Fairtrade
Could your weekly shop make a difference to people in some of the world's poorest countries?
What's fair trading all about?
Essentially, it's about giving a fair deal to the people who produce our food in some of the world's poorest countries. Fair-trading schemes usually aim to pay a premium over the market rate for goods. This ensures that workers get a fair wage and are treated well, and that communities in poor countries can use profits to invest in their future.
Is there a difference between fair trading and Fairtrade?
'Fair trading' is a general term used when businesses work with suppliers who treat their workers well and pay decent wages. The Fairtrade mark is used by the Fairtrade Foundation, an independent UK charity set up by a group of charities including Oxfam, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Christian Aid.
The mark indicates that a product has met specific criteria in the way it was produced and traded. The internationally accepted fair-trading standards are set by Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO), which regularly inspects and certifies more than 580 producer organisations in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
I've seen other labels that seem to be about fair trading. What are they?
The Fairtrade Foundation is the only independent certifier of ethically-traded products in the UK, guaranteeing producers receive a fair price for their goods whatever the market conditions. Companies have also set up fair-trading schemes. In our coffee section, you'll see products certified by the Rainforest Alliance, which aims to provide fair wages and decent conditions for workers and encourage environmentally friendly farming practices; Good African Coffee, which shares profits fifty-fifty with growers; and Utz Kapeh, which empowers producers by teaching them professional growing and marketing techniques, treats workers fairly and meets specified environmental standards.
You may also have seen the Equitrade label on Malagasy chocolate. Equitrade works differently from fair-trading schemes, aiming to help poor countries to keep more of the profits from their produce by processing the crop themselves rather than exporting raw materials. So as well as buying cocoa beans from Madagascar, Malagasy has its chocolate made there, too. To find out what standards a scheme sets and how it ensures they're met, see the websites on the packs.
What about Waitrose products?
Waitrose is part of the John Lewis Partnership, and operates under a constitution drawn up by our founder, John Spedan Lewis. He wanted to create 'a better form of business', and treating suppliers fairly is an important part of this. Although we always seek a good deal for our customers, we also expect to offer producers a fair return and develop supportive, long-term relationships with them. This means we can help producers in poorer countries invest for the future, as well as being sure they operate to high ethical standards. Waitrose was the first supermarket to sell loose Fairtrade bananas, thanks to our partnership with a group of 100 small growers on the Windward Islands.
We guarantee them a year-round fair price, and regularly send our buyers and agronomy specialists to the Islands to offer advice and help with anything from fertilisers to packaging. All bananas sold at Waitrose are now Fairtrade.
Where does the Waitrose Foundation fit in?
The Waitrose Foundation is our way of giving something back to the workers who grow and pick our South African citrus fruit, apricots, peaches, nectarines plums, grapes and avocados. It pays for social, health and educational projects, chosen by the workers themselves, and it's entirely funded by Waitrose, our importers, exporters, and the growers; we don't charge customers any extra for buying Waitrose Foundation fruit. We are the only food retailer to have such a scheme.
Aren't fairly-traded products usually more expensive?
Not necessarily. Some fairly-traded products can be cheaper than standard big brands, and where there is a price difference, it's smaller now than in the early days. But to be sustainable, fairly-traded products have to allow companies that sell them to make a profit, which means passing on the premium paid to producers.
But do they taste as good as standard products?
There were problems with quality in the early days, but it has improved enormously. Indeed, fairly traded coffee is often better quality than big brands sold at the same price. At Waitrose, all fairly-traded products meet our high standards of quality.
Is fairly-traded food organic?
A lot of it is, but not all. Organic fairly-traded food will have organic certification on the pack, just like any other organic product.
Which fairly-traded products can I buy at Waitrose?
As well as coffee and tea, we have sugar, spices, marmalades, wines, ice creams, cereals, baby foods, mangoes, pineapples, avocados and fruit juices to name just a few. We also sell Fairtrade roses from Kenya, where communities choose where the Fairtrade money will be spent.