The Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) is the regional representative of the global Fair Trade movement. Our vision and mission are aligned to the World Fair Trade Organisation’s (WFTO) 10 Principles of Fair Trade. We believe that every organisation and individual has the power to spread the word about fair trade. The association runs a community endorsement program to grow the voice for fair trade and this includes working with workplaces.

Fair Trade Workplaces are workplaces that have been endorsed by the Fair Trade Association for their ongoing support of Fair Trade. Since 2014, Mitsui & Co (Australia) Ltd has continually renewed its commitment to being a Fair Trade Workplace. Mitsui is one of the world's most diversified trading, investment and services enterprises. They embed sustainability in all their activities and are committed to implementing the Modern Slavery Act to support human rights across their whole business. Mitsui is also working towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

Sachika Go, Mitsui’s Social Contributions Coordinator recently reiterated why Mitsui continues to support Fair Trade. She commented, “Mitsui is committed to be a responsible corporate citizen, and sustainability/ESG is one of our key principles when operating our business. Since Mitsui was recognised as a Fair Trade Workplace in 2014, our commitment to the Fairtrade movement has become even greater and we are trying to support this important initiative in every possible circumstance in our business. Our dedication to this movement will continue until the day we live in a society surrounded by fairly traded products with no child/forced labour and unfair payment to the producers.”

The Fair Trade Association was invited to speak at Mitsui’s virtual Fair Trade event, which saw colleagues from interstate and overseas joining the call. With close to 50 participants, our Executive Committee member, Cynthia Cheong, gave an engaging presentation on what fair trade is about, how to identify products with different labels and certifications and hosted a fun quiz on fair trade with a sponsored prize by Jasper Coffee.

To apply or enquire about becoming a Fair Trade Workplace, visit our association’s communities' web page.