Australian coffee roasters are encouraged to support Fairtrade Fortnight, an annual campaign to increase awareness of Fairtrade products.
From 4 to 17 August, roasters such as Grinders, Bean Ground & Drunk and Mocopan Coffee, are joining together to amplify the Fairtrade message and encourage consumers to “protest with their purchases”. By spreading the message in their cafés, participating roasters are helping to improve the livelihoods of thriving communities through trade.
“Fairtrade Fortnight is a key opportunity to make a difference in the lives of farmers throughout the developing world. When coffee roasters buy Fairtrade, their money goes towards funding quality, productivity and community projects at origin, which enhance their businesses and expand their sales potential. This helps build thriving communities across the world,” says Molly Harriss Olson, CEO of Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand.
In 2015, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand achieved more than $352 million in retail sales. These sales are helping create a positive change in the lives of coffee farmers and those working through the supply chain.
Farming cooperatives democratically choose to invest their Fairtrade Premium – an extra sum of money on top of the sales of their coffee – into community and business productivity projects. In 2014, the amount of Premium in Asia-Pacific was more than $15.6 million.
Fairtrade is an independent certification system that offers farmers and workers in developing countries a better deal and improved terms of trade.
For more information, and to find out how you can get involved in Fairtrade Fortnight, visit fairtrade.com.au