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Fairtrade bananas are no longer considered niche products; today, they help set the standard, according to Fairtrade Belgium: more than one in five bananas in Belgium contribute to fairer wages. Coffee, however, is lagging behind.
Encouraging trend
Last year, 20.2% of all bananas on store shelves bore the Fairtrade logo, an increase of 0.8 percentage points, according to Fairtrade Belgium’s 2025 annual report. Also, 22.7% of all chocolate sold in Belgium is Fairtrade certified, a 0.4 percentage point increase. Only coffee continues to lag behind somewhat, with a market share of 4.1% and a 0.3 percentage point decline.
“Bananas are one of the largest product categories in our supermarkets. Despite the price competition involved, retailers are increasingly opting for a fair trade model. That is encouraging,” says Philippe Weiler, CEO of Fairtrade Belgium. “The fact that 1 in 5 bananas is Fairtrade shows that change within the system is possible, despite the challenging economic context we face today.”
Collective solutions needed
For coffee, the story is different: the Fairtrade market share has been stagnating between 4% and 5% for several years now. This is due to the high coffee prices of the past two years, but also to a lack of a collective long-term vision in the sector.
“Sustainability is no longer an option for coffee companies; it’s a must,” says Weiler. “Climate change is putting enormous pressure on coffee production volumes and quality. Everyone knows what can and must change, but actions often remain too individual or too small-scale. What we need are collective solutions involving the entire sector, as well as political support that puts fair and sustainable coffee on the agenda as an economic priority.”
The fact that 85% of all Belgians are familiar with the Fairtrade label and that 84% of them also trust it should help encourage companies to take an extra step toward sustainability. Market shares for bananas, chocolate, and coffee have not yet reached their limits but could continue to grow in the coming years, according to Fairtrade Belgium.
