Fairtrade International releases 2012-13 report

Fairtrade International’s 2012-13 annual report has just been released. It shows strong sales and continued consumer trust, making Fairtrade the label of choice for shoppers around the world. The report is based on the organization’s work in the past year on “Unlocking the Power” of producers and is highlighted by 16% growth in the total number of producer organizations compared to 2011. Over 1.3 million farmers and workers in 70 countries are part of 1,149 Fairtrade producer organizations. In addition to sales income, these producer groups benefitted from around 80 million euros in Fairtrade premium money for sustainability and development projects in 2012. (Picture: Cotton picking in Mali)
 

Consumer sales increased significantly in key markets, including: Germany (33%), the Netherlands (26%), Sweden (28%), Switzerland (15%), and the UK (16%). Last year’s growth nearly completely offset the drop in total 2012 sales caused by Fair Trade USA’s withdrawal from the international system at the end of 2011. Excluding the USA, average sales in all other Fairtrade markets increased by over 20% compared to 2011.
 

Despite positive trends in consumer sales and an increase in Fairtrade producer organizations, many people are still beyond Fairtrade’s reach. The number of Fairtrade producers is just a fraction of the total number of producers around the world. “In the ultimate irony, half of the world’s hungriest people are smallholder farmers, yet they grow 70% of the world’s food,” said Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International. “Fairtrade’s strong sales growth in 2012 is encouraging, but we are productively dissatisfied. We must step up the reach of Fairtrade if we are to break the mould of unfairness that is so deeply embedded in trade." The full report can be downloaded here: http://www.fairtrade.net/annual-reports.html