New Zealands fairest supermarket awards announced!

New Zealand shoppers have voted Fresh Choice Nelson as the best Fairtrade supermarket in the country with an impressive 47 Fairtrade product lines. During Fairtrade Fortnight, hundreds of shoppers around the country have been taking part in Check Out Fairtrade – a campaign to encourage consumers to look out for Fairtrade Labelled products in their local supermarkets and to urge supermarkets to stock a wider range of Fairtrade Labelled products.

Consumers nominated Fresh Choice Nelson because they believe it has a genuine commitment to providing quality produce that is sourced ethically, whether that is organic, local or Fairtrade. Mark A’Court, store manager for Fresh Choice Nelson said, “We believe that it is important to stock quality products that come from farmers who have a decent quality of life: the Fairtrade model is just good business.”

The runner-up was awarded to last year’s winner, New World Victoria Park with 38 Fairtrade product lines, an increase of 17. Store owner, Rob McGregor says, “Fairtrade is big business and mainstreaming it is the next significant move, pulling it away from the niche market into a real commercial world with mainstream supermarket grocery isles so it opens it up to every consumer that comes in the door.”

“The increase in product lines in the leading two supermarkets is an indication of changing consumer habits and the supermarkets responding to this” says Steve Knapp, Director of the Fairtrade Association of Australian and New Zealand. Retail sales of Fairtrade Labelled products have grown by over 50 per cent compared to 2007, passing the $10 million mark per annum for the first time.

However, New Zealand supermarkets still lag behind their European counterparts where there are over 2000 Fairtrade product lines available, including fruit, juice, flowers, rice and muesli. The Fairtrade Association and Oxfam are encouraging shoppers to take part in the ongoing Check Out Fairtrade campaign by petitioning their local supermarket to stock more Fairtrade labeled products. “As consumers, we have a crucial role in making the right choices, not only for ourselves, but for small and disadvantaged producers,” says Barry Coates, Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand. “If all of us ask our supermarkets to stock more Fairtrade products, they’ll have to listen.”

This Fairtrade Fortnight, an eclectic mix of events took place across the county. Nearly 700 events involving more than 17,000 people took place as part of Oxfam’s Biggest Coffee Break, a host of people from MPs to celebrities supported Trade Aid’s Big Action for Big Change campaign by making pledges to support Fairtrade, the World Fair Trade Organisation’s Big Bang events gained wide media attention, and Fairtrade licensees provided coffee courses for people keen to become connoisseurs.

“The participation of such a broad cross section of the community has been amazing and the thought and time it takes to set up such exciting events is testimony to the passion New Zealanders have for Fairtrade” says Steve Knapp. “The Check Out Fairtrade campaign is designed to draw supermarket managers’ attention to the fact that awareness is growing and consumers want their supermarkets to stock Fairtrade.”

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Facts and Figures

• · Growth in Fairtrade sales in New Zealand 2007-2008 50%
• · Total Fairtrade sales in New Zealand 2008 $10.5 million
• · Sales of Fairtrade coffee NZ 2008 $9.5 million*
• · Brands of coffee available throughout NZ < 80
• · Number of businesses licensed to sell FT products 42
• · Global expenditure on Fairtrade Labelled products NZ$6.4 billion
• · Fairtrade benefits over 7.5 million people in 58 countries
• · 68% of consumers said they would remain loyal to an ethically certified product even in the economic downturn
• · The competition was judged by a panel consisting of Oxfam and FTAANZ.

*All figures correct as of 2 April 2009
Spokespeople are available from Oxfam and FTAANZ
What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade, which aims to share the benefits of trade more equitably between consumers, producers and the environment. Through Fairtrade, farmers are paid a fair and stable price for their produce so they are protected from the damaging fluctuations in world market prices. In addition, their community receives a social premium to invest in local development projects such as education and healthcare. Workers are also paid a fair wage, and the use of forced labour and abusive child labour is prohibited.


The Fairtrade Label
The FAIRTRADE Label is a “seal of approval” that appears on products that meet internationally agreed Fairtrade standards and which promises to consumers that their purchase of a particular product will benefit the producers, their families and the surrounding communities from the developing countries that they originate from. Consumers can be assured of the benefits flowing from their purchase of products bearing the Fairtrade Label because there is a monitoring and auditing system behind that label that applies to all participants in the supply chain of the product. This includes Fairtrade Certified producers (who comply with Fairtrade standards), Fairtrade registered importers (who pay a Fairtrade premium, in addition to minimum prices, that supports social, economic and environmental development) and Fairtrade licensees (who a licensed to apply the Fairtrade label to packaged products and sell them in to the market).

For more information visit: www.fairtrade.org.nz, www.checkoutfairtrade.org.nz, www.oxfam.org.nz