The cost of living is rising for everyone, including for the people growing and producing our food and goods. They are often already earning next to nothing due to unfair trade.
So do we need to choose between good value for us, and a fair deal for farmers and workers?
In short: no!
Many Fairtrade products are as cheap – or sometimes cheaper – than non-Fairtrade alternatives.
CHOCOLATE – LOTS OF CHOICE AT THE COOP
The Co-Op has been a Fairtrade supporter for many years and is packed with lower-priced opportunities to choose Fairtrade.
Or if you’re visiting the UK, Lidl’s Choco Rice cereal delivers a better deal for cocoa farmers and – at less than half the price of an equivalent non-Fairtrade cereal – a good deal for us too. They have lots of other Fairtrade chocolate options too, from Fin Carré Milk Chocolate bars to Breakfast Muesli Bars – all containing Fairtrade cocoa.
SUGAR – A SWEET DEAL FROM TATE & LYLE
Tate & Lyle’s Fairtrade sugar is easy to find. If you’re in the mood for bargain baking, check out their Fairtrade Icing Sugar or Fairtrade Caster Sugar, both from Waitrose.
By choosing Fairtrade, you can be sure you are generating vital Fairtrade Premium for sugarcane growers across the world. The Fairtrade Premium can mean important extra income for communities. Find out more on our Sugar, Spreads and Oil info page.
COFFEE – SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT WAITROSE
Did you know that in the UK alone, we drink 95 million cups of coffee a day? If you are one of these coffee-lovers it can become quite expensive!
It’s good to know that whether you prefer ground or instant coffee, the Fairtrade options from Waitrose won’t break the bank.
What’s more, they will help put more power and more money in the hands of hundreds of thousands of farmers across Africa, Asia and Latin America, who are under growing pressure from climate change, insecure coffee prices and the rising cost of living. Discover more about How Fair is Fairtrade coffee.
TEA – CHOOSE M&S
Per person, the British and the Irish drink more tea than anyone else in Europe. If all of us chose Fairtrade tea, we could make a big difference to the farmers and producers behind our favourite cuppa.
With options like M&S Everyday Tea Bags costing around 2p or less per bag, there’s really no reason not to choose Fairtrade.
WINE – TRY THE CO-OP
Cooling down this summer with a crisp white wine remains affordable with Co-op’s wide selection of well-priced Fairtrade wines. What’s more, all their South African wines are now Fairtrade. In fact, they’re the largest seller of Fairtrade wine in the world.
Whatever you choose, the benefits to the Fairtrade farmers remain the same: a fairer deal, more rights and the support of our Fairtrade global community.
ON-THE-GO FOOD AND DRINK – FILLERS ON SMITH STREET
You can get a first-rate takeaway coffee and fairer lunchtime snacks from Fillers at the top of Smith Street, St Peter port.
Need to cool down? Try a refreshing Fairtrade orange juice
FABULOUSLY FAIR FASHION – LITTLE GINGER
In a fashion industry that too often underpays farmers and workers, choosing clothes made with Fairtrade cotton really does make a difference for people and planet. Read more about Thought’s ethics on their website.
Certain staples are worth investing in. A good pair of jeans or a stylish jacket that rides out the fashion waves are worth buying fairly.
Some of Little’s Gingers range of clothing includes ethically made, high-quality clothing uses Fairtrade organic cotton.
BANANAS – EVERYWHERE!
Wherever you shop, you will probably find Fairtrade bananas. You might even find only Fairtrade bananas! Look out for the Fairtrade logo. Waitrose even sell a range of Duchy Organic Fairtrade bananas.
The extra few pence spent on Fairtrade bananas means communities in Latin America and the Caribbean can pursue education, access credit to set up their own businesses and even help tackle climate change.
STORE CUPBOARD SURPRISES – TRY FAIR TRADE SHOPS
And lastly, don’t forget the hundreds of fair trade shops around the UK that sell all sorts of Fairtrade basics, from pasta to pulses, often at very competitive prices.
Visiting the UK? Find a fair trade shop on the British Association of Fair Trade Shops website.
HOW DOES FAIRTRADE PRICING WORK?
So how can Fairtrade often be cheaper but also give farmers and workers a fairer deal?
Imagine you have bought a £1 bar of supermarket chocolate. Of that £1, just six pence goes to the cocoa producer.
So who did you just give 94p to? About 40p went to the chocolate company, 35p to the retailer, and the rest to other parts of the supply chain.
Seen like this, it’s obvious that giving farmers and workers a better deal is not about asking you to pay a higher price. It’s about giving producers a bigger proportion of the price you already pay.
LET’S SPREAD THE WORD
