info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Image from ww.semonegna.com
Fairtrade is a social movement whose stated goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainable farming.
By Killian Stokes (TheJournal.ie)
When we think about the products on supermarket shelves, there isn’t a level playing field. Take wine and coffee for example.
The French don’t export green grapes. They export bottled and branded wine and consumers actually pay more for premium French brands such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.
As a result, more jobs, income and profits stay in France and France makes about €12bn a year from its wine exports.
At the same time, a big coffee-producing country like Ethiopia only earns €760m from coffee. Both are premium products, so what’s the problem?
Fairtrade Fortnight
Fairtrade has been fantastic for raising awareness but it was supposed to address this imbalance.
Fairtrade is marking Fairtrade Fortnight at the moment and after 20 years of Fairtrade products on our shelves in Ireland, has it achieved its aims of addressing poverty in developing countries?