Fair Trade and Pollinators

What’s the Deal with Fair Trade?

Fair Trade essentially makes trade fair, which strengthens the position of farmers and workers in developing countries. This arrangement supports the trading conditions of products we love such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, and the cotton our clothes are made of. Purchasing Fair Trade goods is a way to support people and the planet.

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is a global association that raises awareness and creates networks of Fair Trade organizations to help fight poverty, climate change, gender inequality, and injustice. World Fair Trade Day is the second Saturday in May and celebrates Fair Trade as a way to positively impact the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Pollinators and Fair Trade

Many pollinators are important to the top Fair Trade products. Coffee and cotton are self-pollinating, but bees are a pollination booster, meaning that they help coffee plants produce 20-25% more fruit. They also contribute to an increase in cotton production as well.

Bananas and cocoa plants are major Fair Trade products as well. Cocoa plants rely heavily on the chocolate midge, a tiny fly that is pivotal for cocoa pollination. Bananas are able to self-pollinate, but they need help scattering their seeds, and bats are the ones for the job! They love to feed on the pulp on the bananas, which is how they end up spreading the seeds.

How Can I Help?

Buying Fair Trade certified goods is one way to support the farmers, as well as the planet! The WFTO not only looks out for the underdog, but they support sustainable practices for the earth as well. Bees and other important pollinators are struggling due to climate change, so purchasing ethically sourced products is a great way to make a difference!

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Written by Haley Todd and Michelle Simbajon