FRENCH FAIR TRADE - QUALITY WILL OUT

 

Some of the basic principles of Fairtrade are paying dividends for farmers in France. The C'est qui le patron (Who's the boss) co-operative asks supermarket customers to pay a bit more so that producers may receive a fair return. And they do. 

 

 

 

The movement started with milk and now covers 32 products from pizza to potatoes. Its two bio butters now sell more than any other organic butter, though (at 2.94 euros) they cost considerably more than supermarket own brand butter. It may be that French customers really will pay for quality and object to the notion that shoppers want low price above all else. There may be a lesson here.