"Creating a fairer global marketplace for the poorest developing world farmers"
Every fairtrade Purchase Counts
In 2024, we’ll be celebrating a very special Fairtrade Fortnight from Monday 9 September – Sunday 22 September, 2024
For the first time, it will take place in the autumn to celebrate 30 years of the Fairtrade Mark in the UK. This means 30 years of farmers using the power of Fairtrade to drive positive change in their communities.
Instead of waiting until September 2024, we’ve put together 30 ways you can get the ball rolling. Please click Here
Fairtrade Ireland will maintain the normal February/March dates for Fairtrade Fortnight 2024 from Monday March 4 - Sunday March 18, 2024.
Therefore, there are now two different dates and options to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight in Northern Ireland.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————World Fair Trade Day - Saturday May 08, 2021
Central government (Stormont Parliament Buildings) and all our local councils’ buildings across Northern Ireland will be lit up in the colours of the Fairtrade Mark to celebrate World Fair Trade Day 2021. Please see Gallery
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us more than ever how interconnected we are globally. This interconnection is at the very heart of the Fairtrade message and is where your role begins. You are part of the Fairtrade global movement and you have the power to drive long term change not only with your shopping choices but with your support in encouraging others to purchase Fairtrade. Choosing Fairtrade certified products is a vitally important way to put more money and more power into the hands of farmers in the developing world.
WHAT IS FAIRTRADE?
The FAIRTRADE Mark guarantees:
1. Developing world farmers receive a fair and stable price for their products;
2. Producers receive a Premium to invest in improving their communities;
3. Transparency, accountability (farm to shelf) and capacity building;
4. Decent working conditions. Eliminates child labour and human trafficking;
5. Environmental and health protection;
6. Gender equity;
7. Creates opportunities for marginalised small scale farmers to world markets.
Facts and Figures
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade guarantees more control over their own future by protecting the environment in which they live and work. The Fairtrade certification mark is an independent consumer label and can only appear on products from developing countries. While there are other ethical labels, Fairtrade is the only certification whose purpose is to tackle poverty and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - (Agenda 2030), particularly Goals 2,5,8,12,13, 16 & 17 in the developing world.
UK and Ireland has a historical tradition of helping out the less fortunate in developing countries, playing our part in civic society and government towards achieving these SDGs targets. Fairtrade is local ethical consumerism of Fairtrade certified products delivering international results through trade not aid, seeing as we all consume these products daily from the developing world.
Fairtrade does not compete with local farming as we cannot produce these products, most being tropical items. Instead Fairtrade connects us directly with the people, many of whom we will never meet, who produce the products we depend on.
Why is Fairtrade needed?
Two billion people exist on less than £1.35/day;
30,000 children die daily from preventable poverty-related disease;
70% of the world’s poorest are female with 40% of women involved in agriculture;
1.5 hectares is the average size farm plot cultivated by a Fairtrade farmer;
30% of all farmers and workers in Fairtrade are women;
The main Fairtrade certified products are coffee, tea, bananas and cocoa; items which we all consume daily.
Nearly two million farmers and workers are involved in Fairtrade certified producer organisations; equating to over ten million people directly benefiting from the Fairtrade system;
1,880 (2020) Fairtrade certified producer organisations in 71 countries across three different continents;
Fairtrade is 50% owned by the producers representing farmer and worker organisations;
Over 6,000 Fairtrade products (2020) are available including tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, bananas, oranges, nuts, sugar, cotton, gold, cut flowers, wine, beer and cosmetics;
Global Fairtrade Sales - £7.3 billion (2018). UK being the largest international consumer market in excess of £2.4 billion (2018) and Ireland €382 million (2018);
Over £169 million (2020) in Fairtrade Premium is generated annually from global sales with UK sales contributing £30 million (2018) paid to farmers for re-investment into their own communities.
On average each Fairtrade producer organisation received more than £90,000 in Fairtrade Premium.
