Fairtrade

Fairtrade is all about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. 

Many of the products we depend on every day come from these countries including, tea, coffee, tropical fruits, cotton and much more. Yet growers of these goods find it very hard to cover basic living costs due to the tariffs and inequalities in the international trading system.  Fairtrade addresses these issues by requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price).

What are the benefits for the producers of Fairtrade goods?

•  A regular income from the crops for the producers 
•  Better wages and working conditions for the workers 
•  Improvements to water supplies and sanitisation facilities 
•  New housing and schooling 
•  Improved healthcare
•  Increased self-esteem for all concerned

Fairtrade products in the UK

Did you know:

• The Fairtrade Foundation has licensed over 3,000 Fairtrade certified products for sale through retail and catering outlets in the UK.
• The UK market is doubling in value every 2 years, and is one of the worlds leading Fairtrade markets, with more products and more awareness of Fairtrade than anywhere else.
• What ever the price of the products on the shelf, only the Fairtrade mark ensures that producers have received what has been agreed as a fairer price, as well as the social premiums to invest in the future of their communities.