Chairing the first panel of the Briefing on Fair Trade, MEP Linda McAvan stressed the commitment of the European Parliament to Fair Trade.
Ms. McAvan recalled the establishment of the Fair Trade working group and the adoption of a Fair Trade resolution in 2006. Her personal commitment has a longer history, she remembers buying Fair Trade products back in the 70s. Today, Fair Trade products are easily available in many supermarkets and, for example, 60% of British consumers recognize the Fair Trade label. People today are more concerned about the background of the product they buy, and awareness is rising.
She mentioned that the European Commission is working on a communication on Fair Trade. Contrary to the comments of Lisselotte Isaksson, she felt that it is important to have some control on fair trade standards. For example, now there are ethically blended products such as coffee which may contain as little as 5% fair trade content, the EU can help to ensure that consumers are not misled and that producers get a fair prices. [view video interview]
See more from the 16 April Briefing
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