‘Its main objective is to tackle poverty’

To mark World Fair Trade Day, we speak to a Ni-based diplomat and a local brand manager about the transformative powers of the business model. By Catriona Doherty

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‘It is considered the gold standard of ethical labelling’

Diplomat Dr Christopher Stange has been involved with Fairtrade for over 20 years. Dr Stange (53), who is originally from Canada and is a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the eastern Caribbean Sea, moved to Northern Ireland in 1997. He is the Consul General for the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines to Northern Ireland.

“I have been involved in Fairtrade for over two decades, starting with the campaign to make the capital Belfast a Fairtrade city, which was achieved in 2005,” says Dr Stange.

“From there, I lobbied to form the All-party Group (APG) on Fairtrade at Stormont. I serve in a volunteer capacity as the Secretariat of this long-standing APG to co-ordinate the Fairtrade programme across Northern Ireland.

“During this time, working with all government departments and councils, solid commitments and policies have been put in place to support the procurement and purchase of Fairtrade-certified products.

“Every council area has passed a motion and achieved – borough, city or district – Fairtrade accreditation, making Northern Ireland a Fairtrade devolved region.”

Further work was done to highlight this major achievement by having the Fairtrade status displayed on various road and park signs across each council, Dr Stange explains, as he encourages people to look out for these signs.

In order for a company in Northern Ireland to achieve Fairtrade certification, certain standards have to be met.

“The Fairtrade certification mark is provided by either the UK Fairtrade Foundation or Fairtrade Ireland to products produced or grown in developing countries and to buyers, to guarantee full transparency of the entire process from origin to store shelf, and international Fairtrade standards are met,” Dr Stange says.

“These strict standards are overseen globally by Fairtrade International – FLO – and a certification body – FLO-CERT. The Fairtrade mark is unique in its primary objective to tackle poverty and achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

“It is considered the gold standard of ethical labelling, with 50% of Fairtrade owned by the producers or farmers.”

Dr Stange highlights that nearly two million farmers and workers are involved in Fairtrade-certified producer organisations, equating to over ten million people directly benefiting from the Fairtrade system.

In addition, there are nearly 2,000 Fairtrade-certified producer organisations, located in 71 different developing countries spread across three different continents. Based on those stats, buying Fairtrade products will impact many lives globally.

“Over 6,000 Fairtrade products are available including tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, bananas, oranges, nuts, sugar, cotton, gold, cut flowers, wine, beer and cosmetics,” says Dr Stange.

“Without Fairtrade, the poorest developing world farmers could not access global markets and be further driven into poverty.

“It is a fully transparent process where Fairtrade guarantees better prices, decent working conditions, and fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

!It guarantees more control over their own future by protecting the environment in which they live and work.”

For people who don’t make a conscious effort to buy Fairtrade-certified products, Dr Stage reminds them of the positive impact of doing so.

“Every purchase counts,” he says.

“Most product lines have a Fairtrade option. By making a small change, looking for the symbol on products and adding this to your weekly shop, you are creating a fairer global marketplace for the poorest developing world farmers.

“You may never meet these farmers, but by choosing Fairtrade products you are making life-altering changes in tackling poverty and in securing a better future for them and their families. This is the winwin relationship and the beauty of supporting Fairtrade.”

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‘It is essential that those involved are treated fairly’

Based in Lisburn, Johnson Brothers’ history dates back to the late 1800s when the business was launched as a sales and distribution company, before it set up a coffee roasting plant. Johnsons Coffee launched a Fairtrade coffee in 1998.

“The original business was started by two Johnson brothers, who were later joined by another two siblings,” says brand manager Tim Smith, who is not related to the family.

“The current owners are fourth generation Johnson family, with fifth generation also on the board of directors and working in various areas of the business.

“We import high grown arabica coffees from many countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Kenya, the Java Islands etc., all of which are slow batch hand-roasted in Lisburn. We sell coffee within local grocery stores and on our website, but the main element of our business is selling to the ‘out of home’ sector – cafes, restaurants, bars, tourist destinations and workplaces. This includes providing brewing equipment – anything from a £300 filter machine to a £45,000 bean-to-cup espresso machine – as well as maintenance support and barista training.”

Johnson Brothers has always been mindful when sourcing coffee to make sure it is fairly traded, Tim says, and the team have always ensured they trade with smaller producing countries for whom the exchange is crucial.

“Using the Fairtrade mark and buying coffee through this system means the consumer is assured of this purchasing standard,” Tim says.

“There are various elements to becoming Fairtrade registered. The company must register with the Fairtrade foundation, create and prove links to Fairtrade coffee producers and at every stage from tree to pack, show traceability of all purchases and sales. Product packaging must be approved by the Fairtrade foundation to ensure the design, logo use and wording all reflect the Fairtrade standards. “Also, we are regularly visited by Fairtrade auditors to ensure that we can account for purchases and sales.” Achieving this certification was important to Johnson Brothers for different reasons, Tim says: “Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world after oil, so it is essential that those involved in growing and harvesting are treated fairly in

terms of working conditions, opportunity and payment; Fairtrade ensures these goals are met.

“On a global scale, we are a small player in the industry and cannot influence what happens thousands of miles away. Being part of the Fairtrade system means we can be sure that growers receive a minimum value for their harvest.

“The Fairtrade co-operatives also provide additional resource for growers such as education, healthcare and independent business opportunity.”

Johnson Brothers plan to expand their current offering with a new line.

“From one Fairtrade blend, we now have two filter coffee blends, and an espresso blend,” Tim says.

“We are currently trading with four registered Fairtrade countries and are adding to the list with a new range of single-origin coffees.

“We are also expanding our barista training to include courses for consumers in addition to trade customers. With many households now owning espresso bar type equipment, we are offering barista training, so that even for home use we can ‘father the coffee to the cup’.

“Our taste sensation of coffee is not just on the tongue, but also through our nasal passage – try holding your nose when you eat or drink something and the taste is not there. The aromas from coffee which we ‘taste’ dissipate quickly and therefore it is important that coffee is brewed with freshly ground beans. For this reason, our roastery blends, roasts, packs and despatches within days to ensure maximum freshness. Back in 1916, Robert Johnson said, ‘we have a responsibility to father the coffee to the cup,’ and this remains our core value.”