Come Fall 2009, Cadbury's Dairy Milk will be Fairtrade certified! This is very exciting. But maybe you're not familiar with why buying fairtrade is so important.Check it out:
We’re all familiar with the FAIRTRADE Mark and I’m sure we all have a decent sense of what it stands for. But do we actually know what it means to be Fairtrade? What does the stamp of approval on the products we buy symbolise for the farmers and producers on the other side of the planet?Here are the five key benefits of Fairtrade. We’ll be taking a closer look at them one by one over the coming weeks and months, but here are the headlines for now.
1. Fair and stable prices
Increasing farmer incomes is one of Fairtrade’s main objectives. By reducing the number of intermediaries between the farmers and the end consumer, farmers earn a larger share of the export price. But there are two other characteristics that add to this: a minimum price and an additional premium. The minimum price is calculated to ensure sustainable production and livelihood. The additional premium is paid into a fund which is invested in development projects. More about how it’s used in the next point.
2. Extra income
A committee is set up to take care of this premium fund. This fund is then invested in building schools, clinics, community centres, funding scholarships, paying medical bills and providing low-interest loans. These loans are used to establish small income generating businesses. For instance, a farmer might use this money to start rearing animals for the local market. This means that, often for the fist time, farmers and estate workers don’t have to rely on the kindness of their estate farmers or the government to improve their lives but can take control of things and help themselves.
3. Environmental stuff
Environmental protection and sustainability is part of every producer organisations’ management policy. They have to comply with national and international laws of protection - that includes water, virgin forests and other ecosystems as well as waste management and the use of hazardous chemicals.
4. Stronger position in world markets
Technical information and market knowledge help farmers access and get better prices in the conventional market. But also, because Fairtrade has created a specialist sector for their products, it means far easier access to mainstream markets in developed countries.
5. Closer links between consumers and producers
The Fairtrade movement empowers consumers who are concerned about the reality of the stuff they buy every day. As consumers, Fairtrade accreditation gives us the peace of mind of knowing that the producers in question got a fair deal. The Fairtrade movement is helping producers and consumers trade as closely as possible, according to a set of shared standards.
Please honor the great commitment Cadbury is making by buying their Dairy Milk bars!
image via Cadbury Fairtrade
