Fairtrade month saw 40+ brands participate

November 3, 2023

Fairtrade Canada celebrated Fairtrade Month this October in partnership with more than 40 brands for this year’s ‘We Are Fairtrade’ campaign. Brands including Mid-Day Squares, Kicking Horse Coffee, and Prana offered month-long discounts on Fairtrade products and contributing to online giveaways to engage Canadians and share the Fairtrade vision of a world where farmers and workers across the globe have an equal seat at the table.

“It takes one trip to the field that grows cocoa for anyone to understand how important the Fairtrade mission is,” said Nick Saltarelli, Co-Founder of Mid-Day Squares. “Fairtrade Canada is a partner we are proud to work with and be supported by. The larger the awareness that we bring the Fairtrade mission, the sooner we will get farmers the wages they deserve. Mid-Day Squares doesn’t believe we are a Fairtrade company. We’re a chocolate company and being Fairtrade is just the right way to do business.”

Brands are increasingly choosing Fairtrade certification to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and transparency as consumer demand for products that have a positive impact on people and planet continues to grow. The latest consumer research from GlobeScan shows that four out of five Canadian consumers have a positive perception of brands carrying the Fairtrade Mark and 70% say the Mark makes it easy to decide if a product is ethically and responsibly produced.

Hundreds of retailers across Canada also participated in the campaign. Almost 700 retail kits were distributed with We Are Fairtrade promotional items, and retailers like Metro Ontario, Save on Foods, London Drugs, and Farm Boy promoted Fairtrade products through flyers, point of sale materials, and on social media throughout October.

Close to three in five Canadian consumers who recall seeing the Fairtrade Mark are willing to pay more for Fairtrade products despite the increased cost of living, and retailers are demonstrating their willingness to meet consumer expectations by increasing visibility of brands carrying the Mark.

“Fairtrade has seen exponential growth in Canada over the past decade, and has continued to outperform the market in categories like coffee, cocoa and bananas,” commented Julie Francoeur, CEO at Fairtrade Canada. “Sales from the almost 5600 Fairtrade products on the market are generating demonstrable impact for farmers and workers across the world, and that is something we can all be proud of.”

For the first time ever, this year’s campaign is being held in partnership with Fairtrade America, expanding its reach and impact across Canada and the US Fairtrade Canada is promoting participating brands and retailers on a dedicated landing page at fairtrade.ca/fairtrademonth.