Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/929711
maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 12 News M altese consumers have yet to give fair trade a fair chance, possibly driven by the lower prices available at large supermarkets. 'Fair trade' is a certification which guarantees that prod- ucts reach the consumer through ethical and sustainable means, Maria Attard, a volunteer of Koperattiva Kum- merc Gust (KKG) – a Maltese-registered Fair Trade Co- operative – told this newspaper. The fair trade certification is granted to communities, cooperatives and organisations which fulfill a number of conditions to guarantee that their products came about through fair work. Conditions to be met include guaran- tee that there was no child labour, no forced labour, fair pay, and that basic rights of workers are respected, Attard said. Sustainability is another key aspect of the free trade philosophy, as the certification guarantees that the en- vironment was not exploited in the production process. Fair trade products also include a social premium – an amount of money which is allocated to either producer cooperatives in order to invest in machinery and improv- ing productivity, or go towards the community, investing in education and healthcare. Il-Hanut L-Ar- ka, established in 1998, is a col- ourful little shop stocked with a variety of prod- ucts from food to candles, bags, and jewellery. Typical customers include both young people who are becoming increasingly aware of fair trade issues due to media and the internet, but also old customers who are interested in global issues. "The motivation to buy fair trade is the fact that it helps producers directly. With the price you pay, you are guar- anteeing that [producers] are paid fairly, while also ensur- ing that the environment is being protected," Attard said. But the majority of local consumers are yet to give fair trade a chance. "Fair trade products are competing with big supermarkets which have low prices." "Of course, we are paying the appropriate price for fair trade products. But big supermarkets either can't afford to do so, or oftentimes don't pay their workers fairly, so their products are cheaper," Attard said, adding that this is what keeps local consumers away from fair trade prod- ucts the most. Although the Fair Trade Foundation's declared aim is to ensure sustainability and better working conditions for farmers and workers in developing countries, fair trade products come from all over the world. Poverty and ex- ploitation is affecting Europe as well, Attard says, and the shop also sells fair trade products from Italy. The good news is that the popularity of fair trade prod- ucts is increasing, in the same way that the fad for organic products caught on in recent years. In fact, organic and fair trade products can be found in supermarkets nowa- days, Attard tells us. "I think we are moving in the right direction, although there is still a lot to be done." Food is the most popular type of product, particularly honey, tea, coffee and chocolate. Products such as spices from India, which are not easy to come by in supermar- kets, are also among the products which sell the most. The shop is restocked about twice a year, and the most popular products are always replenished. "We try to experiment with new products and gauge the reaction of our customers," Attard said, explaining that they often introduce new products such as pasta, cous- cous and dried fruit apart from the popular staples such as coffee and chocolate. L-Arka is located in St Paul Street, Valletta, and is run by Koperattiva Kummerc Gust (KKG). The fair trade shop is now also online, with a limited amount of products showcased on their website. KKG is currently looking for volunteers, and urges interested parties to get in touch through Facebook or email. tia.reljic@mediatoday.com.mt Fair trade products change lives, or so we were told. TIA RELJIC barged into the pioneer fair trade shop in Valletta to stick a camera in the face of the helpless volunteer on shift that day PHOTO JAMES BIANCHI Volunteer Maria Attard: "Fair trade products are competing with big supermarkets which have low prices." 'Buying fair trade helps producers directly, and protects the environment' Not only profit