Fairtrade has been around for 25 years, which means 25 years of Fairtrade products in the UK and 25 years of positive impact for farmers, workers, and communities around the world. As you may or may not be aware Doodle Bag now has a wide range of Fairtrade products on offer to buy printed or blank. We thought to get into the spirit of Fairtrade Fortnight we would give 10 facts about Fairtrade you may not know.
1. There are 1.66 million Fairtrade farmers and workers across 73 countries.
The Fairtrade movement is growing every day, the Fairtrade vision is a world in which all producers can enjoy a secure and sustainable life and are in charge of their future.
2. Fairtrade products range from ice cream to gold, to flowers, to beauty products.
There are over 4,500 products certified by Fairtrade. See the full list here.
3. 93% of the UK public recognises the Fairtrade mark.
One in four shoppers now regularly buys several Fairtrade products, which is great news for farmers and coops that benefit directly from the consumers purchasing Fairtrade.
Read More about the Fairtrade Mark.
4. 1 in 4 cups of coffee in the UK is Fairtrade.
Fairtrade came about in response to the struggles of Mexican coffee farmers following the collapse of the international coffee agreement. Fairtrade coffee was the first label, so it stands to reason that Fairtrade Coffee is a very popular commodity.
5. Divine Chocolate is the only chocolate company in the world to be fully owned by farmers.
The chocolate company is co-owned by the 85,000-farmer-member strong cooperative in Ghana. It was set up in 1997 as the cooperative wanted to access a share of the valuable chocolate market and is leading the way with projects empowering women, and raising awareness of child labour issues.
6. The first ever UK Fairtrade banana was sold in the year 2000.
Since then sales of Fairtrade bananas have risen and now 1 in 3 bananas of all bananas that are sold in the UK are Fairtrade. Fairtrade bananas are a leading influence in Fairtrade’s fight for equality.
7. Shoppers have generated 1 billion Euros in Fairtrade Premium for farmers and workers, over the past 25 years.
It is estimated that since its inception, Fairtrade farmers and workers have received over 1 billion Euros in Fairtrade Premium. This is an additional fund that the cooperatives decide how to invest in their communities and businesses.
8. Fairtrade is the first organisation to require living wages to be paid to garment workers.
Fairtrade’s Textile Standard aims to empower factory workers and enable them to tackle challenging working conditions. It requires living wages to be paid to garment workers.
9. The environmental footprint of Fairtrade cotton is 5 times lower than conventional cotton.
Cotton cultivation covers 3% of the planet’s agricultural land, but its production consumes 16% of all insecticides. The environmental and social footprint of Fairtrade cotton is five times lower than conventional cotton.
10. Choosing Fairtrade helps tackle the climate crisis.
The standards of Fairtrade include environmental criteria such as, protecting the natural environment, banning the use of harmful pesticides, minimising the use of energy and water, and growing in harmony with the local environment.
Here at Doodle Bag, we take sustainability seriously. take a look at our Ethical Promise and our range of Fairtrade Products.