growing change
Understanding a Living Wage and Living Income in the Fairtrade System BY J U LIE FR A NCOEU R , EX ECU TI V E DIR ECTOR , FA IRTR A DE CA NA DA
Doris, a Peruvian banana worker © Sean Hawkey
D
ebates are heating up all across Canada as various provinces increase minimum wages. How much is a fair wage in rural Manitoba? What’s the cost of decent housing in downtown Montreal? How many part-time jobs and side hustles do you need to make a living income in British Columbia? Now transpose these questions to a coffee farm in rural Ethiopia, a banana plantation in the Dominican Republic, or a garment factory in urban Bangladesh. These are questions
we at Fairtrade International have been asking for a long time. Now we’re starting to find answers.
Connecting Income and Sustainability Fairtrade has sustainable livelihoods as its ultimate goal, to be achieved through trade on equitable terms. Income and sustainability are closely related. In order to enjoy sustainable livelihoods, small-scale farmers and workers need to earn enough income for a decent
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