The Save Your World Fair Trade Principles What is fair trade?
As defined by the Fair Trade Federation, fair trade is a system of exchange that seeks to create equity and partnership in the international trading system by: 
- Paying fair wages in the local context
- Supporting participatory workplaces
- Ensuring environmental sustainability
- Supplying financial and technical support
- Offering public accountability
- Respecting cultural identity
- Building direct and long-term relationships
- Educating consumers
By viewing development as a whole process (rather than just a fair price), fair trade organizations cultivate partnerships with their suppliers and contribute to communities' development. Fair trade is not about charity; it uses a fair system of exchange to empower producers and to create sustainable, positive change.
The definition of fair trade as agreed upon by FINE, an informal association of the four main fair trade networks (Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International, International Fair Trade Association, Network of European Worldshops and European Fair Trade Associations) is as follows:
“Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair trade organizations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.”
What does this really mean?
First, fair trade is about offering great products to the public.
Second, fair trade is about keeping prices affordable for consumers while returning a higher amount for the producers. This relationship is made possible by working directly with artisans, farmers and suppliers and cutting out the middleman; thus enabling retail prices to remain competitive.
And third, fair trade tremendously impacts communities and the environment through its holistic process. Helping communities sustain their environment and meet their educational, nutritional and health care needs impacts them tremendously and diminishes inequalities, allowing for a fair society for all, especially the poor.
 Save Your World® Fair Trade Principles
Save Your World® is a U.S.- based company that manufactures and distributes products in the United States. Many of the ingredients used to create our all-natural personal care products are sourced in foreign countries. In particular, our two signature ingredients found in each of our personal care products – yerba maté and aloe vera – are organically certified, and are grown and harvested in other countries. We wish to raise the public's awareness of these ingredients, such as that yerba maté is grown only in South America, and of the unique properties that many of these ingredients exhibit in their natural form.
We seek to support this plant's community and cultural environment in order to support the continuation of the unique and traditional cultivation process, and the community which it supports.
Save Your World's® driving force is our focus on sustaining the environment; and with respect to that, we support a conservation concession in Guyana, a third world country, by funding the lease (and other administrative expenses) to maintain a 200,000 acre rainforest along the Upper Essequibo River. This pristine area supports three unique communities and we seek to sustain their way of living while protecting the rainforest – one of Earth’s remaining, precious natural resources. By funding this leasing arrangement we seek to sustain the very air that we breathe, and to keep a pristine area intact for future generations to enjoy the benefits of this rich, ecologically diverse area.
Because of our international connections in the sourcing of ingredients and our conservation mission, Save Your World® is dedicated to Fair Trade Principles in the following manner as they pertain to the various aspects of our business.
Certified Organic Yerba Maté
Paying fair wages in the local context
Save Your World® sources yerba maté directly from a tribal community, who sources the raw material directly from the local farmers. A price is paid of 20–30% over the market price for yerba maté leaves, as determined by studying the average market price and adding the markup. The supplier then processes the plant and makes it available for sale in various forms. Save Your World® pays the price established by the supplier including the markup necessary to support the tribal community who processes the plant.
Supporting participatory workplaces
Our supplier is a community where approximately 70 people work together to pool their resources, including the money they make from the sale of yerba maté. This community is comparable to a “kibbutz” because its members do not personally earn a wage, but are supported by the community for all of their needs. The minimum wage in Brazil is approximately $190/month, but this community earns approximately three times the minimum wage (per worker) for the processed yerba maté that it sells to Save Your World®. Save Your World® pays our supplier its asking price for yerba maté and receives no discount.
 Ensuring environmental sustainability
The harvesting and subsequent processing of the yerba maté are done by hand, even down to picking the bugs off the plants instead of using pesticides. The yerba maté is grown in the shade of the rainforest using the same skills that growers have handed down through the generations for centuries.
By supporting this community we are supporting the very way of life that has been thriving for centuries in this age old tradition of maté. Because of yerba maté’s isolated position in the marketplace, being primarily tapped out in the South American trade market, Save Your World® seeks to provide a new marketplace for it as an ingredient in the United States and within personal care products in order to expand its use, and thus expand the income of the communities that grow yerba maté.
Supplying financial and technical support
By purchasing this product at the asking price, we are supplying financial support to maintain these communities, such as our supplierl and the farmers from whom the raw material is sourced at a 20–30% markup. Offering public accountability Save Your World® is securing the auditing firm tof Price Waterhouse, o provide public assurance of our financial transactions concerning our suppliers, our conservation efforts and our support for Conservation International.
Respecting cultural identity
Save Your World™ values the unique identity of the various communities we support. We support their way of life by purchasing their products for use in all of our personal care products. Building direct and long-term relationships Save Your World's® president, Scott Cecil, and other members of the Save Your World® team have personally visited the suppliers facilities and met with yerba maté farmers/growers to build long-term direct relationships with these partners, and to ensure that the organic certification and old traditions are being followed.
Educating consumers
Save Your World® has many featured articles and much information published in press releases discussing the unique ingredient of yerba maté. By raising awareness of this unique ingredient, we hope to educate people about this antioxidant, mineral-rich plant that is found only in the South American climate near the rainforests we protect. Raising awareness raises demand for the product and enhances the earnings potential of these farmers and distributors in South America.
Certified Organic Aloe Vera
Paying fair wages in local context
Save Your World® sources organic aloe vera directly from a distributor located in the Dominican Republic who owns and harvests its own fields in this country. The aloe vera is priced per basket. Save Your World’s® supplier determines the aloe vera's price by calculating the cost to grow, harvest and process it, and then adds on whatever overhead the operations carry.
