Fairtrade

1
Fairtrade

• Catrin Williams
• Southampton Sustainability Forum / Southampton
  Fairtrade City Group

2
5 Fairtrade Guarantees

• A Fair and stable price for products
• An opportunity for farmers and plantation workers
  to improve their lives
• Greater respect for the environment
• A closer link between shoppers and producers
• A stronger position for small farmers in world
  markets.

3
A fair and stable price for products

• Covers the cost of production which allows a
  decent standard of living.
• Allows producers to make long term plans.
• Enables people to invest in the future.
• When world markets crash they still get a fair
  wage.

4
An opportunity for farmers and plantation workers
to improve their lives

• Price covers production and enables children to
  go to school etc.
• Social Premium to be spent on projects decided
  democratically by a joint committee.

5
(No Transcript)
6
A closer link between shoppers and producers

• Consumers have better understanding of some of
  the issues and can make a direct difference by
  buying Fairtrade.
• Cooperative working cuts out a number of middle
  men.
• Producers know that their products will be bought
  by people who understand their situation.

7
A stronger position in world markets for small
farmers

• Farmers are becoming more organised, often work
  in co-operatives and have a stronger collective
  voice.
• The Fairtrade market is now worth millions and as
  such has a voice in the global market.
• The guaranteed price means that farmers need not
  worry if markets collapse as their income is safe.

8
A greater respect for the environment

• Less use of pesticides / conversion to organic.
• Understanding of the environment, use of methods
  that decrease soil erosion
• Environmental programmes to improve biodiversity

9
Fairtrade in the UK

• Over 200 Fairtrade Towns and Cities in the UK
• 50 Fairtrade Universities
• 3,000 Fairtrade Churches
• Only 17 companies make FT available to their
  staff, 38 of workers say that their companies
  should.

10
Supermarket Success

• MS switched to Fairtrade tea and coffee last
  year but now also selling 200 million cotton
  garments
• Sainsburies have pledged to sell only Fairtrade
  bananas amounts to 10 million bananas/ week
• Waitrose have also pledge to switch to just
  Fairtrade bananas

11
Economic Force

• Fairtrade sales increase by 40 each year
• Estimated retail sales of Fairtrade products the
  UK in 2005 was 195m
• Fairtrade roast and ground coffee now accounts
  for 20 of UK coffee market
• Co-operative Financial Services, Virgin, DfIA, BT
  call centres have become Fairtrade Workplaces

12
(No Transcript)
13
What you can do?

• Buy Fairtrade when you shop
• Convert your workplace to Fairtrade
• Support the work of the Southampton Fairtrade
  City Group
• Contact the Fairtrade Foundation or Fairtrade
  City Group for more information