Aldi highlights own brands for Fair Trade Month
In advance of Fair Trade Month in October, Aldi U.S. is highlighting a range of Fair Trade Certified products found at its more than 2,100 stores in 38 states.
The retailer said one in three consumers say sustainability is a key factor when purchasing items, but they may not necessarily understand what it means for a product to be Fair Trade Certified. The company is calling attention to products during the month to educate shoppers about its exclusive-label products. Aldi is promoting Fair Trade Month through Fair Trade USA’s “Just One Cup” campaign, which is raising awareness about sustainable, private label coffee. Aldi’s certified fair trade products also feature labels on the packaging from the third-party certifying partners (Fairtrade America, Fair Trade USA and Rainforest Alliance), which customers can see in Aldi stores.
Aldi stocks certified items in the cocoa, coffee and seafood categories. The company said its highlights include:
- With more than 30 Fair Trade Certified cocoa products, Aldi U.S. is the largest Fairtrade America private label cocoa purchaser in the U.S.
- Aldi U.S. has more than 30 Fair Trade Certified coffee products and is the second largest private label purchaser of Fair Trade USA coffee in the country.
- Aldi’s Barissimo and Simply Nature coffee brands will be 100% certified as sustainably sourced by a third-party certifying partner by the end of 2022.
- 100% of Aldi exclusive-brand chocolate and seasonal confectionary are certified as sustainably sourced by its third-party certifying partners.
- 100% of Aldi-exclusive brand fresh, frozen and canned seafood comes from responsible fisheries and farms.
The Batavia, Ill.-based company aims to partner with suppliers that meet strict criteria and whose products qualify as fair trade, meaning the products on Aldi’s shelves are brought from the farm in ways that protect the environment and maintain ecosystems. The company also said it strives to work with suppliers so that workers are treated fairly and humanely, and it enables farmers to reinvest the premiums placed on fair trade products in their businesses and their communities, from improving farming practices to supporting health and education programs in their communities.
Aldi said by putting seals on fair frade products it helps give shoppers the power to create positive change, providing education and an ability purchase knowingly items that are fair trade.