At the Organic Produce Summit in the US, Equifruit aims to show how affordable it is to switch to Fairtrade-certified bananas, comparing the cost of the annual premium to that of a single sock
Photo: Equifruit
Equifruit, the market leader in Fairtrade bananas in North America, has an arresting message for attendees to this month’s Organic Produce Summit in California: upgrading to Fairtrade bananas for a whole year costs less than a single sock.
The company said it had come up with an immersive experience aimed at demonstrating how the “most expensive banana” is actually “outrageously affordable” – one that will knock your socks off, according to Equifruit.
“Let’s break it down: switching to Equifruit bananas adds about US$5 per year to your grocery bill,” the company explained. “That works out as less than most single socks, let alone a pair, and yet it funds something far more fashionable: fair pay for banana farmers.”
“We often get pushback about raising banana prices at retail,” said Kim Chackal, co-owner and VP of sales and marketing at Equifruit. “But by the end of the year, upgrading to Equifruit bananas costs less than a single sock. This might seem like an absurd comparison to make, but we want to shock retailers into realising how affordable the switch to Equifruit bananas is.”
By choosing Equifruit bananas, the company said, retailers and consumers are supporting fair wages for banana farmers, as well as better working conditions and environmentally friendly farming practices.
“Through the Fairtrade Standard, Equifruit also pays US$1 in Fairtrade Premium for every case of bananas sold, which goes directly to farmers for them to invest in community projects, like better schools, medical care, clean water and climate resilience projects,” it revealed.
