World-leading exhibition duo focuses on fair trade
Fair trade and sustainable management with consideration of economic, social and ecological aspects are among the cornerstones of entrepreneurial operations in the organic sector. Visitors to BioFach and Vivaness 2009 experienced products from organic and fair production for the first time at a separate special show called Organic + Fair. 29 exhibitors and 125 product presentations reflected the international, national and regional aspects of the whole fair trade spectrum. Altogether 46,771 trade visitors were impressed by the range of products offered by the 2,744 exhibitors at the world’s leading exhibitions for organic products, natural personal care and wellness in 2009. The focus in 2010 is on Organic + Fair.
“A growing number of today’s customers take a close look at the creation processes of the products that end up in their shopping baskets. Organic manufacturers are traditionally morally convicted as far as fairness is concerned,” says Udo Funke, Exhibition Director of BioFach and Vivaness. “Organic + Fair offers them all a supplementary platform for showing a professional audience the various aspects of fair trade such as social responsibility, either with their own stand or simply via a separate product presentation.”
International fair trade grew by 25 % in 2008
According to the internationally operating, German non-profit association Transfair of Bonn, total sales from global trade in fair trade products in 2008 amounted to approx. 2.9 billion EUR for all companies – 25 % more than the previous year. Besides Germany, the strong growth markets in Europe include Great Britain, France and Scandinavia. The Fairtrade label is known throughout the world and enjoys the confidence of consumers. In 15 countries examined as part of a Fairtrade Study, half the interviewees say they know this label, and nine out of ten people think it is credible. 64 % of all consumers identify Fairtrade with strict standards, which are directly related to consumer confidence. Almost 75 % consider independent certification is the best way to make a product’s ethical claim credible. 120 independent inspectors check 1,150 traders in 73 countries and 870 producer groups in 58 countries. Bananas are one of the classic Fairtrade products and there are currently 60 producers of Fairtrade bananas, who sold 234,112 t of fruit worldwide in 2007.
During the financial crisis, which brings heavy fluctuations in raw material prices in its wake, fair trade plays a vital role. Fair wages provide an important contribution to securing the existence of millions of small farmers and their families in Africa, Asia, South America and Central America.
Fair trade has many faces in Europe
In Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, fair trade is known mainly under the name of Max Havelaar. Max Havelaar was the title of a book published in the Netherlands in 1860, which took a critical look at the colonial administration. In Finland, fair trade is supported by the organization Reilun kaupan edistämisyhdistys ry and in Spain by the Asociación del Sello de Comercio Justo. But common to all of them since 2003 is the blue–green–black Fairtrade logo of Transfair in Bonn, Germany.
Variety of labels creates challenges for customers
The more popular fair trade products become and the more this is expressed in the corresponding willingness to buy, the more labels there are. Some suppliers of fair trade products have had products on the market for decades, for example, the hand-in-hand label of the German organic manufacturer Rapunzel. The resources produced by this project are paid into a fund which is managed by the German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe. In contrast to the term organic, which is protected by legislation in the EU, USA, Japan and many other countries, the term fair trade is not protected. Fair trade is governed exclusively by private industry guidelines and agreements, which makes orientation and credibility assessment difficult for customers. It is all the more important to have these self-imposed standards checked by independent certification bodies.
The company FLO-Cert in Bonn, Germany, was founded as a subsidiary of Transfair and offers its services in more than 70 countries. The company is sponsored by 24 international member organizations, which own the Fairtrade mark. They determine the decisions made by FLO, the federation of fair trade movements. Certification by FLO-Cert is intended to give the trade and consumers security. The certified products meet the criteria of the international federation. This ensures that the sale of products with the FLO mark really contributes to improving the socio-economic conditions in the countries of origin.
The guidelines and general conditions for a large part of fair trade are defined by FLO and worked out in consultation with the member organizations in the individual countries. Key points of the standard: minimum prices for producers, a surcharge that can be used for social and environmental projects, possible pre-financing of crops, long-term partnerships between suppliers and customers, and continuously updated terms that define the economic and social framework for cooperation. The Fairtrade Standards are developed in agreement with the guidelines of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL), an international federation for the development of social and environmental standards. Besides FLO, the Swiss Institute for Marketecology (IMO) and the French certifier Ecocert certify Fairtrade products.
~ January 30, 2010
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