Scottish Fair Trade Forum

18 December 2007 press statement 

FAIRTRADE FOUNDATION WELCOMES DFID SURVEY "VINDICATION OF YEARS OF CAMPAIGNERS' VISION"

The Fairtrade Foundation welcomes the results of the Department for International Development (DFID) survey released today, showing people are increasingly recognizing they can use their shopping power as a way to help tackle poverty in the developing world.

The Fairtrade Foundation believes the findings are a tribute to the thousands of campaigners who have tirelessly spread the Fairtrade message, encouraging others to make positive consumer choices to buy Fairtrade products.

“The rise in positive purchasing is a vindication of years of campaigning, including that of members of the voluntary organisations who set up the Fairtrade Foundation 15 years ago”, says Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. “Since the early days, DFID has identified Fairtrade as a useful contribution to development and funded awareness-raising and other projects on Fairtrade.”

According to independent research, the FAIRTRADE Mark is now the most recognised ethical label by a long way – a recent online shoppers survey, conducted by OC&C Strategy Consultants, showed that twice as many respondents recognised it compared to the next most visible, the Red Tractor . Sales of Fairtrade products are doubling every two years in the UK, giving hundreds of thousands of producers in developing countries the chance to compete in cut-throat global markets, and build a better future for themselves and their families.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only consumer label that focuses on ensuring farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as additional income to invest in community development programmes.

“Fairtrade has demonstrated its potential to help producers improve their livelihoods, strengthen their businesses and benefit their communities,” continues Harriet. “But compared with what is needed in the poorer countries of the world, we’ve really only begun to make a dent in the struggle against poverty and unfair trade. We would urge the government to take from its own survey a signal that government should be increasing its support for Fairtrade which has won overwhelming public backing and proved an effective way for communities to trade their way out of poverty.”

A report by the House of Commons International Development Committee, released earlier this year, noted that government support for Fairtrade lags behind public support. It recommended that DFID adopt a much more proactive and strategic approach, allocate longer-term resources to Fairtrade, and take a lead on facilitating increased governmental procurement of Fairtrade products across all departments.

In response the Fairtrade Foundation has urged DFID to step up its support for the practical work of Fairtrade as an immediate and concrete response to the report. The Foundation is calling on DFID to recognise that, as the UK is the most dynamic Fairtrade market, it should take a lead within the international donor community to secure the £50m strategic investment which is necessary to take the global Fairtrade movement into the mainstream over the next five years.

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