Fairtrade

What is Fairtrade?

Many of the products we depend on every day come from developing countries as we cannot grow them locally – tea, coffee, tropical fruits, cotton and more. Yet growers of these goods find it hard to cover basic living costs because of the tariffs and inequalities in the international trading system. Fairtrade guarantees the farmers a fair price for these goods and a sustainable and regular income.

The Fairtrade Mark

The Fairtrade Mark was introduced in order to help consumers buy fairly traded goods.

Products that carry the Fairtrade Mark are independently guaranteed to meet internationally recognised fair trade standards. Criteria include:

• decent wages
• minimum health and safety standards
• a fair price
• a long term commitment
• good environmental standards

For more information contact the Fairtrade Foundation

Find out more about Bristol as a Fairtrade City

A number of companies also produce fairly traded goods that do not carry the Fairtrade Mark. There are many good schemes, but because there is no independent verification consumers should ask before they trust something labelled ‘fairly traded’. Only something with the Mark guarantees the standards outlined above.

Fairtrade Mark products

These are some of the goods you can buy, which carry the Fairtrade Mark

• Coffee - a full range of high quality coffees is available, both ground and instant, including decaffeinated.
• Tea - both leaf tea and teabags are available.
• Chocolate - you can buy a range of delicious, high quality chocolate. Look for Divine, Dubble, Co-op own brand and more
• Bananas - look for the Fairtrade mark in most supermarkets
• Fruit juice - passion fruit, orange, breakfast and tropical juices
• Snack bars
• Sugar and honey
• Mangoes, pineapples and coconuts
• Nuts and cereals
• Clothing – Fairtrade cotton available in M&S, Top Shop, Better Food Company, specialist stores and online

Retailers

They respond to what their customers want so ask for Fairtrade! See the  Bristol Fairtrade Purchasing Guide

Sustainable Bristol home page

[back to top]