World Fair Trade day is a global event that aims to shed light on the objectives and achievements of the Fair Trade movement, which focuses on improving the lives of workers and small producers, especially those within developing economies. It is the time to show recognition to those who have worked hard to get to where they are and to contribute to growing healthy and sustainable economies. Producers, shoppers, advocates, and companies from around the world make up the fair trade movement.

World Fair Trade Day is celebrated on the Second Saturday in May.

The movement began in the United States after The Second World War. The goal of the fair trade movement was to connect small-scale producers to global markets. In 1989, the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) was born. Today, over a million small-scale producers in 76 countries are a part of the WFTO. In 1996, the Network of European Shops (NEWS!) established the European World Shops Day. The WFTO, which at the time was called the International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT), expanded the initiative to other continents. The first World Fair Trade Day was held on May 4, 2002 and is now celebrated on the second Saturday of every May.