Marketers Eye Fair Trade Certified As the New 'Green'

Sept 23, 2008

-By Mike Beirne

Organic has been around for about 15 years, and "green" marketing is so last month. So marketers looking for the next socially responsible effort are flocking to the Fair Trade Certified category, whose products are getting more shelf space nationwide.

So far this year, 284 Fair Trade Certified products—typically coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fruit, sugar, rice, spices and even cut flowers—were launched in the U.S. compared with 130 last year and 17 in 2003, according Mintel, Chicago.

The designation, which is handled exclusively in the U.S. by TransFair USA, Oakland, Calif., means that farmers in such locations as Ghana or Costa Rica work in safe labor conditions, use environmentally friendly practices and are paid at least a minimum floor price for their crop. These family farmers may also belong to a co-op that democratically decides how to invest their profits in building schools, health clinics or developing better business and sustainability practices.

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