Fairtrade Fortnight 2025

 

 

It’s currently Fairtrade Fortnight! A celebration of all things Fairtrade; a yearly initiative to promote Fairtrade and encourage consumers to make ethical purchase choices by looking for the Fairtrade mark and choosing Fairtrade certified products. 

In 2025, Fairtrade Fortnight is running from the 4th to the 17th of August. 

Fairtrade Fortnight is the perfect time to highlight and reinforce the positive impact Fairtrade has on people all around the globe. With that in mind, the main message for Fairtrade Fortnight in 2025 is: 

 

During Fairtrade Fortnight we here at The Bean Alliance want to encourage consumers in Australia and New Zealand, who don’t currently purchase Fairtrade products, to CHOOSE THE MARK and understand the positive impact Fairtrade has on people. 

It’s all about putting people first, empowering farmers and communities, improving livelihoods and ending poverty. 

SPOT IT, SWITCH IT, SHARE IT

 

 

Why Buy Fairtrade? 

Fairtrade supports ethical business practices and makes a significant positive impact on the lives of farmers, workers, their families and wider communities in producer nations. 

The following are the 3 main areas where Fairtrade benefits individuals and communities. 

ECONOMIC

Fairtrade certified producers are guaranteed a fair minimum price for their goods. Setting a minimum price for all major commodities reduces exploitation and provides an essential safety net for farmers and their communities. With this safety net in place, producers are more income-secure and less vulnerable to poverty. 

Fairtrade also empowers communities to organise into cooperatives and improve their negotiating position within the supply chain, allowing for the negotiation of higher prices for their product. 

Aside from that, Fairtrade producers also benefit from the ‘Fairtrade Premium’ - an additional sum of money above and beyond the minimum price they receive, that goes into a communal fund for workers and farmers to use as they see fit. These funds are often used to improve economic, social and environmental conditions. 

This additional income also supports better farming, strong cooperatives and investment in collective assets to improve crops and yields. 

 

(Coffee Small Producer Organisation Premium Use 22/23)

 

ENVIRONMENTAL

Fairtrade standards cover key areas for environmental protection, including energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction, soil and water quality, pest management, biodiversity protection, prohibition of genetically modified organisms and harmful chemicals, as well as waste management. Additionally, Fairtrade also improves access to agricultural services such as organic training, which means farmers have an incentive to farm better, develop more nutrient-rich soils and ultimately sell more product.  Overall, Fairtrade supports long-term environmental sustainability, and 53% of Fairtrade coffee produced is also organic. 

SOCIAL

Fairtrade supports workers to realise their rights and helps them negotiate the terms and conditions of their work through trade unions and collective bargaining. Investment of the Fairtrade Premium in community development projects improves the quality of life within rural communities, with investment made into education, better housing, better schools, medical facilities and improved infrastructure (such as that to ensure readily available clean drinking water). Farmers and workers who choose to participate in Fairtrade often feel a real sense of control over their future with greater power and voice.

Making A Difference

So how does all this translate into real tangible results? 

• $134,254, 509 AUD was the total amount paid to coffee producers in the form of a Fairtrade Premium globally in 2023. $4,450,000 of this was generated by licensees in Australia and New Zealand. 

• 775,709 is the total number of Fairtrade coffee farmers worldwide who benefitted from Fairtrade certification.

The following are some statistics related specifically to Bean Alliance and our contribution to Fairtrade in the last reporting period: 

• $159,311 AUD was the total amount paid to producers in the form of a Fairtrade Premium from Bean Alliance alone. 

• We sold 218,703 kgs of coffee on Fairtrade terms.

• We sourced from 16 producer organisations across 9 countries. 

• We’ve been in partnership with Fairtrade for 19 years now. 

 

Ultimately, every Fairtrade product sold helps build a fairer, more sustainable world.

