A recent article of the BZfE, the German Centre for Food, says demand for fairtrade products has risen in Germany in recent years. BZfE is a public body that primarily communicates information with a scientific basis towards consumers.
Fairtrade
The BZfE article references a survey conducted by the Forum Fairer Handel, the German fairtrade organisation, which shows that two-thirds of German consumers now buy fairtrade products to a greater or lesser extent; in 2009 this was only 44 per cent. The typical consumer of fairtrade products is female, aged between 40 and 49, and has a fairly high income.
Not just consumption of fairtrade products has increased, purchasing places have also changed: in 2009, half the consumers bought their products in special fairtrade shops (Weltladen), nowadays that’s only eight per cent. Consumers now buy fairtrade products primarily in supermarkets (73 per cent) and at discounters (64 per cent), followed by chemists (26 per cent) and organic and wholefood shops (24 per cent).
German respondents indicated they buy fairtrade products because of the prevention of child labour, fair prices for producers, quality and sustainability. Nine per cent of German consumers indicated in the survey that they (will) never buy fairtrade. The reasons for this are higher product prices, not knowing enough about the theme of fairtrade, or because they don’t believe fairtrade has an actual effect.
Source: Agroberichten Buitenland