Divide Fair Trade in Hungary

In 2017, Fairtrade products traded at more than € 8.4 billion worldwide, an 8% increase over the previous year. Worldwide, consumer demand for sustainable food is increasing, and Fairtrade products and ingredients are growing in the market. More than 30,000 different Fairtrade certified products are available in 150 countries worldwide, including Hungary. The most popular products are coffee, cocoa, chocolate, tea, banana, honey, flowers, wool, but more and more gold appears in the form of raw material or jewelery.

Hungarian growth exceeds international trends

The Association of Conscious Customers (TVE) has been measuring the size of the Hungarian Fairtrade market for 2 years, which has been available since 2014. In the year covered by the first data, the Fair Trade market was marginal at HUF 68 million, but started to grow dynamically. In two years, by 2016, the market grew by nearly sevenfold, and between 2016 and 2017, sales increased again and sales of fair trade products exceeded HUF 3.6 billion in 2017 . The rate of growth is higher than both the growth of inflation and food prices, and even the growth rate of other ethical consumer segments such as organic products, free range poultry or electric cars.

Motors for growth: rating and networks

“The main reason for this growth is that since 2014, Fairtrade has been expanding globally. While in the past, products could be qualified for all possible components of fair trade, from 2014 onwards, products that have been certified only by cocoa or sugar ingredients could also enter the rating system, ”said Emese Gulyás, a member of the Conscious Customers Association. By 2017, the Hungarian market also saw the launch of products with only one component qualified, primarily consumers in discount chains.

Another major component of growth is that more and more own branded products have been awarded Fairtrade certification in different food chains and drug stores selling processed foods. "Today, Fairtrade products have become readily available," says TVE's colleague. In addition to supermarket chains and specialty boutiques, delicatessens, dedicated buffets, we can also find fair trade in surprising places like the buffet cars of the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) departing from Budapest to Vienna.

It has also contributed to the growth of the ÖMV petrol station network since mid-2016 exclusively on Fairtrade coffee.

The numbers

Market data is measured by the GfK and Conscious Customers Association, and market measurements are complemented by figures from commercial vendors. The 2017 data was estimated by the SPAR and the ÖMV. Data on developments in other areas of conscious shopping will be included in the upcoming Market Consumption Report that will be released soon.

What is Fair Trade, Fairtrade?

The essence of fair trade is that, irrespective of global market prices, participants agree on a price that truly expresses the producers' material and labor costs.

In all cases, Fair Trade parties are creating a unique price, taking into account the prevailing economic and social and even ecological circumstances.

In exchange for a higher price: the producer must meet the requirements of the following working conditions: healthy and safe working environment, protective clothing, reduction of exposure to chemicals, promotion of trade union operation (only fairtrade qualified from a country where freedom of association has already been granted) ), respect for the right of association (trade union and collective bargaining), prohibition of discrimination, prohibition of coercion and harassment, prohibition of child labor, maximum 48 hours of work, legal employment, prohibition of physical punishment.

In cases where the price of goods is determined by international conventions (for example, coffee or cocoa), a minimum price is set which is higher than the world market price. In this way, producers can take on improved production systems and working conditions that benefit both farmers, workers and the environment.

• The Fairtrade trademark is the most widely known ethical certification mark in the world.
• In 2017, the Fairtrade premium, also known as the Fairtrade premium, totaled EUR 178 million.
• More than 1.6 million producers and workers worldwide, 1600 producer organizations in 75 countries are part of the Fairtrade network.

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(Source: marmalade.co.uk <br> pixabay.com)