Fairtrade America’s five consumer trends for 2022

Washington, D.C.-based Fairtrade America released five key consumer trends that will impact how brands source ingredients and work to have a larger impact on people and the planet in 2022.

The independent, third-party certification organization partners with farmers and workers to negotiate better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal overall.

Shoppers are increasingly looking for ethically-sourced products, according to a news release. More than half of respondents to Fairtrade’s biennial Fairtrade Consumer Insights report, conducted by GlobeScan, confirmed they have changed their purchasing choices within the past year to make a difference on economic, social, environmental or political issues. This finding indicates that more and more, people see their everyday shopping as an important way to make a difference, according to the release.

“We are energized by how consumers are showing a readiness to advocate for people and the planet through their own everyday choices,” executive director Peg Willingham said in the release. “At Fairtrade America, we will continue to partner with and support companies who want to balance the power of global trade to benefit the farmers and workers behind our favorite products, and I’m looking forward to seeing how brands take on this cause in 2022 and beyond.”

Using this report data and other studies, Fairtrade America made these 2022 predictions:

1. Consumers will continue to demand companies focus more on sustainability.

   As climate change continues to worsen, consumers are looking to brands to provide sustainably sourced and produced products they can feel good about purchasing. More than a quarter of consumers say they always or usually base their purchases on sustainability, which is an increase of 11 points over the last 14 years and up 4 points from 2019.

2. Advocacy for human rights and fair wages will go global in scale.

   In 2021, 73% of Fairtrade shoppers were willing to pay more for a product to ensure farmers and producers were paid a fair price; specifically, up to 35% more per pound for Fairtrade coffee and 30% more per bar for Fairtrade chocolate. About three quarters of consumers familiar with Fairtrade agree that when they buy certified products, they “feel part of a community standing up for fairness and justice.”​ Large companies are re-examining their supply chains to ensure they are meeting these consumer demands. Many farmers and workers around the world live on less than $2 per day. The Fairtrade Minimum Price acts as a safety net for farmers when prices fall below a sustainable level.

3. Shopping for everyday goods online will remain the new norm.

   While the world is slowly reopening amid the pandemic, COVID-19 led more U.S. consumers to make purchases online, and that is a trend that will continue into 2022. In 2020, US e-commerce grew by 32.4% with a total spend of $791.70 billion, according to Digital Commerce 360.4 This digitalization makes it easier for shoppers to compare products and learn whether or not a company’s sourcing and manufacturing practices align with their values. Fairtrade is making this comparison even easier by partnering with online retailers like Amazon to help shoppers find Fairtrade certified products through its Climate Pledge Friendly program.

4. Shoppers will seek out organizations and companies that promote gender equality.

   Frequent Fairtrade shoppers care more than average about women’s causes, according to GlobeScan survey data. A large proportion of the world’s food is farmed by women, yet there is a significant gender gap in agriculture leaving female farmers with less access than their male counterparts to resources like land, information, credit, training and supplies.

5. More mission-focused brands, plus brand transparency.

   There is a clear consumer desire to support brands that are not only taking care of their own teams and suppliers, but also contributing to making the world a better place. A study by Zeno Group found that consumers are up to six times more likely to buy from companies with a strong purpose. Also, 71% of consumers indicated that traceability is very important to them and that they are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it, according to IBM Research Insights. This means companies have an opportunity to attract new customers and drive loyalty with existing shoppers by authentically developing a transparent supply chain and by celebrating how they work to benefit people and the planet.

More than 75% of consumers familiar with Fairtrade agree that the Fairtrade label makes it easy to decide if a product is ethically and responsibly produced, according to the release.