Fair Trade in Spain obtained a turnover of 156.2 million euros during the year 2023, which represents a growth of 10 million euros, 7% more compared to the previous year, “regaining strength” after “the break” that was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data published by the State Fair Trade Coordinator (CECJ).
According to the Coordinator, since 2020, Fair Trade turnover in Spain had not stopped growing but “its pace had stagnated”, registering increases of “between 0.3% and 1%.” However, he highlights that, in the last year, the sector “has regained strength with an increase of 7% compared to 2022.”
In this sense, he emphasizes that this growth has occurred thanks to the increase in income of importing organizations Fair Trade as well as the sales of products with the Fairtrade seal by conventional companies.
With this global figure, the average consumption per inhabitant in Fair Trade in Spain during 2023 was 3.20 euros.
By distribution channels, around 82% of the consumption of Fair Trade products occurred in supermarkets and large stores, which gained market share compared to the last year; 12.7%, in the hospitality industry and 5.1%, in small businessesthat is, in the specialized Fair Trade stores managed by the CECJ organizations whose turnover remains at 4.5 million euros compared to the previous year.
Regarding the products, Food continues to be the main protagonist Fair Trade, with more than 96% of sales. Within this block, cocoa and sweets, which generate 76.8% of turnover, are the best sellers; and coffee remains with 15% of sales.
In relation to products that are not food, Textile items (clothing and home) are the best sellers with 2.7% of the totall. They are followed by accessories and decoration, while hygiene products and natural cosmetics have seen a slight decrease in sales.
Regarding the certifications that guarantee compliance with the principles of Fair Trade (labor and human rights, prices that cover sustainable production costs, fair and democratic practices, care for the environment), the 95.8% of transactions came from products with the Fairtrade seal.
A part (6.4%) were distributed by importing organizations of the CECJ, but the majority (89.4%) was the result of sales from conventional companies; and the rest corresponds to Fair Trade products with other certifications.
Far from Europe
“Although we are far from the consumption levels of other European countries, our country has a lot of growth potential ahead in development of Fair Trade”, explained the director of the CECJ, Laura Rubio.
For example, he pointed out that, in France, Fair Trade turnover in the last year has exceeded 2.1 billion euros thanks, among other aspects, to the legal recognition that the sector has. For this reason, the CECJ demands that the future Social Economy Law also incorporate Fair Trade.
The Fair Trade market in Spain is supplied directly with products from 131 cooperatives and organizations producing 46 countries. The countries with which the greatest trade volume is generated are Peru, India, Uganda, Paraguay and Guatemala. Latin America is the region that benefits most from Fair Trade purchases made in Spain, followed by Africa and Asia.
Fair Trade cocoa and coffee have a very wide provenance, as they are produced in 15 different countries. In the case of coffee, Uganda, Nicaragua and Guatemala stand out by trade volume, and in the case of cocoa, the Dominican Republic, Ivory Coast and Peru. From the latter, the largest amount of cane sugar is also imported, along with Paraguay, the Philippines and Ecuador. Besides, textiles and craft items come mainly from Asiaand in particular, from India and Türkiye.
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