Fairtrade America ends 2022 with new partners and increased commitments

By Anthony Myers

- Last updated on GMT

Cocoa farmers at the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative that is supported by Divine Chocolate. Pic: Divine Chocolate
Cocoa farmers at the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative that is supported by Divine Chocolate. Pic: Divine Chocolate

Related tags Fairtrade America

Fairtrade America partners, including Tony’s Chocolonely, Gallant International and Divine Chocolate, have announced a strengthening of commitments to the label for social justice and sustainability.

Divine Chocolate financed an agroforestry project ​with the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of cocoa farmers in Ghana earlier this year; Gallant International has made regenerative agriculture commitments; Guylian chocolate is committing to 100% Fairtrade cocoa sourcing; and Ben & Jerry’s and Tony’s Chocolonely recently announced their Open Chain partnership to source more sustainable chocolate.

Seeing the impact that these brands are making beyond the Fairtrade Mark emphasizes the important alignment with Fairtrade’s rigorous environmental, economic and social Standards​,” said Carlos Urmeneta, director of commercial partnerships, Fairtrade America.

Fairtrade America is also celebrating the growth of its partner community in 2022 with the addition of certified products from Mullin, Mid-Day Squares, Blue Stripes and betterland foods.

Fairtrade terms

By choosing to source ingredients on Fairtrade terms and carrying the Fairtrade Mark on their certified products, these brands are helping consumers more easily identify and purchase products that are produced according to Fairtrade’s rigorous social, economic and environmental standards. These standards are designed to support more sustainable and secure livelihoods for small-holder farmers and workers around the world, as well as to protect the environment.

We’re so proud to welcome these newly certified partners into the Fairtrade community. Each of these brands showcase exciting progress and diversity within our existing partner set, offering proof that interest in the certification is only growing​,” said Urmeneta.

Farmers continue to experience the effects of climate change, high production costs, poor soil conditions and long-term low prices, so continuing to see new brands commit to investing in ethical sourcing is something we are inspired by. When brands choose to source Fairtrade, they are prioritizing a fairer deal for farmers, and giving consumers the chance to do so as well when choosing the Fairtrade Mark​.”

Fairtrade’s newest brand partners are part of a global ecosystem that bolsters farmers and workers’ efforts to get a fairer price for their products, to support themselves and their families and to farm sustainably in the face of climate change and inflation challenges.

A Harris Poll survey recently commissioned by Google Cloud found that 82% of consumers want the values of brands they purchase from to align with their own, and that shoppers are paying more attention to this in their everyday shopping.

Transparency

Additionally, the 2021 Sustainable Market Share Index found that sustainability-marketed products were responsible for a third of growth in consumer packaged goods from 2015 to 2021, and that market share growth continues year over year. As a result, products marketed as sustainable grew 2.7x faster than products not marketed as sustainable. This reinforces the expectation that consumers have of brands for transparency, demonstrable fair wages, and environmental protection in their supply chain.

We’re working to lead the cacao industry in a more sustainable direction through our products, and that includes fairer trading conditions for the cacao farmers at the foundation of the chain​,” said Oded Brenner, CEO and founder of Blue Stripes.

Fairtrade certification has allowed us to better communicate to shoppers how we’re acting on this crucial piece of our three-fold vision for wellness, equity and sustainability, and we hope to inspire other brands to follow suit.”

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