Consumers in Germany are increasingly buying fair trade products. This applies to bananas as well as to coffee. This year the corona pandemic threatens the existence of many producers.
Berlin (dpa) - Goods with the "Fairtrade" seal are still in trend, sales of fairly traded products passed the 2 billion euro mark for the first time in 2019.
However, the development is overshadowed by the consequences of the corona pandemic. The demand for fair foods such as coffee, bananas or cocoa has so far remained stable.
This was announced by the association Transfair in Berlin, which grants traders and producers the right to use the "Fairtrade" logo against license fees.
But in the countries where the "Fairtrade" products are grown, health care and the economy are fragile, said Transfair CEO Dieter Overath. The pandemic exposed social and economic inequality.
In 2019, consumers in Germany spent an average of 25 euros on fairly traded products. Sales rose from EUR 1.6 billion in the previous year to EUR 2.04 billion, an increase of 26 percent. There was a significant increase in bananas, of which 130,000 tons were sold, 41 percent more than in 2018. The market share is thus 20 percent. According to the information, the strong plus is mainly due to the fact that "Fairtrade" bananas without organic seals are now also available at the discount supermarket Lidl.
Fair trade coffee also grew by 12 percent to 23,000 tons, but the market share is still modest at around 5 percent. Business with fair trade tea, of which only 359 tonnes were sold throughout Germany, is even more difficult - a decline of 6 percent that Transfair justified with the hot summer last year.
In contrast, the demand for fairly traded cocoa, for example for chocolate production, rose to 79,000 tonnes. That is 45 percent more than in 2018 and a market share of 17 percent.
According to Transfair, fairly traded products are helpful for the producer organizations, especially in the corona crisis. In addition to stable minimum prices, you will receive a Fairtrade premium for "Fairtrade" sales, in 2019 it was 38 million euros. "The premium is important right now because it is often the only reserve producers have," said Mary Kinyua, president of the Fairtrade Africa producer network, according to the release.
"In addition to the fear of health, the economic consequences are dramatic," said Kinyua. "With raw materials for which the harvest is still pending, harvest helpers are lacking. Logistics is our concern where the harvest has been obtained. Mobility restrictions make transportation to the port more difficult and more expensive."
Fair trade has grown regularly in Germany in recent years. There are now several seals for products whose providers value fair wages and better working conditions. The Fair Trade Forum plans to present its data in July.
According to the manager Matthias Fiedler, the corona pandemic is expected to have a significant impact. "The lack of shopping in the world shops and the partially collapsing supply chains are major challenges for fair trade companies," he said on request.
The situation is particularly critical for their trading partners in the Global South. "They are already experiencing a major drop in sales because they have to partially close their factories or are no longer able to export their goods," said Fiedler. Bankruptcies threatened on a large scale.
Information about the Fairtrade seal
Information about Fairtrade products
Press release on the annual report
