The annual report of TransFair stated that the sales of Fairtrade products increased to 978 million Euro.
Bananas booming
With an increase of 32% to 68,000 metric tons the banana sales reached record sales in 2015. All Fairtrade bananas on the German market are organic certified. The total market share of Fairtrade bananas is 10%. German consumers spent 12 Euro on average on Fairtrade products in 2015.
Positive double figures for producers
The sales increased to 978 million Euro, a growth of 18 percent. The increase means higher sales under Fairtrade conditions for producers’ associations in emerging and developing countries. Fair trade stands for stable prices and an additional social premium. Last May a comparative test of sustainability standards confirmed that Fairtrade is particularly trustworthy with its comprehensive unified criteria and control mechanisms. “Despite the growth and the rising popularity of Fairtrade products there is still much to do,” states TransFair CEO Dieter Overath in Berlin. “It's clear that we need a fundamental change in the trade. Global supply chains should be more sustainable, so that those who are at the beginning of the chain can live in dignity. Fairtrade is driving this transformation.” Rakesh Supkar, CEO of Asian producers’ association, stressed that smallholders and plantations in Asia urgently need a better and fairer access to the market, to continue social and economic developments.
Growing sales and premiums for producers’ organizations in the South
Last year the sales volumes of producer associations increased on the German market by 29 percent to 116,500 metric tons. They achieved a Fairtrade premium of 16 million Euro. This premium is paid in addition to the sales price and is used for projects such as the improvement of infrastructures, organizational structure, education and direct support for small farming families or paid workers on plantations.
