Fairtrade and Wine

Poor working and living conditions have been the norm for many workers in the wine industry, particularly those operating in some of the world’s most underdeveloped, isolated and poverty stricken nations.

Fairtrade guarantees growers and producers a fair price for their grapes. This is known as the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which aims to cover their average cost of sustainable production, or the market price, whichever is higher.

2014 saw a record breaking 22.2 million litres, the equivalent of 30 million bottles of Fairtrade wine sold globally, an increase in sales volumes of 6%. There are now 9,800 hectares of wine around the world dedicated to producing Fairtrade wine.

Argentina has eight certified Fairtrade wine producers, including La Riojana, which is not only the world’s first certified Fairtrade wine producer, but its biggest single producer of Fairtrade wine with over 50 million bottles a year. Which countries produce Fairtrade wine

Anna Pierides, product manager at the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK, explains why Fairtrade wine has become such an important category in helping consumers to better understand Fairtrade products, and its commercial benefits.