Five Reasons to go Fairtrade

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Fairtrade is a form of ethical and sustainable production, ensuring that the producer is given a fair price for what they produce.  This means that the communities that are in areas where the produce is grown, or the product has been developed have money going back into the communities, helping to sustain them, giving them a fair price in return for their hard work.

Fairtrade is not just a badge, or a unique selling point, used by companies to tick a box to demonstrate “we care”, it is a symbol that as a company, they are standing up for workers rights, preventing exploitation. As consumers, this would mean that you are supporting such causes and also making a demonstrable statement to less ethical companies that there is a need to consider pursuing such ambition.

The problem is that Fairtrade products are often more expensive than other brands, not necessarily a difference in quality, but the influence and the boost for us as consumers is that we are doing out bit, it demonstrates to other brands that if you do support Fairtrade then so should we.

Whilst Fairtrade doesn’t necessarily mean better quality there are some product categories that by default end up producing some excellent products, the money that gets invested into these communities helps to create and generate improvements in products.  Whilst on occasion these can cost a little more than some of their counterparts, this is wear a little more spending can give you rewards. Most major high street retailer stock Fair Trade produce now.

On example where Fairtrade has really been a progressive has been in the coffee and chocolate industry. In fact, many people associate Fair Trade with coffee, Fair Trade’s highest selling product. Cocoa is Fair Trade’s second leading product in terms of sales and volume and major chocolate companies have recently added Fair Trade product lines. What’s more, coffee pods are even Fairtrade now, Gourmesso is a quality coffee brand that produce Nespresso compatible tea and coffee capsules that are Fairtrade and USDA Organic.

In summary five reasons to make fair trade swaps and feel good about your shopping.

1. Many farmers and workers who work involved with coffee production do not get to have breakfast themselves, over eighty percent of the world’s coffee production is produced by farmers with smallholding who earn less than $1.95 a day. If they are in receipt of a fair price, then during the tougher times, these farmers are able to protect themselves against some tougher times.
2. Fairtrade, equals fair prices for farmers in those developing communities. Famers get a fair price that can be used to continue to invest in their communities.
3. Farmers get a price that ensures that they can work toward reducing poverty in the community.
4. It doesn’t always have to cost more. But it really is well worth shopping around, you may find a Fairtrade alternative, that matches price, quality and taste of your preferred brand.
5. If you buy a product with the Fairtrade logo, you are buying a product with the confidence that you are addressing the inequality of trade in the world. You are demonstrating that you believe in a a fair price for fair work, sending out a message that you care about what you are buying.