Fairtrade Italia, 3.6 million generated in 2025 for the development of global supply chains

On the volume front, 2025 confirmed a differentiated picture by category, 'but with an overall resilience that we consider positive in a market context that is not easy. Bananas had the most brilliant performance, with a growth of 13% in volume: this was due not to new sales outlets, but to an increase in purchases on the existing network and to a strengthening in the collective catering channel,' explains Zulian, 'particularly in school and company canteens. Certified coffee closed with +3% in volume, a result that we consider very solid considering that consumer prices increased by over 20% during the year: in some cities the espresso at the bar exceeded EUR 1.50, and this inevitably compressed consumption throughout the sector".

For cocoa, on the other hand, there is a volume reduction of about 5%. "International quotations," Zulian continues, "have reached historic peaks in 2024-2025, with direct repercussions on shelf prices. Families have rationalised their purchases of non-essential products such as chocolate and biscuits, with a dynamic typical of inflationary phases: growth in value, contraction in volume. The fact that certified cocoa lost less than the market average is a significant indicator for us'.

On the subject of prices, Zulian adds an important clarification: 'Cocoa and coffee are commodities listed on the stock exchange, and in 2025 they reached record levels. What characterises the Fairtrade system is that the price paid to farmers does not follow market fluctuations: it is a guaranteed Minimum Price, calculated by Fairtrade International, which acts as a safety net when prices fall. When prices go up, as happened in 2024-2025 for coffee and cocoa, the market leads companies to pay more, but Fairtrade farmers still benefit from structurally more stable conditions than in the conventional market'.

In any case, the Fairtrade minimum price is updated periodically. "The last update for cocoa dates back to 2025 and takes into account increases in inflation in the countries of origin and protects agricultural producers at a time when they face significant price volatility and in parallel have to respond to increasing regulatory requirements."

As for sugar, the drop of 20% 'was largely determined by contingent factors: some stock breaks along the supply chain and a partner's decision to favour domestic products'.

The Social Report 2025 also documents the launch of the 'Malawi Zero Hunger' field project, a three-year initiative financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented with Fairtrade Africa and Agricane Malawi. "The project responds to the serious environmental disasters that continue to affect the districts of Chikwawa and Nkhotakota, causing huge crop losses and the blocking of sugar exports. The intervention,' the promoters explain, 'aims to safeguard the food security of more than 4,400 producers and their families, through the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, the strengthening of water infrastructures with the installation of wells, and the launching of food education and empowerment courses aimed especially at women. The aim is to promote diversification of food and income sources, strengthening cooperative governance and building a model of socio-economic resilience for the benefit of local communities'.