Driven by cocoa and bananas, the turnover of fair trade products labeled Fairtrade/Max Havelaar increased by 4% in 2023 in Europe, the certification body announced on Thursday, which welcomes the interest shown since the agricultural crisis to the fair remuneration of producers.
Sales of chocolate and coffee bars bearing the logo of the Max Havelaar Europe association generated 1.33 billion euros last year, showing that fair trade remains “still anchored in consumption habits“.
For cocoa, sales increased in turnover by 15% and in volume by 7%. “It is the commodity that lasted the longest during the crisis, out of gluttony, to fight against anxiety“, analyzes its general director, Blaise Desbordes.
While prices have jumped in New York and London to more than $10,000 per ton recently, “there is no guarantee that this increase trickles down to producers“, he told AFP, denouncing multinationals which, despite their commitments, “have been underpaying for cocoa for 30 years“.
Sales of labeled bananas have also increased in value (+11%) and volume (+0.5%), notably thanks to the “promotion” of the product by certain brands, according to Blaise Desbordes.
Coffee sales, on the other hand, declined, in value (-3%) and in volume (-6%).but we put this contraction into perspective because over the period 2019-2023, we are at +12%“, says the manager.
Cocoa, bananas and coffee represent the majority of sales of the Fairtrade/Max Havelaar label, affixed in Europe to around 85% of fair trade products coming from southern countries, according to Blaise Desbordes.
With the agricultural crisis, “the principle of securing agricultural raw materials at a remunerative price has made a leap in public opinion which we can welcome since this is exactly the point we have been making for 30 years“, underlines Blaise Desbordes, referring to the results of a survey commissioned by Max Havelaar.
The Agri-Ethique organization, which labels the products of 4,600 French farmers by guaranteeing them “fair remuneration”, indicated last Friday that sales under its logo had increased in 2023 by 14% to reach 520 million euros, under the effect in particular of an increase in the number of products referenced.
