Fair Trade sales grew by 8.3% in Spain last year and have doubled since the beginning of the economic crisis.
Barcelona, 20 December 2018
The Christmas holidays are upon us and with them, consumption soars. For this reason, the campaign We are Fair Trade and Ethical Banking wants to highlight the value of Fair Trade as an alternative to consume in a critical and responsible way that increases year after year. The campaign presented the annual report on the state of Fair Trade in Spain today, 20 December at 12 noon, as part of the 4th Responsible Consumption Fair in Barcelona, which includes the most relevant data from the sector.
María Fernández, spokesperson for Somos Comercio Justo and Banca Ética, project manager of Alternativa 3 and member of the board of the Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo (CECJ) presented the report to the Responsible Consumption Area of the Fair, together with the first deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council, Gerardo Pisarello, who explained the new features of this year's fair, and Marta Almirall, director of Festivals and Traditions of the Barcelona Institute of Culture (ICUB), who presented the programme of activities inside the plaque.
The report is produced by Somos Comercio Justo and Banca Ética and the Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo and is supported by AECID, Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and Barcelona Provincial Council.
Fair Trade doubles sales in 10 years
Fair Trade continues to grow: Fair Trade consumption has grown by 8% in the last year and has a turnover of more than 43 million euros. In fact, since the beginning of the economic crisis 10 years ago, Fair Trade sales have doubled from 20 to 43 million euros. This significant growth has been achieved thanks to the increase in sales in conventional businesses (supermarkets and catering chains) and in herbalists and organic shops.
For the Christmas holidays, the campaign We are Fair Trade and Ethical Banking presents the annual report on the state of Fair Trade and calls for responsible consumption that respects human rights and the environment.
Since the beginning of the economic crisis 10 years ago, Fair Trade sales have doubled from 20 to 43 million euros.
Food continues to be Fairtrade's star performer, accounting for 94% of sales, according to the sector's annual report. Within this group, the best-selling products are sugar and its derivatives, which generate 41% of the turnover. Coffee, with 37% of sales, which has traditionally been the star product, is in second place this year. Other food products gaining weight in the shopping basket are tea, herbal teas, nuts and cereals. Apart from the food sector, handicrafts (including textiles, decoration and accessories) accounted for 4.8% of the sector's total sales last year. Finally, cosmetics and toiletries accounted for 1.3% of turnover.
Supermercados y grandes superficies, con un 40% de la facturación, se sitúan como el principal espacio de consumo del Comercio Justo. Lo sigue el denominado canal «HORECA» (hostelería, catering y restauración), con el 36% del mercado. En tercer lugar, los establecimientos minoristas generan un 21% de las ventas. En este bloque, las tiendas especializadas de Comercio Justo han perdido pes (representan un 12% respecto al 14% del año anterior), pero hay un crecimiento de ventas en herbolarios y tiendas de productos ecológicos, que se configuran como un espacio alternativo donde encontrar los productos de Comercio Justo. Aun y así las tiendas de Comercio Justo continúen siente referentes al sector, puesto que son el único espacio donde se pueden encontrar casi de forma exclusiva productos de artesanía y prácticamente todos los productos de alimentación con los cuales trabajan las importadoras. En Cataluña, hay una veintena de tiendas especializadas y puntos de venta de productos de Comercio Justo y una decena de tiendas online.
Despite the fact that sales continue to grow, Spain continues to lag behind European countries. The average Fair Trade consumption per person in 2017 was 0.93 euros, while in Europe it was 14.1 euros. The countries where Fair Trade is present this month are Switzerland (63 euros per person/year), Ireland (57.5) and Sweden (35). Globally, the Spanish market only represents 0'5% of the global Fair Trade market.
Trade that respects human rights
It is important to remember that behind many of the products we buy or consume lie situations of labour exploitation, modern forms of slavery, child exploitation and serious environmental degradation.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that some 25 million people are subjected to forced labour in sweatshops, farms and other sectors. Of these, 181,000,000 are underage. The agricultural sector accounts for 701TBW3T of child labour exploitation, which affects 152 million children. Finally, the agency estimates that 780 million people are working poor, i.e. their wages do not allow them to cover basic needs.
For this reason, the Fair Trade movement focuses on the origin of products and trades products produced under fair and sustainable conditions. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to producers and workers, especially in the countries of the global South. Fair Trade constitutes a network present in 75 countries, involving more than 2,000 producer organisations from Latin America, Africa and Asia, which bring together more than two million people.
In order to bring together the common principles and strategies of the movement, more than 300 Fair Trade organisations from all over the world have signed the new International Fair Trade Charter, which every month encourages collaboration with movements fighting for similar objectives such as the solidarity economy or organic agriculture. Each month, the charter also calls for Fair Trade to be used to improve wages, empower women, protect children's rights, promote biodiversity and influence public policy.
IV Responsible Consumption Fair
From 21 December to 4 January, Placa Catalunya will once again be the setting for the 4th Barcelona Responsible Consumption Fair, with the participation of organisations, companies and projects in the field of the social and solidarity economy. The We are Fair Trade and Ethical Banking campaign will have its own stand selling Fair Trade products and offering advice on ethical banking services.
At the campaign stop you will find the most common Fair Trade products, as well as baskets and gifts. You will also be able to find out about the different alternatives of ethical banking and the services it offers.
Who are Fairtrade and Ethical Banking?
The campaign We are Fair Trade and Ethical Banking is promoted by a consortium of 6 organisations: SETEM Catalonia, Alternativa 3, Oxfam Intermón, Fiare Banca Etica, the Solidarity Economy Network (XES), the...
It was born 19 years ago under the name of the Fair Trade Festival and has been evolving by incorporating the Ethical Banking branch and later on the Solidarity Economy branch. On the occasion of World Fair Trade Day, more than 35 Catalan municipalities organise activities in the framework of the campaign related to Fair Trade and ethical finance, as well as workshops, games, shows, theatre, frescoes, talks, exhibitions, etc. The campaign has "deseasonality" at other times of the year such as the Solidarity Economy Fair of Catalonia (FESC) in October and the Responsible Consumption Fair in Barcelona in December.
The campaign is supported by Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and Barcelona Provincial Council.
See the full State of Fairtrade in Spain 2017 Report
More information on the We are Fair Trade and Ethical Banking campaign website.
