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North America's first fair trade organization begins with Edna Ruth Byler importing needlecrafts from low-income women in Puerto Rico, and putting them in Europe, laying the groundwork for Ten Thousand villages.
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The church of Brethren establishes SERRV to import wooden clocks from German refugees of WWII. This was NA's second fair trade organization.
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The "Trade not Aid" concept is embraced in the United Nations Conference on Aid and Development, bringing fair trade into development policy.
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European and Oxfam humanitarian organizations open the first World Shop in the Netherlands to build awareness, sell crafts, and campaigning for trade reform.
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The first fair trade retail outlet in NA starts with Ten Thousand villages opening their store.
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Equal Exchange is established as the first fair trade cooperative in NA, making a political statement with high quality coffee imported from Nicaragua.
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Activists and Farmers launch the first fair trade certification syatem in the Netherlands to offer third party recognition and a label for fair trade products which was called Max Havelaar.
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The WFTO, previously known as the IFTA, is established by fair trade pioneers as the first global fair trade network.
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The first network of fair trade organizations in NA is the Fair Trade Federation.
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Fairtrade Labeling Organization is formed (FLO).
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TransFair USA uses the TransFair USA label to certify fair trade coffee.
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The "Fair Trade" certification mark is launched by FLO.
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National and regional fair trade associations are produced across Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
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The Institute for Marketecology IMO begins their certification program "Fair For Life".
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Fair Trade retail sales reach $1 billion US and $2.5 billion worldwide.
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Organic Consumers Association OCA launches Fair World Project to promote and protect the integrity of the fair trade movement, the first fair trade consumer organization.