News

59% now recognise Fair Trade

1 Mar 2016

Fair Trade USA, the third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, and NMI have released new data indicating that fifty-nine percent of consumers now recognize the Fair Trade Certified label.

Fair Trade USA, the third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, and the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), an international consulting and research firm specialising in health and sustainability, have released new data indicating that fifty-nine percent of consumers now recognize the Fair Trade Certified label. This growth is supported by new insights into consumer spending habits– particularly around the role of Millennials in driving ethical purchases – and an abundance of new Fair Trade products hitting store shelves.

In addition to the spike in general awareness, up from fifty-five percent in 2013, the joint research between NMI and Fair Trade USA reveals that nearly forty percent of the general population look for proof of social claims when purchasing products. Millennials are especially motivated by causes, seventy percent of whom are more likely to buy products from companies that support their favorite causes, compared to sixty-one percent of the general population. Sixty-five percent of Millennials also recognize the Fair Trade Certified label.

“Consumers want accountability, responsibility and sustainability from the companies with which they do business,” said MaryEllen Molyneaux, President of NMI. “The Fair Trade Certified label allows shoppers to readily identify products that meet these criteria.”

Fair Trade USA partnered with NMI as part of its broad-reaching “The State of Sustainability in America” study, which will be released at the end of March 2016.

Increased numbers of Fair Trade Certified products on store shelves also make identifying and purchasing ethical products easier than ever. One hundred and thirty-three new Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) products have launched since January 2016 alone, driven largely by growth in the mainstream sector. These products add to the nearly 550 Fair Trade Certified CPG items launched in 2015.