The farm workers are paid at least the minimum wage in the Dominican Republic for their work with the supplier (in addition to free health care and subsidized food and living expenses). Save Your World® pays our supplier the asking price for the aloe vera and receives no discount from our aloe vera supplier. Supporting participatory workplaces Save Your World®, through our supplier, supports a participatory workplace where workers needs are provided for and equality exists.
Ensuring environmental sustainability
 Save Your World® and our supplier are committed to fair trade practices with regard to the farm workers in the Dominican Republic who harvest and care for the aloe vera crops. Save Your World’s® supplier has many programs in place to ensure that these farm workers are treated fairly, and monitors these programs, the fields and the workers at all times. The supplier’s farm workers receive free hot lunches every day when they are working, and can purchase other food throughout the day at extremely reduced prices.
Furthermore, fresh water is pumped into the property for the workers to drink and use throughout the day. The supplier provides a free health clinic on its property in the Dominican Republic, where the farm workers and all members of their families receive free health care.
There are about 50% of the farm workers who live on the farming property during the week, the other workers live nearby. If any worker does not want to make the trip home after a day of work, housing is provided for that worker to stay the night. Sports and recreational facilities are also provided; for example, basketball courts on company property for the workers to use (free of charge) during their free time, and many of the workers who live near the property use these facilities on their days off.
Supplying financial and technical support
By purchasing this product at the asking price, we are supplying financial support to maintain these communities, through the basket price plus markup. There is no technical support needed at this time, but should the need arise Save Your World® is committed to provided any necessary support to maintain our relationship with the supplier.
Respecting cultural identity
Save Your World® values the unique identify of the various communities that we support, such as in the Dominican Republic. We support their way of life by purchasing their products for use in all our personal care products.
Building direct and long-term relationships
 Save Your World's® president, Scott Cecil, and other members of the Save Your World® team have plans to personally visit the facilities of our supplier in the Dominican Republic, and to meet with the workers, to build long-term direct relationships with these partners, and to ensure that the organic certification and quality assurance are being met.
Educating consumers
Save Your World® has many featured articles and much information published in press releases discussing organic aloe vera. By raising awareness of this nutrient-rich ingredient, we hope to educate people about this antioxidant, mineral-rich plant.
Our Conservation Mission
Paying fair wages in the local context
Save Your World® supports the funding of a 200,000 acre rainforest in the Upper Essequibo Concession in Guyana. This concession area, which is secured by Conservation International, employs many workers to sustain it and ensure that it is maintained in its pristine state. These workers include conservation officers, cooks, guides, etc., all of whom earn a fair wage as established for the area where they live; and Save Your World® hires only local residents for any trips planned to the area.
Supplying financial support and environmental sustainability
Save Your World® supports Guyana and its rainforests, people and communities on many different levels, including direct financial support, direct financial community support and community preservation and investments.
Direct Financial Support  Save Your World® sets aside a percentage of the profit from each of our products sold for the rainforest concession in Guyana, which we maintain in conjunction with Conservation International. This means that when one of our customers buys a bottle of our shampoo, for example, a certain percentage of the profit we make from that sale goes directly to fund the rainforest concession. “Leasing” the rainforest land in Guyana enables us to preserve rainforest which otherwise would be sold for logging. All the costs of our rainforest project, such as overhead and administration, are paid out of our company's funds – these costs are borne completely by Save Your World® and are in addition to our "One Product = One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year™" pledge. Furthermore, Save Your World® provides additional funds directly to Guyana and our rainforest concession above and beyond the profit percentage from each product sale, in order to directly impact the communities surrounding the concession. Save Your World® currently hires the rangers who patrol our rainforest concession. These rangers or conservation officers are chosen from the local communities, which provides jobs for the three nearby villages. Three local villages lie near the concession area - Apoteri (50 miles away), Rewa (75 miles away) and Crash Water (100 miles away). Local villagers from these areas are hired as logistical support, guides, boat captains and cooks for any trips to the concession.  Direct Financial Community SupportIn addition to the rainforest land we lease and preserve in Guyana, we also fund the Guyanan governmental forestry commission with the funds this commission receives from our lease. These funds are channeled into the government's financial coffers. The government builds schools and medical stations in each of the villages near our rainforest concession (as described above).
During our last visit in September 2007, we inspected a new school, a new water tank and solar powered water pump, new facilities for the school's headmaster and a new medical facility, all provided by the government in these villages. These facilities are all made possible by Save Your World’s® support of this rainforest area.
Offering public accountability
Save Your World® is securing an auditing firm to provide public assurance of our financial transactions concerning our suppliers, our conservation efforts and our funding support through Conservation International to lease and support the 200,000 acre rainforest in Guyana.
Respecting cultural identity
Save Your World® values the unique identify of the communities that we support. We support their way of life by protecting their rainforest and ensuring that this pristine area will be maintained for future generations.
Building direct and long-term relationships
 Save Your World's® president, Scott Cecil, and other members of the Save Your World® team personally visit the concession at least yearly with Conservation International, to ensure that the concession remains pristine and to develop long-term (a 30-year lease) working relationships with the surrounding communities and the administrative staff that support the concession.
Educating consumers
Save Your World® has many featured articles and much information published in press releases discussing the Guyana Upper Essequibo Concession, as well as our conservation efforts and their impact on the environment. Save Your World’s® product pledge of "One Product = One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year™" provides general consumer education to raise awareness and support to save our environment.
Save Your World® is launching awareness campaigns for all of our products and ingredients regarding fair trade and the sustainability of our environment and, through our product purchases, encouraging the growth of the communities that our ingredients and products support.
Together, we believe that we can Save Your World and support Fair Trade Principles in all aspects of our business.
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