On-the-field experiences

Fair Trade, PLs and fairtrade union grows

Large-scale distribution remains the main distribution channel: at present, there are more than 2,500 certified references in the PLs of Conad, Selex, Carrefour, Despar, Pam, Lidl, In’s Mercato and Aldi.

The last annual report of Fairtrade Italia (http:// annualreport2021.fairtrade.it/) is clear: the consumption trend of products characterized by Fairtrade certification is positively increasing. Fairtrade Italia is an organization that promotes the development of the fairtrade supply chains in Italy. According to the report, Italians spent more than 550 million euro in products with at least one certified ingredient in 2021. Some product categories stood out, such as cocoa with 9% growth ( 8,909 tons sold), sugar with 10% growth (5,158 tons sold) and bananas, which started to increase again (14,230 tons sold) after the decrease of the Covid emergency period. The overall average growth was 6%.

Large-scale distribution remains the main supply channel and PLs have a privileged role: at present, there are more than 2,500 certified references in Conad, Selex, Carrefour, Despar, Pam, Lidl, In’s Mercato and Aldi’s PLs. The products with the traditional black Fairtrade logo are the sales pillar in Italy. However, the push of the white Fairtrade Source Ingredient (FSI) logo is also growing, due to volume increase, especially for cocoa due to the flexibility of the raw material that it allows. Indeed, through the Fsi model, cocoa was inserted in many product recipes such as breakfast cereals, snacks, ice-cream, biscuits and in a wide range of products for special occasions and holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas. For example, in 2021, Coop, the first Italian retailer to develop a Fairtrade PL line, offered a white and salted chocolate egg with fairtrade cocoa butter for Easter. In IN’s Mercato’s shops, Fairtrade-certificated products such as chocolates, dark chocolate praline and extra dark chocolate eggs have been placed on the shelf. In Lidl stores, there are PL products such as soft nougat and puff pastries made of Fairtrade certified cocoa, and Aldi offers a wide range of chocolate eggs, lambs and other characters. At the same time, thanks to product sales in Italy, advantages for farmers’ and workers’ organizations in Asia, Africa and South America have increased. In fact, they received 3.2 million euros at the Fairtrade Award. Together with the Stable Minimum Price, this Award is one of the key pillars of the Fairtrade model. Practically speaking, the organizations receive an extra sum of money for the development of initiatives of collective interest, decided through a democratic process. The award can be used to improve farms from a technical or production point of view, such as through the purchase of fertilizers or other agricultural products or machinery. It can also be used to build classrooms and schools, healthcare facilities and more.

Through this system, Fairtrade offers companies a model to promote sustainable agriculture, with clear information on the impact that they have in the communities with which they collaborate. “The collaboration between PL and Fairtrade Certification suits the needs of consumers who look for sustainable products in their daily grocery shopping that keep promises and are able to promote real and valuable improvements for people's lives and the planet”, commented the Sales Manager of Fairtrade Italia, Thomas Zulian. “Thanks to the collaboration and encouragement of our partners, we were able to renovate, making our supply easier and more accessible. I’m referring to, for example, Fairtrade Source Ingredients, but also the important opportunities that we offer the companies. We also involve them in the discussion on fundamental topics such as revenues and fair salary, gender equality and climate change. On one hand, the number and volumes of PL products certified Fairtrade continues to grow on the shelf. On the other hand, the positive impact for farmers, their communities and the environment multiplies as well.” .