Meet the lives behind the logo
When you buy Fairtrade, you don’t just support the farmers and growers. You support entire communities.
Fairtrade gives farmers and workers additional funds, called the Fairtrade Premium, on top of their usual earnings. For example, cocoa farmers receive an extra $240 per tonne of cocoa beans they sell. This money goes into a communal pot for a co-operative of farmers to invest as they see fit, to help improve their quality of life. Here are some of their stories.
Fairtrade Roses: Funding healthcare and education
“I wanted to get involved with the Fairtrade committee. I just wanted to represent workers and get them helped… so many lives have been improved.” Grace, Roses Supervisor
For Grace and her community, the Fairtrade Premium has funded the building of classrooms and medical facilities, sponsorship for education and training for maternity nurses in the local hospitals. Watch the full story.
Fairtrade Cocoa: Empowering women
“I learned to negotiate, cooperate and trust myself. Today I am a 30-year-old company director, which is rare, especially in the cocoa field.” Awa, Director of CAYAT Cocoa Cooperative
Female farmers in Africa face legal, social and cultural barriers in the cocoa industry. In May 2017, Fairtrade set up the Women’s School of Leadership to help give people like Awa the skills and confidence to generate more income through smarter farming. Watch her story.
Fairtrade wine: Supporting smallholders
“Before belonging to Caupolican, no partner ever dreamt of sending their children to university. Nowadays we can.” Maria Gonzalez, President of the Social Premium Committee
The wine business in Chile is monopolised by big companies, meaning the few smallholders in the industry struggled to survive. The Caupolican co-operative, who produce our own-brand Chilean Carmenere, are finding a more effective, inclusive way. This is their story.
Fairtrade bananas: Nurturing sustainable partnerships
“We started our Fairtrade journey with the Co-op, and for about 20 years, they have remained loyal to us, and we have remained loyal to them.” Tony Blay, Manager of Volta River Estates
Even though the average price of bananas in the UK has dropped by about 7p in the last decade, Fairtrade still guarantees a minimum price for farmers. We’ve been sourcing Fairtrade bananas from Volta River Estates since 2000 – see how this has helped their community.
Fairtrade tea: Tackling climate change
“I feel blessed to have so much and it’s all thanks to the money from the premium. I want to thank everyone in the UK for bringing us Fairtrade and buying our tea.” Ann, Tea Farmer
Since 2012, 10% of all the tea used in our 99 Brand has come from Fintea Growers Co-operative Union. It’s made up of 15,000 tea farmers, including Ann. Through Fairtrade, she’s received financial training, advice on better farming techniques, and help adapting to climate change. Watch her story.
Fairtrade sugar: Protecting workers
“Fairtrade has helped us with a lot of things, like dealing with poisons, protective eyewear, boots, gloves and fumigation suits.” Paula Cajun, Sugarcane Farmer
By showing cane cutters in Belize how to plant, fertilise, clean their equipment and use protective clothing to keep workers safe, Fairtrade has helped them boost their harvests. Some, like Paula, have almost tripled the amount they produce. See the changes they’ve made.