Coles and Ben & Jerry’s are among the 2014 Fairtrade Award winners recognised for helping create a better future for farmers, their families and communities in developing countries.
Now in their second year, the Fairtrade Awards recognise businesses that have helped grow Fairtrade in Australia. Australian consumers voted for their favourite Fairtrade products and cafes, and an independent judging panel consisting of representatives from NAB, Salvation Army and the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries awarded prizes to two retailers.
The winners of the 2014 Fairtrade Awards include:
- National Retailer of the Year – Coles Supermarket
- Specialty Retailer of the Year – Oxfam Melbourne
- Product of the Year (National) – Ben & Jerry’s Choc Fudge Brownie ice-cream
- Product of the Year (Specialty) – Etiko’s This Shirt Frees Slaves t-shirt
George Dymond, Coles merchandise director, said, “Coles is delighted to have been recognised for a second year as Fairtrade Retail Chain of the Year, recognising our long-term commitment to a strict Ethical Sourcing Policy. For our customers, this means a wide-range of Fairtrade Certified products available at Coles – all supporting the critical work of Fairtrade in supporting producers in the world's developing regions.
Julia Sumner, general manager, Oxfam Trading said “we are so excited for our Oxfam Shop in the Walk Arcade [in Melbourne CBD] to be named 2014 Specialty Retailer of the year. The team in the Walk Arcade are such a passionate group of people who work tirelessly to campaign for fairer working conditions for Oxfam’s producers, it’s great to see their hard work be publicly recognised.”
Molly Harriss Olson, chief executive officer, Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand, said, “We congratulate the exceptional winners of the Fairtrade awards who show that it is possible to source their products fairly, be successful and have a life changing impact on farmers and workers in developing countries. We are delighted that Australian shoppers are continuing to reward companies for their ethical leadership and we hope that this inspires more businesses to look at their own supply chains.”
Other winners included San Churro who were awarded Fairtrade Café Chain of the Year and Fresh St@art Organic Cafe who won Fairtrade Café of the Year.