Fairtrade has grown over the last 30 years and we are always evaluating the impact we’re making. This way, we can make decisions that make sense for producers, businesses and shoppers.
Fairtrade Makes a Difference

Fair trade benefits farmers and workers
Fairtrade impacts the economic, environmental and social well-being of producers. We outlined this in our Theory of Change (coming soon). In general, producers experience benefits such as:
- More ownership over the process of trade by investing in their infrastructure or skills
- Better negotiating power
- More reliable sources of income and investment
- Support to go organic if they so choose
- Increasing crop quality and yield
- Greater gender equality due to the democratic voting on Premium use
- Ability to invest in their communities through school, clinic and more
- Supplemental income
- The ability for workers to organize
Put the above points into context by reading stories about producers all around the world who have seen the positive benefits of fair trade.
Fairtrade International's Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning department is key to gaining the knowledge needed to better develop our system, standards and programs. If you have a specific question about how we review our impact, get in touch.
Fair trade is good for business
Businesses benefit from Fairtrade Certification, too. Many businesses feel the rigor of the Fairtrade standards and audits helps them have more insight into their supply chain. Read some of our case studies about how fair trade has made a difference in organizations.
People like YOU make fair trade possible
Finally, individuals also benefit from Fairtrade. In general, more people are wondering where their food comes from and if their purchases are harming or helping. We all know that one or two people in our network that is a vocal champion for the things they care about – like fair food, workers’ rights or fair pay.
Read stories of some Fairtrade Champions who have been working hard to spread the word about Fairtrade.