OAKLAND, Calif., US – Fair Trade USA – the leading certifier of fair trade products in North America – announces new commitments and product launches in the second quarter of 2021. As workers and vulnerable populations continue to struggle with the impacts of the climate crisis and new COVID-19 variants, businesses are executing on environmental, social, and governance criteria with increasing urgency and vigilance. And consumers are holding them accountable with more than ever.
Today, one in three consumers feel fair trade is essential to their purchase, and retailers that use the Fair Trade Certified seal on their products see sales lift by 3.3% on average. And with deeper storytelling around the meaning of fair trade, sales can increase up to 134%.* Conscious consumerism continues to encourage brands and retailers to make significant commitments to social equity and transparency. Increasingly, businesses are turning to fair trade as a holistic partner for social compliance and responsibility.
The following showcase these new or expanded commitments:
Fair Trade Certified Private Label Coffee CVS Pharmacy recently launched over 150 new products in its exclusive Store Brands assortment, including new health and wellness, grocery, and beauty brands. Gold Emblem®, the retailer’s exclusive grocery brand, will now offer Fair Trade Certified™ coffees to help support and empower coffee producers. The expansion makes CVS the first-ever drugstore to carry 100% Fair Trade Certified products in its exclusive store brand. The assortment will offer nine sustainably sourced coffee products offered in various blends, roasts (Donut Shop, French Vanilla, French Roast, Colombian), and pack sizes. Each sale will directly benefit coffee producers through Community Development Funds that workers can invest in initiatives that address their pressing community needs. In the past, workers have used these funds for climate resiliency projects, to build schools and clinics, provide transportation, and more.
Sustainable Apparel on the Rise Conversations regarding ethically sourced apparel ramped up as Fair Trade USA stressed the importance of ethical apparel sourcing with its We Wear Fair Trade campaign which ran from April 26 to May 7, 2021. For the first time, the campaign challenged brands to make a new or expanded commitment to fair trade sourcing through its #GetTheSeal Challenge and called on consumers to ask their favorite brands to #GetTheSeal. The campaign created a new pathway for industry adoption and continues to run, welcoming any apparel brands that wish to make commitments through the remainder of 2021.
“The industry really needs to be flipped upside down. Fair trade became an obvious choice – it’s something that we needed to commit to,” said Adrianne Gilbride, Supply Sustainability Lead at Arc’teryx during a We Wear Fair Trade sourcing event.
Mightly, an organic childrenswear brand, joined the #GetTheSeal Challenge by amplifying it, and the meaning of Fair Trade Certified across its social channels, in blog posts, and on QR codes displayed on product packaging.
Pact Organic Apparel added to the momentum of the Challenge to apparel brands in Q2. Best known for its organic clothing basics and bedding, the brand announced a new sourcing commitment: to produce 90% of its products in Fair Trade Certified Factories in 2021 and 2022.
Finally, Our Tiny Roots, a new kids clothing and bedding brand, partnered with Fair Trade USA for the first time during the Challenge. The brand was on-boarded during the We Wear Fair Trade campaign and will source from a Fair Trade Certified factory, Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills, in West Bengal, India. Our Tiny Roots promoted its commitment to fair trade alongside its launch, making it the latest company to launch an apparel brand with Fair Trade Certified offerings.
New Fair Trade Certified Product Launches 229 new Fair Trade Certified products hit the shelves and online shops in the second quarter of 2021. Of note, 46 of these new products were in the private label space.
