2024 is the 30th anniversary of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK, and the Fairtrade Foundation will be celebrating the achievements of the movement throughout the year. But it says that there is still much to be done in a “world that is perhaps more dangerous now’ than it was three decades ago.
It is 30 years since Fairtrade-certified products first appeared on the supermarket shelves across the nation. The first, Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate, was launched in 1994, followed by Cafédirect and Percol coffees, and Clipper tea.
There are now more than 6,000 Fairtrade products in the UK alone, and the number is growing all the time.
Globally, millions of farmers and workers in 70 countries are part of 1,930 Fairtrade certified producer organisations, benefitting from stable prices, community facilities such as education, healthcare and clean water which Fairtrade has funded, access to training and a platform for their voices to be heard.
Campaigners and activists are at the heart of the Fairtrade movement in the UK and the numbers speak for themselves. Since Fairtrade was launched 30 years ago, more than 600 towns and cities from all over the UK have signed up to support our mission.
Nearly 2,000 Fairtrade groups have sprung up in universities, communities and places of worship, while tens of thousands of children in Fairtrade schools are learning about trade justice for the farmers and workers who grow their food.
Fairtrade Foundation CEO Mike Gidney says: “We are incredibly excited to be able to mark this very important milestone. Fairtrade is all about building a fairer future for people in low-income countries who grow and make the things we rely on every day: our food, our clothes.
“Thirty years on, we estimate that 10m people, including farmers, workers and their families across Africa, Latin America, and Asia benefit from sales of their products on Fairtrade terms.
“That’s an amazing achievement, and is thanks to the increasing dedication of companies in changing the way they trade, driven by huge, unstinting support from the British public.
“Of course, there is still so much to be done. Our world is perhaps more dangerous now than it was 30 years ago: the climate crisis, global insecurity, rising costs and long-term low pricing continue to threaten farmers’ futures. That matters to us all.
“Even while we celebrate the achievements of the Fairtrade movement, and the inspirational commitments of campaigners, communities and companies alike, we are as ambitious as we were on day one to bring the benefits of Fairtrade to more people”
“Even while we celebrate the achievements of the Fairtrade movement, and the inspirational commitments of campaigners, communities and companies alike, we are as ambitious as we were on day one to bring the benefits of Fairtrade to more people.
“There will be many opportunities to celebrate this year, many stories of the inspiring people who have worked hard to build the Fairtrade movement over the years, bringing lasting change not only to farmers, but also to companies in the UK and to public attitudes too. We know from research that consumers want to be part of the change. That’s a wonderful mandate for companies to join in, so that together we really can make trade fair for everyone.”