sustainability aligns with the increasing demand for organic food, which is demonstrated by the substantial growth in organic product sales in the past decades, as reported by the Organic Trade Association. Sales of organic foods have skyrocketed from $1 billion in 1990 to nearly $62 billion in 2020, indicating a strong consumer preference for foods produced without synthetic chemicals.
Another significant requirement for fair trade certification is ensuring adequate wages for workers. This social criterion is in place to make sure that workers at all stages of the production and supply chain receive wages that allow them to have a decent living standard. Hence, improving socio-economic conditions for farmers and workers is at the heart of fair trade.