To mark Fairtrade Month in October, nonprofit Fairtrade America has commissioned three new murals at a range of grocery stores across the United States depicting farmers growing Fairtrade-certified cocoa or coffee.
The organisation, which is dedicated to fighting the exploitation of current supply-chain partnerships and responsible for the widely recognised Fairtrade Mark, started the campaign in response to research that reports 92 per cent of consumers are interested in learning more about the farmers who grow the ingredients in their preferred products.
“The long-standing profit-over-people-and planet approach to international trade must change,” says Amanda Archila, Executive Director of Fairtrade America.
“Two million Fairtrade farmers and workers are telling us it’s simply not sustainable. Shoppers, retailers, and brands who choose Fairtrade stand with farmers in their pursuit of fairer pay. With this campaign, we amplify their stories and commemorate their work in the form of public art to inspire more allies to join our movement to build more equitable food systems.”
Created in partnership with local artists and installed at sustainable-sourcing grocery stores, the murals are designed to make consumers more aware of the people and processes behind the food they consume.
The murals are currently installed in grocery stores in Boise, Idaho; Buffalo, New York; and Denver, Colorado, and depict farmers Carlixta and Francisco Contreras Martinez from the Dominican Republic, Salamatu Katta from Sierra Leone, and Ibu Rahman from Indonesia, respectively.
The artworks are part of Fairtrade America’s annual Fairtrade Month campaign, We are Fairtrade, which connects shoppers, grocers, brands, and farmers to celebrate their roles in the supply chain of their foods.
