This year, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Fairtrade mark, Fairtrade Fortnight is being held between the 9th and the 22nd of September.
It’s a celebration of all things Fairtrade, including three decades of ethical choices, empowering communities, and creating a fairer world through every purchase.
It’s a great way to recognize and share the stories of the people and communities behind Fairtrade certified products,as well as an opportunity to generate awareness of what it means to be Fairtrade.
It’s all about education, spreading the word and encouraging ethical purchase choices; those that will help to reduce poverty among producers in developing countries around the world.
The theme for 2024 is: Fair for All
Fair for Farmers
That receive a fair price and can invest to protect their communities and the environment.
For Brands
That need a trusted partner to enable their commitment to ethical and responsible sourcing.
For Consumers
That can be assured that every Fairtrade purchase makes a positive impact for people and planet.
What does it mean to be Fairtrade?
Fairtrade certified products improve the livelihoods of growers and farmers globally, better allowing them to tackle environmental issues such as climate change and to successfully implement sustainable farming practices.
Fairtrade is the most recognised and trusted sustainable trading standard in many leading markets.
Why should you buy Fairtrade?
The following are some core benefits of purchasing Fairtrade certified products.
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Fair Minimum Prices: to reduce exploitation and to provide an essential safety net for producers by setting minimum prices for all major commodities.
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Improved Working Conditions: safe and healthy working standards are required for all certified producer organisations, including the prohibition of child labour and the freedom to unionize.
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Fairtrade Premium & Community Development: an additional sum of money above and beyond the Fairtrade minimum price goes into a communal fund for workers and farmers to use – as they see fit – to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions. This extra financial benefit directly uplifts the lives of workers and farmers in Fairtrade-certified communities.
- Environmental Sustainability: organic farming, reducing the use of pesticides and biodiversity are promoted. For example, almost 2/3rds of Fairtrade coffee sold globally is also organic.
The Fairtrade Premium in Action
Taking a look at some specific examples of how producers, cooperatives and growing communities made use of their Fairtrade Premium is a great way to gain some real insight into how Fairtrade genuinely helps to benefit the lives of real people on the ground, those which work to produce so many products we know and love.
The Fairtrade Premium typically covers areas including:
Community Empowerment
Social Infrastructure
Economic Development
Environmental Sustainability
Transparency and Accountability
Some specific examples include:
The Highland Organic Agriculture Cooperative (HOAC) in Papua New Guinea (where we source beans for our Fair. World Blend) chose to spend their Premium funds on a number of important initiatives including:
ROOVES FOR HOUSES - Members of HOAC each received 12 sheets of roofing iron so that they can replace the rooves of their houses. Rooves were previously thatched with kunai grass but this is now scarce due to climate change. Iron rooves also have the advantage of serving as rainwater catchments.
SAFE DRINKING WATER - Premium funds have been used to develop pipes and wells to deliver clean and safe drinking water to the community of Ivingoi in Okapa. This rural area is home to over 6000 people which includes a primary school, a secondary school, a health centre and a mission station. All these facilities, and the community at large, now have access to clean water.
Cooperativa Cafe Timor (CCT) in Timor Leste (who also supply beans for our World Blend) have used their Fairtrade Premium for:
- The provision of more efficient and accessible healthcare, including hospitals and mobile clinics.
- The provision of free mulch and coffee seedlings for farmers who have lost their crops due to political unrest or weather events.
- The creation of thousands of jobs for locals throughout all stages of production and transport.
And in Cecanor in Peru (who supply for our decaf), the Fairtrade Premium has been used for:
- Travel & Vehicle costs
- Certification & Audit costs
- HR & Admin Costs
- Training & Development
Why Fairtrade Matters
Don’t just take it from us…
“The Fairtrade Premium has supported us in many ways. For school projects like building teachers’ houses, building classrooms, supplying school library books and classroom desks.
For health, it has helped us by supplying mattresses for rural wards, supplying maternity beds for mothers to give birth and a water project that provided good water for more than 20 villages”
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Michell Ricky, 3rd generation coffee farmer at Highlands Organic Agricultural Cooperative (HOAC) in Papua New Guinea.
“FairTrade has definitely helped our community—it has helped us improve our school and water supplies. It has also made a big difference in the price we get for our coffee with the guaranteed payment. We simply want you to buy our coffee at a fair price so we can be independent.”
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Workineh Heldaja, Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) member in Ethiopia.
"Our members have greatly benefited from the profits generated. On top of that, we are now getting technical and financial support that enables us to continue our tradition of excellence. Therefore, Fairtrade membership is very important to our organisation and its members. To me, Fairtrade means a buying and selling process in which humanitarianism has a big part. It is creating a family relationship between peoples who live on this planet.”
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Tadesse Meskela, OCFCU Founder & General Manager.
Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand: Making a Quantifiable Difference!
As we celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight this year, it may interest you to know that…
- 3,987,812 kgs of coffee was sold on Fairtrade terms in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
- In 2023 a total of $3,325,576 was generated in Fairtrade Premiums by licensees in Australia & New Zealand.
How about Fair. Coffee?
- In 2023 we contributed $144,108 in Fairtrade Premiums
- We sourced from 17 producer organisations
- There were 203,720 farmers in this supply chain who benefitted.
- We sold 219,882 kgs of coffee on Fairtrade terms
- We sourced from 9 world regions
How can you help?
Always be on the lookout for the Fairtrade Mark.
Be the change, make the swap. Make a habit of buying Fairtrade across a number of product categories, including coffee! (approximately 42% of Fairtrade farmers globally are coffee producers).
Some supermarkets have a directory for Fairtrade products that allow you to search specifically for all things Fairtrade. Be sure to make use of these!
Also be sure to check out the Fairtrade Gift Guide
Learning more about Fairtrade, its purpose and its key benefits is also a simple and great way to show your support.
Fairtrade Fortnight Special Offer
To celebrate and support Fairtrade Fortnight in 2024, we’re offering a limited time only special offer on our range of Fair. coffees.
Place an online order over $79 before the 22nd of September 2024 and get FREE SHIPPING* Use code SEP24 at checkout.
SHOP the range online today.
You can also get 25% off when you purchase off the shelf in Coles and Woolworths, during Fairtrade Fortnight.
View a list of stockists here.
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*T&C's Apply