The volume of fair-trade products sold in Slovakia has posted a significant growth, said Director of Fairtrade Czech Republic and Slovakia Hana Chorváthová on Thursday. According to her, products labelled as fair trade are those which really cover the costs of sustainable production. Apart from offering a minimum price, the system offers producers a so-called fair-trade surcharge, which they can use "for investing into the development of their farms as well as their communities such as schools or providing drinking water," said Chorváthová.
Last year, Slovak consumers paid €95,000 on fair-trade surcharges, which is more than twice as much as the year before. In Slovakia, the leading fair-trade product is coffee. Its share on the market grew from 0.47 to 0.7% year-on-year. The consumption of fair trade cocoa has more than tripled especially thanks to chain stores which have included the cocoa products in their range. Sales of fair-trade sugar have doubled, and sales of fair-trade cotton have grown by 20 tons.
As Allan Bussard, executive manager of the Ten Senses company, trading fair-trade coffee and nuts, fair-trade does not necessarily have to mean a higher price for consumers. "Fairtrade is a system which ensures in particular a shorter route from the producer to us. There are fewer sub-contractors. Thus, the price can be similar, but the farmer receives more from the final price than a regular farmer," explained Bussard.
