We’re lucky enough to be able to walk into any supermarket in the UK and be greeted with shelves stacked full with a plethora of foods to suit different tastes, budgets and diets. Given the amount of choice we have, it’s not often we pause and contemplate how that bunch of bananas made its way to our trolley – and while it may not seem a big deal, to the farmers tending dutifully to their crops in developing countries across the globe, it is. That’s where Fairtrade comes into the equation – ensuring those at the other end of the scale are treated well and paid a respectable wage in exchange for producing our goods. Not exclusive to this particular fruit either, the recognisable green and blue logo is a mainstay on an array of everyday items from coffee to chocolate to cotton. But why exactly is Fairtrade so important and how does it ensure workers have a good end of the deal, rather than simply being another greenwashing marketing ploy? We find out.
It all started in 1992 in the UK when, following persistent appeals for fairness from Mexican coffee farmers, the Fairtrade Foundation was set up. Two years later, certified Fairtrade items were available to buy and since then, the organisation has gone from strength to strength. Nowadays, the system works with over 1.65 million farmers and workers and there are 1,411 producer organisations across 73 countries, according to the University of West England. Fairtrade standards include good working conditions and rights that are neither non-discriminative or gender biased, no child or forced labour, and fair wages, too. The products must be produced with transparency and accountability, as well as in a way that respects the environment.