A multi-country survey from research and advisory consultancy GlobeScan reveals that a majority of shoppers, including those in Australia and New Zealand, are familiar with Fairtrade and believe it reflects their values.
Of consumers who have seen the Fairtrade Mark occasionally or often, a significant proportion, 87 per cent in both Australia and NZ, have trust in the Fairtrade Mark and associate it with providing fair prices, a living income and helping farmers to escape from poverty. Fairtrade says these attributes are crucial to building trust.
Coffee is the most visible Fairtrade product across the eight countries surveyed, followed by bananas, chocolate, and cocoa. Despite data collection agency Statista claiming domestic coffee consumption has declined in Australia, Fairtrade certified coffee has grown 12.5 per cent in volume over the last year.
The study found approximately one in two Australians recognise the Fairtrade Mark. Of the Australian consumers to have seen it, 78 per cent believe the Fairtrade Mark has a positive impact on brand perceptions.
Fairtrade says these findings indicate that the Fairtrade Mark enables consumers to easily decide if a product has been responsibly sourced and that the mark on a product represents something they can be proud to be seen with, reflecting their personal values.
“The data sends a very compelling message to companies that there is a strong body of shoppers who identify with the values of Fairtrade and want business to play fair,” Fairtrade Australia and NZ CEO Molly Harriss Olson says.
“People now expect businesses to take their social and environmental responsibilities seriously. More than that, it’s clear that a significant segment of the public back Fairtrade’s rigorous, transparent system to deliver equity and justice in trade.”
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The comprehensive cross-continental study of 9200 consumers was carried out for National Fairtrade Organisations across eight countries.
In NZ, Fairtrade’s help for farmers to mitigate the impacts of climate change was identified as an important driver of consumer trust in its certification. Fairtrade says this suggests people make a direct link between buying Fairtrade products and helping farmers.
The report calls Fairtrade the most trusted ethical label in NZ, with three out of four Kiwis indicating the Fairtrade Mark has a positive impact on brand perception.
“Consumers associate Fairtrade with fair prices living income, good working conditions, and support for farmers in developing countries. Where they can, shoppers will reward companies that do the right thing,” Molly says.
GlobeScan conducted the Fairtrade Consumer Perceptions survey between January and March 2019 in eight markets: Australia, Canada, Germany, India, NZ, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
For more information, visit www.fairtrade.com.au