Fairtrade's Impact by the Numbers

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) has published its latest Monitoring and Evaluation Report with a wealth of information on producers and the benefits of Fairtrade certification. Information in the report is based on audit reports from 2008-2009 with over 92 percent of Fairtrade certified producers reporting. Click here to read the entire report (PDF).

According to study results, approximately 1 million producers worldwide benefited from Fairtrade certification during fiscal year 2008. Taking into account growth figures between 2008 and 2009, FLO estimates that as of December 2009 the number of farmers and workers within the Fairtrade movement exceeded 1.2 million.

Fairtrade’s greatest presence was in Eastern Africa. Of nearly 850,000 farmers around the world in Fairtrade certified small producer organizations (SPO), 47 percent were based in Eastern Africa (see table below).The number of people employed by Fairtrade certified plantations in Eastern Africa was also higher than other regions with 38 percent of the 127,000 workers employed worldwide.

In the Caribbean, Central America, Middle Africa and Southern Asia, the number of producers grew by more than 25 percent between 2007 and 2008. The number of workers employed on Fairtrade certified plantations in Southern Asia increased by more than 50 percent.

Coffee remained the largest Fairtrade certified product with 50 percent of producers in the system certified against Fairtrade coffee standards. This represents almost half a million farmers around the globe.

Producers of honey, bananas and coffee sold a large percentage of their overall total sales volumes under Fairtrade conditions (82 percent - honey, 71 percent - bananas, 68 percent - coffee). All other producers averaged 30 to 60 percent of their total sales volumes as Fairtrade.

Fairtrade certified producers received great benefit through the Fairtrade Premium, an additional sum of money paid on top of the product price (either the Fairtrade Minimum Price or market price, whichever is higher). It is usually invested in social, environmental or economic development projects with the majority being used for education, training and healthcare. In 2008, plantation workers and small producer organizations received a total of €42.3 million in Premium.

The report is based on the following key indicators:

• Number of producer/member organisations,
• Individual members/workers and gender,
• Average and total area of cultivation, production capacity, average yield per hectare,
• Volume sold under Fairtrade conditions,
• Average Fairtrade pricesm and Fairtrade sales revenue,
• Premium received/premium spent

Click here to read the entire report.