Fairtrade Canada says sales of Fairtrade-certified products in Canada generated a record US$10 million in Fairtrade Premium payments for producers in 2025, while coffee brands offering Fairtrade-certified products posted sales growth despite declines in the broader Canadian coffee market.
The organization’s 2025 annual report says the Premium — a social development fund paid on top of the selling price of Fairtrade products — exceeded the US$10-million mark for the first time through Canadian sales. The funds are directed by farmer and worker co-operatives, which decide democratically how the money is invested based on local priorities.
According to the report, those investments can include climate adaptation projects, business improvements, agricultural and community infrastructure, schools and health clinics.
The report also says coffee brands with the organization’s offerings recorded increases in both sales volume and value during 2025. It says volumes rose 17 per cent while the value of those sales increased 32 per cent, even as overall coffee volumes declined across the Canadian market.
The figures suggest Fairtrade-certified coffee outperformed the broader market during the year, according to the organization’s annual report.
“We’re seeing it in the numbers. Canadians are voting with their wallets, and they are increasingly demanding that their goods be ethically sourced,” said Julie Francoeur, CEO of Fairtrade Canada.
The report also points to findings from a 2025 GlobeScan consumer study measuring public perceptions of the Fairtrade certification. According to the study, eight in 10 Canadians who have seen the Fairtrade Mark say they trust it.
The same research found that nearly 60 per cent of Canadians would be willing to pay more for those products.
Fairtrade Canada says those findings are relevant for businesses navigating evolving regulatory requirements related to supply chains and marketing claims.
The organization says consumer trust in Fairtrade certification may be an important consideration for companies seeking to comply with the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, also known as Bill S-211, as well as amendments to the Competition Act.
The annual report presents the premium payments, coffee sales performance and consumer research as indicators of Fairtrade’s position in the Canadian market during 2025.
More from Retail Insider:
