The director of Fairtrade Ibérica gives a webinar on fair trade to students at Loyola University.

Álvaro Goicoechea during his lecture at Loyola University.

 

Álvaro Goicoechea, director of Fairtrade Ibérica, has participated this week as a guest speaker in the Development and Cooperation course, taught at the Cordoba campus by José Manuel Martín, director of the ETEA Foundation – Development Institute of Loyola University.

Fairtrade Ibérica celebrates its 15th Anniversary this year with a very positive data for fair trade globally, according to the publication launched to commemorate this milestone, “global fair trade sales in 2019 reached the figure of 14 billion euros (a growth of 78% over the previous year), of which almost 11 billion correspond to Fairtrade label products”.

And the fact is that “trade is not products or raw materials…trade is people”, explained Álvaro Goicoechea to the students during his presentation. “Fairtrade is the leading fair trade label for the sustainability of people and the planet”.

This certification is fundamentally based on three pillars: economic, social and environmental. On the economic side, the seal focuses on ensuring a minimum price to cover producers’ costs, which is essential given the volatility of prices in international markets for this type of goods, and on certifying the entire supply chain. The social aspect focuses on the prohibition of forced or child labor, women’s empowerment and democratic representation. As for the environmental dimension, the fight against climate change, climate change adaptation programs and the elimination of the use of chemical pesticides are pursued.

Goicoechea also devoted a part of his speech to the effects of the pandemic on fair trade. In relation to this issue, it seems that the health crisis has made the population reflect and “69% of consumers say that they will change their consumption habits and budgets after covid towards greater responsibility, sustainability and solidarity“. In addition, “more than 40% of companies consider the development of CSR to be urgent and are committing themselves to carrying out actions towards the SDGs”. With these premises, says Goicoechea, “fair trade is expected to receive a boost from now on… From Fairtrade we work to respond to the new demands of consumers, to position brands as sustainable companies and to make this planet a fairer and more sustainable place for everyone”.

Fair trade sales in the Iberian Peninsula soar in 2019

The amount of sales of products with the Fairtrade Ibérica Fairtrade certification seal exceeded 170 million euros in 2019 (130 million corresponds to Spain), representing an annual growth of 81%. A total of 269 brands and nearly 2,000 Fairtrade certified products have been sold.

One of the main novelties in Fairtrade Ibérica’s sales last year is that cocoa has surpassed coffee as the product with the highest Fairtrade Premium (additional margin to the Fairtrade Minimum Price paid to producers to invest in social, health and business development projects through a democratic and participatory program), with more than 500 thousand euros.

The growth in cocoa, sugar and sweets was mainly due to the introduction of a wide range of chocolates in distribution chains, as well as the firm commitment to major sugar brands in Spain. There has also been a significant increase in the Christmas assortment, where traditional Spanish sweets such as turrón (Spanish nougat) and roscones de Reyes (Three Kings’ sponge cakes) incorporate the Fairtrade seal.

The ETEA Foundation, a founding partner of the seal

Fairtrade Ibérica is one of the Fairtrade organizations that is a full member of Fairtrade International and has been responsible for licensing, marketing, business development and awareness raising in the geographical area of Spain and Portugal since 2005.

ETEA Foundation is part of the General Assembly of Partners of Fairtrade Ibérica together with Cooperativa Alternativa 3, Coordinadora Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Pequeños Productores de Comercio Justo CLAC, Fundación Corresponsables, Fundación ETNOR, Fundación Intermón Oxfam and Bio Eco Actual.