Fairtrade only really benefits the brand! Is this true?

Fairtrade is great, but what are the real benefits for myself (as a customer), producers and traders?

Benefits for the consumer

"Every time you spend money, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want to live in" - Anna Lappe

The Fairtrade relationship provides the basis for educating consumers about the need for social justice and the opportunities for change. As such, consumer support enables Fairtrade organisations to advocate and campaign for wider reform of international trading rules, to achieve the ultimate goal of a just and equitable global trading system.

Fairtrade allows consumers to buy products in line with their values and principles. It allows them to choose from an ever growing range of great products that have been obtained in a fair way and therefore helps to support producers who are struggling to improve their lives.

Benefits for the producer

"Fairtrade gives you a choice and a voice" - Ten Thousand Villages in Canada

For producers Fairtrade is unique in offering 4 important benefits:

1. stable prices that cover the costs of sustainable production

2. enables buyers to trade with producers who would otherwise be excluded from market

3. allows producers to be involved in genuine partnership discussions about decisions affecting their future

4. empowers farmers and workers by enabling them to access resources to develop their knowledge, skills and to exert more control and influence over their lives

Benefits for traders

Finally, fairtrade offers companies a credible way to ensure that their trade has a positive impact for the people at the end of the chain.