Fairtrade unveils plans for major rebrand of its activities

The Fairtrade movement has begun a major rebrand of its activities in a bid to reinforce the scale of its work across the world, including supporting cocoa growing communities, reports Neill Barston

As Confectionery Production has previously reported, the organisation has been at the forefront of goals to tackle inequality within supply chains, and has, among many other global initiatives, sought greater payment for farmers in key West Africa markets of Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Notably, as the charitable body explains, while it has helped shape international standards and established social responsibility on the business and shopper agendas, many consumers remain unaware of the full scale of the impact that choosing Fairtrade can create for those vulnerable groups within supply chains – who are often working at below UN-defined levels of poverty.

According to Fairtrade, its five year UK-focused brand refresh seeks to drive home the message that we don’t just choose Fairtrade to ensure farmers get a fair wage, so they can feed themselves and live with dignity; we’re also choosing to empower global communities that protect the environment and care for wildlife. Where families are lifted out of poverty, so parents can afford to send their children to school and where millions of women are empowered, so all can take part and take up leadership roles.

Significantly, over the last twenty-five years Fairtrade has built an extensive global network comprising millions of people all working together to make sustainable impacts in 73 countries. With products sold from Africa, South America and South-East Asia, the Fairtrade system empowers crucial development in communities that includes building schools of leadership for women, establishing climate adaptation plans to protect rainforests and thousands of species of animals across the world. Fairtrade’s new position is that if we all choose to; we can join in to build a world of change.

To trigger the activist in us they turned to 2050 London and Humankind research. A new positive, can-do narrative was developed to open people’s eyes to the strength of the global Fairtrade community.

Over the next five years, inspiring impact stories aligned with the UN’s global sustainability goals will be told through stirring portrait photography, dynamic graphics, and vibrant colours to affirm Fairtrade’s leading position as a global change agent. The line ‘choose the world you want’ invites us in to make it happen.

Laura van de Ven, Head of Brand and Marketing at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “Fairtrade is more than a brand: it’s a movement. A movement that has grown from strength to strength in the past 25 years to include 1.6 million farmers and workers, 600 certified towns, 12 UK universities, and over 6,000 Fairtrade products.

“Since its inception, the social movement for fair trade has been led by Fairtrade campaigners and farmers. And now our new game-changing brand messaging embodies this by letting consumers know that when you choose Fairtrade, you’re joining a community of millions. Choice is a powerful thing – if we use it, and when you choose Fairtrade you choose education, empowerment, fairer incomes, and tackling climate change. You choose the world you want. It really is that simple.

“Fairness is the catalyst for a better world, including paying fair prices, upholding fair working principles, and fair standards. These values can mobilise a global community, from farmers and workers, to traders, retailers, brands, consumers, and activists. Together, we can empower vulnerable farmers and workers across the globe to take action to improve their futures and so our shared world.”

 

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