Ever since it launched in 1998, Fair Trade Egypt has adhered to Fair Trade principles in order to best assist marginalized artisans in Egypt. Here are some examples on how FTE faithfully follows on a daily basis the principles of alternative, ethical nonprofit trade. 

• Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Artisans

Whether through its Cairo store, or by linking them to foreign importers directly, FTE offers struggling artisans in developing areas of the country the opportunity to consistently sell their hand-made items and expand their existing markets. 

• Working Conditions

One of our objectives at FTE is to be able to periodically visit all of our artisan groups to ensure that their working environment is healthy and safe for all involved. We will do our best in assisting our artisans with healthcare access and continuous training sessions on hygiene and work-related safety. As of today, FTE refuses to work with artisans who employ children as labor to manufacture their goods. Our staff members uphold the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child, all the while keeping in mind applicable local labor laws and social norms. 

• Gender Equity

FTE artisans are predominantly women. Besides ensuring that they receive the payments for their finished goods on time, we also encourage our artisans and their supervisors to let them take an active role in the administrative future of their artisan group. Their participation instills a sense of empowerment and personal investment in their operations and community at large. 

• Payment of a Fair Price

Whenever possible, FTE exceeds Egypt’s minimum wage requirements and guarantees its partnering artisans consistent monthly wages. When our artisans bring their items to our Cairo store, we can pay them in advance of their sales, by accessing our pre-financing fund. This system affords our artisans a consistent cash flow, independent from how much or how quickly their items sell. We also accommodate their pre-harvest and pre-production financial needs, by helping our groups and associations purchase the necessary raw materials and equipment to fulfill their production needs. 

• Environmental Responsibility

FTE carefully monitors the environmental impact brought on by the activities of our artisan groups. Whether we’re dealing with artisans in overly industrialized areas like Cairo’s Helwan neighborhood, or in wildlife sanctuaries like Zaranik, near Sinai’s Al Arish, our goal is to improve the condition of their existing natural environment. FTE has established long partnerships with artisan groups that rely on recycling to create their items, and that hence improve the overall environment in their communities. 

• Capacity Building

Our FTE staff conducts field visits on a regular basis to all of our participating artisan groups in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their operations, hence closely mentoring their growth through the years. These insightful visits provide us with the necessary empirical data to design custom training sessions for each group. We help our artisans continuously improve their businesses, by offering them free workshops on everything from marketing to production and management. Our seminars also cover social topics, such as child labor, environmental responsibility, gender discrimination and, our personal favorite, Fair Trade awareness.