Coffee Producer Spotlight: Cooperativa Agroecologica Industrial Juan Santos Atahualpa (CAIJSA) 

 

 

LOCATION:PERU

FLOID: 29078

The Cooperativa Agroecológica Industrial Juan Santos Atahualpa, founded in 2011 is an organization dedicated to the education and organization of men and women in the coffee industry. Its objective is to promote equitable economic and social development in harmony with nature through the application of science and technology. 

With producers in various regions, the Atahualpa Cooperative has experience in coffee cultivation and organic and Fair Trade certifications. Its strategic location in the jungle allows for the preservation of valuable ecosystems. The organization's mission is to "elevate the socioeconomic and cultural level of its members through the production and marketing of high-quality coffees, supported by technical assistance services and efficient management oriented towards sustainable development."

 

CAIJSA Fairtrade Premium Stories 

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 

The premium has been used to hire specialized staff in the agricultural department, providing technical assistance and training to producers in production techniques, organic and social standards. This has improved the quality of the coffee and ensured compliance with international standards.

NATURAL FERTILIZER 

Investments have also been made in the acquisition of guano de isla, a valuable natural fertilizer, to strengthen organic production. This initiative promotes sustainable practices and contributes to the quality of the coffee and environmental care.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

The cooperative supports community development by providing materials for the construction of local schools. In addition, the cooperative organises educational talks for parents on the importance of early childhood education, health, and organic farming practices. They also offered a dedicated course for children aged 7 to 14 focused on organic gardening, encouraging hands-on learning and environmental awareness from a young age.

Journey of a Fairtrade Product 

1. Farmers form a Cooperative

Around 80% of the world’s farmers have small-holdings of less than 2.5 acres, so working together makes them stronger. 

2. They decide to become Fairtrade farmers and receive certification

Over 1.8 million farmers in cooperatives around the world have become Fairtrade certified. 

3. They enter the Fairtrade Market and start getting the Fairtrade minimum price

Which ensures their costs of production will be covered. 

4. The Cooperative receives a Fairtrade Premium 

The whole community then decides together how that money should be spent. 

5. They get more Fairtrade support

Additional support for product development, fair pay, gender equality and sustainability is also provided. 

6. The product gets traded onwards from the original buyer 

Each part of the supply chain is independently audited to make sure every linkage is fair. 

7. The Fairtrade product gets packaged for sale 

The Fairtrade mark gets added to the product packaging. 

8. The consumer buys a Fair and Ethical product

More and more consumers want to be sure that their money is going towards creating a better world, and the Fairtrade mark assures them of that. 

 

 

Help Make A Difference

Be on the look out for the Fairtrade mark and put people and planet first by choosing the mark. 

Make a habit of buying Fairtrade certified products - Be the change, Make the Swap.

Some supermarkets have a directory for Fairtrade products that allow you to search specifically for all things Fairtrade. Be sure to use these! 

Also be sure to check out the Fairtrade Gift Guide.

Learning more about Fairtrade, its purpose and its key benefits is also a simple and great way to show your support. 

Put People First. Choose The Mark

To celebrate and support Fairtrade Fortnight in 2025, we encourage all our followers to: 'Choose the Mark’ and be part of a movement that puts fairness and people first. 

When farmers partner with Fairtrade, they have a chance to plan their future, improve their income, gain stability and build more sustainable systems for themselves, their families and their communities. 

Ethical purchase choices really do make a difference, and there’s no better time to start than today. 

You can put people first by SHOPPING our full range of Fairtrade coffee online today, with brands including Oxfam Fair, bean ground and drunk, Global Cafe Direct and Monte. 

Better still, place an online order before Friday the 17th of August and get $20 OFF on all orders over $79. Simply use code SEP25 at checkout. 

 

#FairtradeANZ #FairtradeFortnight2025 #PutPeopleFirst #ChooseTheMark #MakeADifference #FairtradeCoffee #FairCoffee #EthicalCoffee #MonteCoffee #GlobalCafeDirect #beangroundanddrunk