Fairtrade is not just a label. It is a network of transparent and sustainable relationships that guarantees decent conditions for producers, protects the environment and promotes a more balanced economy.
World Fair Trade Day reminds us that much remains to be done
Every second Saturday in May we celebrate World Fair Trade Day, a date that invites us to reflect on the origin of what we consume and the power we have to transform the world through our daily choices.
An economic model that does not work for millions of people
More than 700 million people in the world live in extreme poverty. Many of them are precisely those who grow, harvest or process the products we consume every day, such as coffee, cocoa or sugar. This inequality is not a coincidence but the consequence of a global economic model that puts immediate profit before human dignity and the balance of the planet.
On the other hand, the climate emergency continues to advance, fuelled by unsustainable production practices and the lack of protection for the most vulnerable communities.
The solution: fair trade
Fair trade is an economic alternative that puts people and the planet at the centre. It stands for decent working conditions, fair wages, equality and environmental sustainability.
The organisations that promote it are guided by principles such as respect for human rights, fairness in trade relations and protection of the natural environment.
What's behind what we consume every day?
Every coffee or cocoa, every spoonful of sugar or herbal tea we drink has a story. The current model of international trade, in many cases, leaves millions of people trapped in unfair working conditions and with basic rights violated.
Coffee: farmers on the edge of subsistence
Most of the coffee we consume comes from small producers in impoverished countries who barely make a decent income. Many survive on less than 40 % of the minimum needed and without access to protection from chemical-borne diseases. While the global coffee market generates close to $200 billion a year, those who grow coffee face chronic poverty, child exploitation, forced migration and malnutrition.
Moreover, climate change threatens to halve the land suitable for cultivation by 2050.
Cocoa: extreme poverty and child exploitation
Cocoa is the livelihood of millions of people living in precarious conditions, despite the continuous growth of the market. In countries such as Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, the income of cocoa-growing families barely represents between 3 % and 7 % of the final price of chocolate.
Poverty fosters child exploitation: An estimated 1.5 million children work on plantations, often in contact with pesticides or dangerous tools.
Sugar: long hours, extreme heat and low wages
Sugar farming involves more than 120 countries and millions of people. Despite its global scale, it is still marked by extreme conditions: manual labour in full sun, long walks and loss of body water without adequate hydration.
Burning fields before harvest to remove dry leaves is a common practice that aggravates respiratory risks. In addition, the days are spent with few breaks and no health or safety guarantees, exposing workers to injury, sunstroke and kidney disease.
Infusions: precariousness and invisibility, especially for women
Many tea estates still reproduce dynamics inherited from colonialism. Most of the people who work there live in precarious conditions, with no access to clean water or electricity and wages well below the minimum wage.
Although 70 % of the harvest is done by women, they rarely get access to better paid jobs. In some countries, the pay gap with their peers is as high as 50 %, in a market that generates more than $9 billion a year.
How do we do it in AlterNativa3?
At AlterNativa3 we believe that another way of doing things is possible. That is why we have been working for decades to offer an ethical, responsible and coherent alternative through the products we produce and distribute.
Direct cooperation with growers
We collaborate with Fair Trade cooperatives formed by farmers in producer countries.
Thanks to this direct relationship, we can guarantee fair prices, decent working conditions, support for education and respect for the cultural identity of each community.
Organic and sustainable production
Our products are not only Fairtrade, but also organic.
This double commitment protects the environment, protects the health of consumers and growers, and promotes more sustainable production models.
Transparency and real commitment
From the origin to the final product, at AlterNativa3 we work with ethical and transparent criteria.
We believe in a people-centred economy that values work and protects the planet. It's not marketing, it's the way we act every day.
What can you as a consumer do?
Conscious consumption is not a fad, it is a necessity. Every purchase is an opportunity to support a fairer system because the choices you make when filling your shopping basket have real consequences for thousands of people on the other side of the world.
Each product counts
Behind every label there is a story. Choosing products with ethical criteria not only improves the conditions of those who produce them, but also transforms the economic model and protects the planet.
- Fairtrade coffee means a living wage and respect for the environment.
- A Fairtrade chocolate bar guarantees that no child has worked to produce it.
- A packet of Fairtrade organic sugar protects the health of those who grow it.
Discover AlterNativa3 products
You can find our products in physical shops, online and responsible spaces that share our values.
In addition, this month we join the campaign of the Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo under the slogan: "Fair Trade is the best way to promote fair trade".Fair Trade is good for everyone"
Because consuming with a conscience not only improves the lives of those who produce: it also improves our own.
Join a movement that transforms
Fairtrade is not a total solution, but it is a powerful and effective response to change many realities. Every Fair Trade product you choose builds a more humane, sustainable and supportive world. At AlterNativa3 we know this well: we have been committed to a production and distribution model that puts people and the planet at the centre for more than 30 years.
Celebrate this World Fair Trade Day with us and be part of a change that really does feel good for everyone.
- 08-05-25
