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Tackling Poverty Through Trade

 

Tackling Poverty Through Trade is a report produced by Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand and Oxfam Australia, analysing the period of ANZ Fairtrade purchases and sales from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2009.

Download the 2010 report here

The report released April 2010 highlights the impact made by sales of Fairtrade products in Australia and New Zealand on producers in developing countries. Findings include:

  • In Australia sales of Fairtrade products increased by more than 50% on the previous year, reaching AU$36.5 million in 2009. In the same year in New Zealand Fairtrade sales rose to NZ$17.5 million. 
  • Fairtrade Certified coffee remains the most purchased Fairtrade product in Australia and New Zealand. In 2009 coffee made up 68% of retail sales in Australia, and 90% in New Zealand.
  • Producer organisations selling Fairtrade coffee to the Australian market benefited to the tune of AU$1.4 million in 2009. Economic benefit to producer cooperatives from the New Zealand market reached just over NZ$1.1 million in the same year. 

Fairtrade Certified coffee farmer cooperatives in the developing world continued to invest the economic benefits from Fairtrade on activities such as improving infrastructure such as roads, building schools and enhancing education, growing new coffee trees to improve yields and quality, and providing health care in rural areas.  Fairtrade's unique approach of guaranteeing minimum prices and ensuring buyers pay Fairtrade Premiums for cooperatives to invest in development delivers a range of economic, social and environmental benefits including:

  • security and stability of incomes to farmers
  • a safety net from highly volatile commodity markets
  • the capacity to plan for and invest in a future for their farms and their families
  • access to markets and creation of value adding opportunities
  • improvements in education and training opportunities and environmental farming practices

Last year's reports are also available to download:

Producer Profiles
You can read profiles of some of the producer partners selling to Australia and New Zealand or watch videos of how they benefit from the Fairtrade minimum price and the additional Fairtrade Premium

Fairtrade Certification
Find out how the Fairtrade Certification system works to a fairer future for developing country farmers, their families and communities.