In 2002, Nigel Willerton had just taken the helm as Wholesome Sweeteners CEO. Raised in England's sugar trade, he was determined to improve conditions in the business-for the people and for the planet. "Wholesome Sweeteners has a proud record of sourcing from environmentally and socially responsible suppliers. We wanted to take our commitment a step further and deliver more value directly back to our growers," Willerton says. He believed that Wholesome could make a significant difference in the everyday lives-and futures-of cane farmers and their communities. It was time to set new rules for the industry.      Inspired by the emerging Fair Trade movement, which until then had been primarily the domain of coffee and cocoa, Willerton started working with TransFairUSA to establish Fair Trade standards for sugar cane cooperatives and mills. "After three years of negotiation and hard work," he says, "we launched our Sweet & Fair line of Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses. "Just months after the first agreement was signed, money began flowing back into the co-ops. Consumer support of Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses has meant that, in the two years since their launch, we've sent more than $500,000 to our Fair Trade co-op partners in Costa Rica, Malawi and Paraguay," Willerton says. "And each quarter, we're able to send more than the quarter before. We're more than pleased by it all."     As a general rule, Fair Trade Certified co-ops are made up of very small producers managing their own farms on limited income and with their own hands; their families are their labor force. In many cases, while the spirit and drive to succeed are there, the farmers lack the practical experience to move their sugar into the global marketplace.     Through Fair Trade programs, cane farmers earn a better income for their hard work--allowing them to hold on to their land, send their kids to school and develop the quality of their harvest while sharpening their business acumen and strengthening their communities. Fair Trade agreements set trade prices, remove unnecessary middlemen (who, in the past, have taken a significant percentage of farmers' income) and provide access to pre-harvest lines of credit for cooperatives.     The premiums stay within the co-ops and are invested in clinics and schools, equipment and other resources, education programs, communication systems and water wells. The premiums are wired directly to the co-ops' accounts each quarter.     Within the Fair Trade Certified co-ops, oppressive labor practices really are history (long since passed). As a condition of certification, co-ops guarantee fair labor conditions for farm workers, freedom of association for all and democratic decision-making processes. Self-determination and mutual respect are essential parts of the plan. The co-ops have regularly scheduled meetings and each co-op member, man or woman, has a say in the co-op's investments and activities.       Neutral third-party organizations keep watch over both the suppliers and their customers to assure that the hard-fought values and criteria are protected. TransFairUSA, Wholesome's partner in developing the program, today serves as an independent monitor, insuring that, in addition to protecting the social and democratic standards established for Fair Trade, environmental standards that foster sustainability are maintained. Chemicals and GMOs are prohibited, as are practices that further damage the environment, such as burning and harvesting methods that remove precious topsoil.     In the few years since Wholesome set new rules, a fresh crop of cane growers and buyers have emerged. Now, more than ever, the industry is concerned with breaking the old cycles. There is still much work ahead, but a new cycle is emerging in sugar production. Fair Trade really is making a difference.