When you buy Fairtrade herbs and spices, you contribute towards improving the lives and communities of small-scale farmers and workers growing and producing these crops globally. The Fairtrade Foundation makes sure that farmers and workers get fair trading terms, decent working conditions and sets minimum prices for the goods that they harvest and process. This assures workers of a stable income and should market prices increase, they will benefit but if market prices fall, they will still receive the set minimum price.
In addition to the set prices paid for the products, a premium is also paid for Fairtrade herbs and Fairtrade spices which is then invested into community development projects. Such investment may be used for better agricultural equipment and practices, investment into schools, sanitation, health care, transport or localized environmental improvements such as improved infrastructure.
Products bearing the Fairtrade mark or logo, including Fairtrade herbs and spices, must meet international standards that are set by the certification body Fairtrade International. These standards are agreed in consultation between members of the Fairtrade scheme. These include farmers, workers, traders, non-governmental organisations and labelling organizations such as the Fairtrade Foundation. Research by academic institutions is used to assist in compiling the standards.