Kiwis are supporting farmers more than ever by reaching for Fairtrade products when they shop, as shown by the latest retail sales figures released by Fairtrade Australia New Zealand. Shoppers spent a whopping $89 million on Fairtrade Certified products in 2014, which is a 28% growth on the previous year’s sales figures.
The retail sales growth is attributed to increased availability and purchase of Fairtrade bananas, coffee and chocolate in New Zealand. Daniel Kinne (pictured), a Fairtrade coffee farmer and chairman of the Highlands Organic Agricultural Cooperative, has just spent a week here in NZ for Fair Trade Fortnight, chatting to Fairtrade coffee brands and supporters about the positive impact Fairtrade has had on his community.
Fairtrade Australia New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer Molly Harriss Olson says: “Fairtrade has seen exceptional growth in 2014. This has been driven by good performance in key categories; with coffee and chocolate growing by 16% and 22% respectively, steady growth in new product innovations such as drinks, syrups and frozen desserts, and a big increase in the availability and consumption of Fairtrade bananas. This result clearly shows that Kiwis are an ethical bunch who are dedicated to supporting farmers in developing countries through their purchasing habits.”
Bananas were the fastest growing category, with retail sales growing by 76% in 2014.
The figures were announced in time for the annual celebration known as Fair Trade Fortnight (8 – 22 May), which has a unique theme for 2015; the Great Kiwi Fairness Debate.
The Great Kiwi Fairness Debate is asking the nation to debate fairness by posing questions about everyday situations and promoting the positive impacts of buying Fairtrade products; impacts for farmers which will progressively increase as sales continue to rise.
All Good milestone
All Good Bananas turn five this Fairtrade Fortnight. Five years and 45 million Fairtrade bananas later they have paid back $6.6 million to the farmers in the El Guabo cooperative in Ecuador, helped 2000 children get a proper education and 6,400 people receive free medical care.
In central Auckland supermarket New World Victoria Park, 33% of bananas sold are Fairtrade. This is on par with the UK where 1 in 3 bananas sold are Fairtrade.
All Good Bananas, who launched New Zealand’s first Fairtrade bananas in 2010 now import 60,000 bunches of bananas a week from small farmers in Ecuador.
