Jeremy Tauri: Fair trade's good for your

In better years global economies will yield more for fair trade as its market increases and the number of producers also rises. Photo / Thinkstock

We have a small baby and so coffee is my new best friend.

And if there's a way to have my daily fix and help someone else as well, it's something I think I should give some consideration to.

The fair trade market is growing as people become aware of where and how food and other products are made.

In New Zealand, between 2007 and 2012, growth in fair trade on average has been more than 50 per cent, to a total spend of $52 million in 2012.

That's during tough times; better years for global economies will yield more for fair trade as its market increases and the number of producers also rises. Goods that are certified fair trade have pledges from the organisations that make them to inspect working and living conditions of their workers and suppliers as well as getting better prices at market for their growers, and developing structures such as co-ops to feed those profits back.

It's not just coffee or tea and sugar that is available under the fair trade banner, there's also paper, chocolate, nuts, fruit and clothing.

Deciding to opt for fair trade is not just an altruistic decision. Fair trade goods can also have a positive impact on a business when used as a marketing tool.

Jeremy Tauri is an associate at Plus Chartered Accountants.