Despite the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, Fairtrade Belgium has performed well in 2020 and even beat an important record.
Record
Last year, 84.3 % of all the Belgians bought at least one Fairtrade product. This record penetration is no stranger to Fairtrade’s ever growing offer: last year, the Belgians could choose from no fewer than 6,121 Fairtrade products.
The crisis had an impact on coffee sales, as many restaurants and pubs were forced to close for a large part of 2020. Fairtrade bananas too found their way to fewer customers. On the other hand, sales of Fairtrade chocolate and cane sugar saw a strong growth in Belgium. To counter the adverse effect of lower sales on Fairtrade producers, the organisation has started an emergency fund that, thus far, collected 15 million euros to support farmers financially.
After the Covid crisis, Fairtrade wants to unite producers, companies, consumers and governments around the values and principles of a fair trade: “After Covid-19, everything has to become more sustainable, and people and planet have to be the central focus of global trade and the economy”, Fairtrade Belgium’s annual report states.
