The Association for Equal and Fair Trade Pangaea (Spanish: Asociación para el Comercio Justo y Solidario Pangea) is a secular human development

Human development (humanity)

Human development in the scope of humanity, specifically international development, is an international and economic development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. People are the real wealth of nations...

 non-governmental organization

Organization

An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...

 best known for its work on fair trade

Fair trade

Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...

 and Food sovereignty

Food sovereignty

"Food sovereignty" is a term coined by members of Via Campesina in 1996 to refer to a policy framework advocated by a number of farmers, peasants, pastoralists, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, women, rural youth and environmental organizations, namely the claimed "right" of peoples to define their...

.

It was founded in 1995 by a group of former volunteers looking for a new way to spread their views on fair trade, responsible consumption and social action in Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...

 and Galicia."

It is governed in a participative and democratic way by its members, who organized in commissions, vote and discuss its decisions. Apart from the general annual assembly, it has open and public weekly meetings in the head office."

Together with the activities of social education, social action and human development it also has a public open fair trade shop.

Pangaea is also an important member of: Galician Net of Conscious and Responsible Consumption (Spanish: Red de Consumo Consciente y Responsable), Initiative for Food Sovereignty (Spanish: Iniciativa por la Soberanía Alimentaria) and Space for a Fair Trade (Spanish: Espacio por un Comercio Justo)."

Pangaea won the 2006 Vagalume Prize in social work awarded by the municipality of Santiago de Compostela besides other minor awards and prizes."

Since 2010 Pangaea established itself as Consumer's Cooperative for Fair Trade and Biological Products, under the name of "Panxea S.C.G"

Work and Organization

The most important work of this association is in Fair Trade and biological products. The first way of achieving this is through its public open fair trade shop.

Goods are obtained through Fair Trade importers, which are the first responsibles of guaranteed the origin and Fair Trade Principles of these products.

Biological products are directly purchased to local farmers and producers, trying to fulfill proximity criteria and full respect of environmental standards.

The rest of the social education, works and lectures are given through the participation in forums, social acts and congresses.