Speciality Food Magazine May 2024

5 specialityfoodmagazine.com “After the COP27 summit, it struck home how our planet will be a much hotter place in the coming decade,” the spokesperson said. “Communities in climate-vulnerable nations will be at the mercy of unpredictable weather events. These include extreme temperatures, devastating droughts, hurricanes and floods. “Cocoa farmers in Ghana told us during their last harvest that they don’t see a future in the crop because it’s now so difficult to grow. Research backs this up. Meanwhile 93% of Fairtrade coffee farmers surveyed in Kenya said they are already experiencing the effects of climate change and reportedmore erratic rainfall and an increase in pests and diseases, like thrips and coffee berry disease. This is the future that farmers around the world now face, and it endangers their ability to grow our favourite foods in the future.” The UK imports approximately 40% of its food, around 15% of which is sourced from low-income countries. “So we, as a nation of shoppers and traders, have a vested interest in a continuous supply of good quality imports. If farming doesn’t pay, there’s no guarantee producers will keep growing cocoa and coffee, for example, and UK shoppers might face a future where these popular products are harder to come by.” Wholesaler Suma, which stocks a wide range of Fairtrade products, said its customers are united in their desire for sustainable and ethical products - especially everyday W hen it comes to aligning with customer values, there’s a lot for retailers to unpack. Whether products are organic, or plastic free, sourced from a B Corp, HSFF friendly. These rather contemporary (but important) considerations have led, unwittingly, to Fairtrade messaging being left behind, say some specialist retailers. As the Fairtrade mark celebrates three decades in 2024, these retailers, the Fairtrade Foundation, and wholesalers and producers making and selling Fairtrade products, say the public needs to be reminded that although supporting British farmers and ensuring food security in the UK is important, we cannot leave overseas producers behind. Why Fairtrade still matters Anne Durnford of The Fairtrade Shop in Suffolk said she and the other founders felt it was the “right thing items like tea, coffee and sugar, through to treats like chocolate and handmade gifts. Fairtrade messaging is important to the company, a Suma spokesperson added. “All Suma’s coffees are Fairtrade certified and organic, andmany are grown by worker co-ops. We’re always keen to support our fellow co-operatives, so sourcing our organic coffees from co- operatives from around the world is a great opportunity for us and them. By making the small switch to Fairtrade, we can all support producers in protecting the future of some of our most-loved food and the planet.” Inspiring customers Retailers need to tell shoppers about their Fairtrade lines, and the stories of the people behind the products, said the Fairtrade Foundation. And these conversations should happen year-round, not just within the confines of Fairtrade Fortnight in September. Telling consumers about the “difference Fairtrade makes to the stability provided by long term trading relationships, fairer incomes, plus the impact of the Premium payments in their communities, enabling farmers to tackle climate change and other challenges to protect their crops, makes a strong case for buying Fairtrade,” a spokesperson said. Suma added that understanding of Fairtrade is probably higher than for other standards. “It’s been around for a while and has been promoted well. "From a consumer’s perspective, though, they probably don’t need to know the ins and outs of Fairtrade. It’s most important that there’s an understanding that by buying Fairtrade, the producers are getting a fair price. "The important thing is ensuring that consumers know the difference between the Fairtrade marque and other standards established by brands themselves. “Retailers canmake the most of Fairtrade products in a range of ways – including allocating space for Fairtrade items with some additional information in window displays, at the tills and in other prominent spaces. The Fairtrade Foundation has great materials available to download and order. Tastings, giveaways, competitions and special offers on Fairtrade products are a good way to gain footfall too.” to do” to open a store stocking only Fairtrade food, drink and other products “to help people exploited by the food we expect to have every day. We had them over a barrel. Our farmers can’t grow coffee and tea and rice. It’s not possible. If we are going to import it, I feel very strongly we should pay the people who produced it for us a living wage." And, she implored, "more retailers need to add Fairtrade products to their stock to create demand,” she implored. “If it’s there, people will buy it!" A spokesperson from the Fairtrade Foundation, said while affordability and fair pricing have become increasingly important for people in the UK, they remain essential for farmers and agricultural workers overseas. Now, more than ever, the Foundation explained, Fairtrade producers need people in the UK to buy their products. Don’t forget about Fairtrade One of themost enduringmarkers of ethical trading is 30 this year, andmore needs to be done to support it, say insiders