Which Products Carry the Fairtrade Mark?

Updated

Products that carry the Fairtrade Mark include cocoa, sugar, bananas, cinnamon, and coffee, according to Fairtrade America. These are the categories the site highlights when explaining what Fairtrade products are and why buying them matters. If you are looking for a specific item, start with those five categories, then check the packaging for the Fairtrade Mark before you buy.

Common Fairtrade product categories

Fairtrade America names these product types directly in its description of Fairtrade products:

  • Cocoa — used in chocolate and other cocoa-based goods
  • Sugar — a widely traded commodity in the Fairtrade system
  • Bananas — one of the most visible Fairtrade fruits, and the focus of a current Fairtrade America campaign asking Walmart to carry Fairtrade bananas
  • Cinnamon — a spice example the site lists alongside cocoa and sugar
  • Coffee — described as "your morning cup of coffee," one of the best-known Fairtrade categories

The site frames these as examples rather than a complete list: "From cocoa to sugar, bananas to cinnamon or even your morning cup of coffee, shopping Fairtrade products supports the development of sustainable communities, protects natural resources, and uplifts the lives of farmers around the world."

How to tell a product actually carries the Mark

The Fairtrade Mark is the label that signals a product meets Fairtrade standards. Fairtrade America reports that more than 37,000 products are sold with the Fairtrade Mark in more than 140 countries, so the Mark appears across many brands and markets rather than on a single company's line.

To confirm a product is Fairtrade:

  1. Look for the Fairtrade Mark on the packaging — it is the certification label, not a general "ethical" or "sustainable" claim.
  2. Check the specific ingredient — for blended products, the Mark may apply to one ingredient (for example, the cocoa or sugar in a chocolate bar) rather than the whole item.
  3. Use the product category as your starting point — if you are shopping for coffee, cocoa, sugar, bananas, or cinnamon, these are the categories Fairtrade America points to first.

Why these products are the ones to look for

Fairtrade's model connects the product you buy to the farmers who grow it. Fairtrade America states that more than 2 million farmers and workers are involved in the Fairtrade system worldwide, and that more than $2 billion in Fairtrade premium has been paid to farmers over the last decade.

The premium is the mechanism behind the claim that purchases "drive sustainable growth, support communities, and protect resources." It is paid on top of the price for the crop and is intended for farmer-led development. In the site's own words, "You cannot separate human rights from environmental rights, child protection from living incomes and gender equity from worker's rights."

A concrete example from the site: Affoué Angèle Kouassi, who has farmed cocoa on her own land for 14 years, says, "Fairtrade has changed my life. Indeed, in a crisis situation, I have an inflow of money for my needs instead of going into debt. And Fairtrade has made me a woman leader."

What to do if you cannot find the Mark

If a product in one of these categories does not carry the Fairtrade Mark, it is not certified under this system — the Mark is the signal, and its absence means the product is outside the Fairtrade supply chain. In that case you can:

  • Switch to a brand in the same category that does carry the Mark.
  • Check other categories on the list (for example, if your usual chocolate brand is not certified, look at its sugar or cocoa sourcing).
  • Follow Fairtrade America's campaigns, such as the current push asking Walmart to carry Fairtrade bananas, if you want to influence what retailers stock.

The site's product pages are the place to go for category-level guidance and buying direction, since the Mark itself is what you verify at the shelf.