Fairtrade
What is Fair Trade? Who are the Fairtrade foundation? What does Fairly Traded mean? Who are Fair for Wild? Is Fair Trade actually fair? What do the logos and words actually mean? Why is Edinburgh a Fairtrade town, but Scotland a Fair Trade nation? All these questions and more will be answered in this article.
Including links to Real Foods’ favourite products, including teas, coffees, sugars, chocolates and household goods. Discover the range of ethically sourced and delicious products available and enjoy all your favourite treats, secure in the knowledge people were paid fairly for their hard work.
I drink (FAIR) therefore I am
Fairtrade drinks
(including coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cola)
Coffee, tea, cola and chocolate are all produced in developing countries and have some of the widest ranges of Fairtrade certified goods available.
Whether you want coffee beans for grinding or instant granules for a quick cuppa, there’s a great range of coffee available here (link to FT coffees). Including our own brand Columbian and Espresso Fairtrade Coffee Beans. (https://www.realfoods.co.uk/product/16146/fairtrade-espresso-coffee-beans)
There are also fantastic ranges from Café Direct, Suma, Clipper, Equal Exchange, Grumpy Mule and Mount Hagen (add search links to products).
For tea, Clipper has a fabulous range of black and green teas along with herbal infusions. Fairtrade and organic, their products are also made using unbleached teabags, so you can drink your tea in total peace! Pukka has a large range of fairly traded teas. Pukka are members of Fair for Life, a Fairtrade accreditation that insists on ethical conditions at every step of the product’s trade chain.
For cocoa and drinking chocolate, try Divine’s Fairtrade Cocoa, or Suma or Green and Black’s Organic and Fairtrade cocoa
Green and Black’s do a Fairtrade hot chocolate drink.
Ubuntu made the UK’s first certified Fairtrade Cola back in 2007.
Karma Cola make a Fairtrade and Organic cola – you can find it here in the webshop.
A selection of Divine's chocolates
Fairtrade chocolate
We love Equal Exchange here at Real Foods. Partly because they’re based just round the corner from us so they often pop in and let our customers taste their brilliant range, but mainly we love them because the chocolates are just THAT good! We highly recommend the Salted Caramel for everyone who enjoys dark chocolate, while the Lemon, Ginger and Black Pepper chocolate is not only Fairtrade, but also vegan and organic. It’s often referred to as their ‘marmite’ you will either love it or hate it!
Vego bars have turned into one of our bestselling chocolates, they are Fairtrade and vegan and are stuffed with hazelnuts for a delicious, creamy bar of guilt-free chocolate. Available in large and mini sizes.
There is a wide range from Green & Black’s.
Landgarten have covered dried raspberries in delicious dark chocolate, also Fairtrade.
The Divine range of chocolates is delicious and very popular with kids. They also have a range of Fairtrade Easter eggs.
Other Fairtrade chocolates include The Organic Seed and Bean Co, The Raw Chocolate co and Zotter ranges.
Traidcraft Sugar Raw Cane FairTrade 500g
Fairtrade fruits, sugars and jams
Tropical Wholefoods have a tasty range of dried fruits and mushrooms that are Fairtrade – find them here.
You can find Fairtrade sugar here. Simply look in the department and choose Fairtrade in the left hand side filter
Most of our Fairtrade sugars come in from Traidcraft – who were set up in the UK in 1979 and now source and sell a huge range of Fairtrade products, mainly sourced from Africa and Asia. They also do a delicious strawberry jam here. And Fairtrade marmalade can be found here.
Equal Exchange have sourced a Fairtrade honey – delicious and very popular in taste tests.
Or for true honey aficionados try this 7lb tub of organically certified Fairtrade honey from Tropical Forest
Fairtrade logo
Fairtrade Logo
This is the name and logo used by the Fairtrade Foundation. The familiar blue and green logo can be found on a wide range of products. If you only wish to buy Fairtrade goods in our store, please search on our home page and when results show, simply choose Fairtrade on the filter.
They also give accreditation to schools, universities and towns, this is why you have Fairtrade Schools and Fairtrade towns. They do not give accreditation to countries or nations, which is why Scotland is a Fair Trade country, not a Fairtrade one!
The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products in the UK in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.
A selection of Fairtrade products
Fair Trade
Fair Trade is the name for the trading strategy or movement that tries to enable the alleviation of poverty and promote sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been marginalised or economically disadvantaged by the conventional system. Members of the movement advocate for the payment of higher prices to exporters and manufacturers, as well as improving environmental and social standards.
There are many Fair Trade products, that don’t have the Fairtrade Logo. These would be products that follow the principles of the Charter, often small-scale craft products will be Fair Trade (coming through a supply chain that follows the principles) without being accredited as Fairtrade. These products are usually referred to as fairly-traded.
Many of these businesses have been trading fairly for many years before Fairtrade certification was established. The process of agreeing international Fairtrade standards can take time, and for many of the products these organisations sell, there may not yet be standards available to certify their products.
Businesses selling fairly-traded products who are members of the WFTO or BAFTS should have ethics keywords of fairly-traded and either WFTO member or BAFTS member in their description or branding.
Fair Trade is a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change and global economic crises
Fair Trade definition
FINE define Fair Trade as “Specifically, fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. Fair trade organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising, and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.” (retrieved from Wikipedia 16.02.17 )
FINE is an informal association of the four main Fair Trade networks, created in 1998.
F Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO)
I International Fair Trade Association, now the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)
N Network of European Worldshops (NEWS!) - NEWS! ceased to exist in its original form in October 2008. It is currently part of the European chapter of the World Fair Trade Organization: WFTO-Europe./
E European Fair Trade Association (EFTA).
BAFTS is a network of independent fair trade shops across the UK promotes fair trade retailing.
Fair Trade
fair trade
This simply means that the company or person believes in the principles of fair or ethical trading. This does not have any standards and is not a legally recognised term relating to labelling or accreditation.
A handful of wild berries
Fair Wild
Fair Wild was set up in 2008 to promote the sustainable use of wild-collected ingredients. Their aim is to ensure a fair deal for all those involved throughout the supply chain.
Potentially vulnerable plant species are under pressure due to increasing demand for wild plants as ingredients for food, cosmetics, well-being and medicinal products. This poses major ecological and social challenges, as it can endanger local ecosystems and the livelihoods of collectors, who often belong to the poorest social groups in the countries of origin.
“As a response to these concerns, the FairWild Foundation is working with partners worldwide to improve the conservation, management and sustainable use of wild plants in trade, as well as the livelihoods of rural harvesters involved in collection.” Retrieved Fairwild 16.02.16
Pukka Organic Three Mint T-Bags 20bags
Fair for Life
Fair for Life goes beyond traditional fair trade by applying fair trade principles also to relevant domestic or regional trade and by requiring ethical working conditions along the entire trade chain.
Pukka teas were one of the first to sign up.