FAIR trade.

The term is quite new.

It is defined by the International Fair Trade Association as "a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade."

Don’t confuse it with free trade, which refers to unrestricted exchange of goods between countries.

Ifta, the global association of some 300 Fair Trade organizations, says that fair trade "contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers."

This international movement "spearheading new thinking in economic equity, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and ethical compliance," as one advocate puts it, has finally reached Northern Mindanao.

Last May 24, the Salay Handmade Paper Industries (or Shapii for short) officially launched its Cagayan de Oro shop at De Leon Plaza as a Fair Trade store.

We can therefore call Shapii (the last "I" stands for Incorporated) the first Fair Trader in the region. The honor carries a heavy responsibility; just read about the key principles of fair trade elsewhere and you’ll see that it’s not only about business continuity and reasonable profits. There’s gender equity and ecological integrity, too, among others.

A network of fair trade shops across the country has been established. The products are varied: dried mangoes, banana chips, processed meat and vegetables, handcrafted bags and baskets, decors, light furniture, shawls, cushion covers and a host of other things.

Shapii is famous for its handmade paper products fashioned from cogon grass, abaca fiber, salago bark, pineapple leaves and a few other materials such as pressed flowers and sawdust.

The products they make include greeting cards, picture frames, notepads, photo albums, lampshades and novelty items.

I’ll vouch for the quality of their goods. And so would a multitude of satisfied consumers, for sure.

Three years ago last month, while documenting the visit of a group of European Union ambassadors in Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Misamis Oriental, I noted their impressions of the places we went to, including the trip to the Shapii shop at Salay, Misamis Oriental. Without a shadow of a doubt the visitors were favorably impressed by the high quality of the paper products.

Do you want to "create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers," "help lift disadvantaged artisans and farmers out of poverty," "value and reward women’s work," and "encourage better environmental practices in responsible methods of production"?

Buy fair trade goods.