Fairfood in Short

Introduction
According to the UN World Food Programme, 25 000 people die of hunger everyday, and 854 million people don't have enough to eat to lead a dignified life. And yet there is more than enough to go around. What went wrong? Fairfood holds western trade policies largely responsible, and envisages part of the solution on the western consumer's plate: fair consuming can feed the world!

What is Fairfood?

Fairfood is a non-profit campaign and lobby organisation that incites and enables consumers to eat and drink fair products. These are products whose production and trade contribute to the eradication of hunger and poverty in developing countries, and to the sustainability of production chains. In short: eat fair, beat hunger.

What are Fairfood’s objectives?
Fairfood’s three main objectives are:

to raise public awareness about the relation between western consumer behaviour, and hunger and poverty in developing countries;
to increase the share of fair products in every consumer’s shopping basket;
to contribute to the sustainability of production chains of food and beverage products.

What does Fairfood do?
Fairfood assumes the role of critical consumer. By means of an annual questionnaire based on international standards, Fairfood evaluates run-of-the-mill supermarket products on their fairness. By doing so, Fairfood enables the consumer to make conscious choices when shopping for groceries. Moreover, Fairfood raises public awareness by means of advertisement campaigns and various events, and by actively participating in the public debate. In addition, companies and politicians are constantly being pursued, and citizens can contribute by signing up to various petitions.

What exactly does "fair" mean?

Fair is a relative term. According to Fairfood, fair products are those whose production processes are of an above average sustainability, or make more progress in this field than its competitors’ counterparts. This means that fair products are not necessarily perfectly produced or traded, but relatively better for people, planet, and profit.

What are Fairfood’s criteria?
Fairfood’s criteria include:

decent wages, contracts, and working environments for farmers and employees;
environmentally sustainable production, thus ensuring an adequate water level for current and future generations;
the absence of cartels, corruption, and tax-evasion;
fair and equal access to European markets.

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¹source: VN World Food Programme: http://www.wfp.org/aboutwfp/facts/hunger_facts.asp

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