Australian supermarkets to battle it out for Fairtrade award
Fair Trade Fortnight, Australia’s biggest annual celebration of all things fair trade, has begun, with a search for Australia’s Most Fairtrade Friendly Supermarket.
Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) Operations Manager Cameron Neil said the Award would be given to the Australian supermarket store found to be stocking the biggest range of Fairtrade Labelled products in the country.
“The more Fairtrade Labelled products supermarkets stock, the more opportunities Aussie shoppers have to buy them, in turn ensuring a more hopeful, just and sustainable future for those farmers and workers in the developing countries from which they came,” Mr Neil noted. “Through making the simple decision to look for the Fairtrade Label when buying their weekly groceries, all Australians can help make a big difference to the lives of developing country producers, their families and communities.”
“Last year alone, thousands of shoppers across the country did just that – buying over $23 million worth of Fairtrade Certified and Labelled products including coffee, tea and chocolate – up more than 80% from 2007.”
Running until May 17, Fair Trade Fortnight highlights how every Australian can help tackle poverty and empower producers in developing countries, simply by supporting fair trade and choosing products that carry the Fairtrade Label.
The concept of Fairtrade is about providing an equitable supply chain where a fair wage is guaranteed to all involved in producing food, with forced labour and abusive child labour prohibited. There are now 125 businesses in Australia who have received certification to sell Fairtrade products and it is hoped this number will soar as businesses realise the need to guarantee that their products have been produced in an ethical manner. Products found on Australian supermarket shelves that have Fairtrade certification now include peanuts, coffee, tea and chocolate.
Fair Trade Fortnight also coincides with World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) on Saturday, 9 May 2009.
