What is Fairtrade?

vanilla bean farmer
Caring for vanilla beans is a labor-intensive process that farmers must do by hand.

October is National Fairtrade Month ⁠— the perfect time to learn about your food ingredients’ journey from plant to plate. Whether you’ve always been a Fairtrade advocate or it’s a new concept to you, October is a good time to remind yourself and others to be conscious consumers. Read on to learn more about fairtrade vanilla.

Americans are increasingly making ingredient and food choices based on their values. Where a product comes from, how it’s produced and its impact on the environment all figure into the decision-making process.

For the average consumer, supply chain information is complex and difficult to verify. One easy way to determine whether a product has been sourced responsibly is to look for a Fairtrade certification logo.

National fairtrade logo

Fairtrade America’s trusted certification logo appears on more than 35,000 Fairtrade products globally.

What does the Fairtrade certification tell me?

Products can be certified Fairtrade by several trusted organizations that require a third-party review to ensure the standards are being met. The most recognized and trusted ethical certification is by a national nonprofit organization called Fairtrade America. Fairtrade America is part of Fairtrade International, the largest Fairtrade system in the world with more than 30 offices and 35,000 Fairtrade products.

Most people are familiar with Fairtrade coffee and chocolate – the two products that launched the movement. But did you know that Fairtrade America’s rigorous standards cover more than 300 raw products, including vanilla?

Man holding Nielsen-Massey's organic fairtrade vanilla
Our Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is made from premium, hand-selected beans and features only organic and Fairtrade ingredients.

In line with our commitment to farmers and the environment, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas was the first vanilla manufacturer to offer Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. Released initially to top restaurant chefs in 2008, the extract was made available for consumer purchase in 2013.

When you see the Fairtrade America logo on a product, it means the entire supply chain has met the strict standards set by Fairtrade America, from the small-scale organic vanilla farmers in Madagascar to the finished product on store shelves.

“The Fairtrade label is an easy way for people to identify products that protect human rights, confront inequality, and protect the environment,” said Kyle Freund, Media Manager at Fairtrade America.

Female organic fairtrade vanilla farmer
Farmers cure and age vanilla beans over the course of several months to develop complex flavor notes.

What’s Fair about Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is a partnership between farmers, consumers and responsible companies, like Nielsen-Massey, to share the benefits of trade more equally. Farmers agree to produce crops according to strong social, economic and environmental criteria, and companies commit to better buying practices.

The Fairtrade Standards set by Fairtrade America strictly prohibit exploitative child and forced labor. Harmful agrochemicals are minimized or prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods to protect health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

Helping farmers and workers organize is important to Nielsen-Massey. By banding together, farmers can negotiate trade on their own terms and serve as a resource to their community. There are currently more than 1.66 million Fairtrade farmers and workers organized into more than 1,200 producer groups across 75 countries.

water pump
Providing clean water to villages that help grow our vanilla beans is a major sustainability priority for Nielsen-Massey. Madagascar farmers and their families regularly fetch water from well systems in their communities.

The Price and Premium Difference

In addition to fairer prices, farmers’ organizations receive the Fairtrade Premium, money on top of their sales that is placed in a fund to be invested in the community. Each year, farmers gather at a general assembly to vote on how to best spend the extra funds.

How the Fairtrade Premium is invested depends on the farmers’ and their community’s priorities. Projects vary from business and farm improvements to education and healthcare programs, to environmental education. At Nielsen-Massey, we value our relationships with farmers and communities, and we consider it an honor for one of our products to bear the Fairtrade label.

vanilla beans
Nielsen-Massey responsibly sources the highest-grade vanilla beans for all our pure vanilla products.

Why Choose Nielsen-Massey’s Fairtrade Vanilla?

Nielsen-Massey’s Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract allows home bakers and gourmet chefs alike to know the pure vanilla in their favorite dish is as good for the environment as it is for the farmers who grow the vanilla beans.

As with Nielsen-Massey’s other vanillas, our proprietary cold extraction process is used to preserve more than 300 distinctive flavor compounds contained in vanilla beans, creating the flavor difference that sets our products apart. Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract has a full, sweet, creamy and mellow flavor with velvety after-tones, making it the perfect all-purpose vanilla for flavor and consistency in both hot and cold applications.

Celebrate Fairtrade Month by exploring these recipes that feature our Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.


 

Try our Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and share your favorite recipes with us by using #NielsenMasseyInspires.

To learn more about Fairtrade, visit www.fairtradeamerica.org.

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