Sales Of Fairtrade Products Continue To Grow
The ongoing recovery in the Irish economy is having a positive impact on the number, range and sales levels for Fairtrade products here.
Ireland’s largest coffee company, Bewley’s, is moving all of its own label coffee to Fairtrade by the end of 2017.
And an increasing number of smaller coffee companies are getting involved as well – these include the Kinsale Coffee Company, the Café Lounge and a special coffee for Inishbofin Island which last year became a Fairtrade island.
As well as this, retailers like Aldi have launched Fairtrade products like poinsettias and new bouquets of Fairtrade roses.
Speaking about the Bewley’s conversion to 100% Fairtrade, Peter Gaynor, Executive Director with Fairtrade Ireland;
‘This sets the new benchmark for companies in Ireland, if the largest coffee company in Ireland can source all its Bewley’s branded coffee on Fairtrade terms – then obviously so can everybody else. For too long companies have outsourced their responsibilities to the end consumer asking them to ask for Fairtrade products – and yes of course we should do that as consumers – but companies have to take more responsibility themselves for what goes on in their value chain and make their own decisions.
This responsibility for what goes on in supply chains with developing countries extends to all the organisations who employ people and have workplace canteens. We have a Fairtrade@work campaign this year and we are asking government departments, local authorities and companies to join others like Waterford Institute of Technology and the Convention Centre in Dublin in supporting Fairtrade.’
Fairtrade Internationally
It is estimated that sales of Fairtrade products globally reached about €7.3 billion in 2015 and that these sales generated extra benefits of approximately €138 million for farmers and workers.
See Fairtrade International’s annual report here https://annualreport15-16.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2017 (27th February – 12th March)
Two visitors from the coffee cooperative SOPPEXCCA in Nicaragua, Heydi Janeth Espino Mairena and Haris Ulises Lopez Picado are visiting Ireland for Fairtrade Fortnight. The SOPPEXCCA coop in Jinotega has 650 members and is supplying Bewley’s Coffee Company with significant volumes of Fairtrade coffee.
Both Heydi and Haris were born to coffee farmers and have worked on the diversification into cocoa production in the coop over the last four years.
At the factory they produce various chocolate products, and have just had their first export to the US and Germany. The factory is in the process of becoming Fairtrade certified.
Haris believes that Fairtrade has had numerous benefits to him, his family and the community. Thanks to Fairtrade Soppexcca can “pay higher prices for the coffee and offer special programmes for young people, training them in the cultivation of coffee. The cooperative has set up various social projects, including the construction of a school. They have also improved the road from the town to the village and support the community when landslides occur (blocking the street). The cooperative are also running various environmental activities”.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2017 will take place from the 27th February – 12th March, celebrated with a series of supporter events around the country.
www.fairtrade.ie / www.facebook.com/
