NADIA + FAIRTRADE
ADVT AUG/SEP 2019 CS25191
PHOTOGRAPHY:
© Josh Griggs
Fairtrade:
the Mark of empowerment
Discover how your support for Fairtrade makes a real difference to millions of lives
Y
ou might recognise the
Fairtrade Mark from coff ee,
chocolate, tea and other
products. It’s the blue, green
and black image of a farmer waving –
it’s also on the bo om right corner of
this page. But do you know what the
logo represents?
Fairtrade is about empowering farmers
and workers in developing countries to
get a be er deal, through fairer prices,
decent conditions and favourable terms
of trade. Fairtrade also encompasses
eff orts towards achieving gender
equality and is working to mitigate the
damaging impacts of climate change.
Each August, Fairtrade Fortnight is a
reminder that you can make a big
diff erence to families and communities
by purchasing products carrying the
Fairtrade Mark – because unfortunately
the trade structures for many of the
goods we use and take for granted every
day can be deeply unfair. For example,
the price of coff ee on the New York stock
exchange has recently plummeted to
a record low, and is now being sold below
production cost. That means manycoff ee farmers are making a loss simply
by growing and harvesting their crops,
leaving millions of families in poverty
and placing the future of the industry at
risk. Fairtrade works to counter this
inequality by requiring companies to
pay at least a Fairtrade Minimum Price,
set to cover the sustainable cost of
production, or the market price when it’s
higher. Companies must also pay an
additional sum of money, the Fairtrade
Premium, which farmers and workers
democratically decide how to invest. It
can be spent on a range of initiatives,
from training and business management
to community development projects,
such as education, access to clean water
and healthcare.
The positive impact of Fairtrade is felt
by producers in developing countries
around the world, including our
neighbours in the Pacifi c Islands and
Papua New Guinea. An example of this
is Highlands Organic Agricultural
Cooperative (HOAC) in PNG’s Eastern
Highlands Province, who supply
high-quality coff ee beans to many of
New Zealand’s most popular coff eecompanies, such as Grounded Coff ee,
Havana, Karajoz, Coffi x and Kokako.
Since becoming Fairtrade certifi ed in
2004, HOAC has used the Fairtrade
Premium to purchase coff ee pulping
machines to increase production
effi ciency, provide access to clean water,
fund the construction of school
buildings and to supply roofi ng iron to
improve housing quality. The members
of HOAC are among the more than
1.6 million farmers and workers
benefi ting from the Fairtrade system.
By purchasing products carrying the
Fairtrade Mark, you don’t just get great
quality, you also have a chance to make
a real diff erence to the lives of the people
behind the products. If you’re not already
doing so, Fairtrade Fortnight is the
perfect opportunity to start a powerful,
positive habit that you can keep up all
year round.Look for the Mark
of empowerment.