Polish Consumer on the Market of Fair Trade Products

Fair Trade is an organised social movement, a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect, whose strategy is to cooperate with marginalised producers and workers. The paper discusses selected results of empirical studies conducted in 2013 within the framework of research project Polish Market of Fair Trade Products financed from the NCN funds, concerning the Fair Trade idea and Polish consumer behaviour in the market of Fair Trade produets. They demonstrated that Fair Trade idea is not a subject of interest to wider circles of Polish consumers. Polish consumers most willingly buy stimulants, tea, coffee, and food produets. Many of them decide to buy such produets influenced by ethical and environmental factors.


Introduction
Economic map of the world reveals profound differences in the level of economic and social development. Generally speaking, one might attribute this uneven distribution of development to differences in the course of economic processes, which provide practical explanation to the increase in ineąuality across the world1. The situation has been influenced by a variety of factors, such as, e.g. geographical conditions, technological changes, globalisation or types of pursued economic and social policy.
Nowadays, social ineąuality is one o f the major civilisation problems while polarisation, -including huge gap between rich and poor countries or, morę precisely, differences between the rich and the poor, -has become a characteristics typical of the 21 st century. Against the background of contemporary understanding of economic welfare (measured with average per capita income in a given society), eliminating ineąuality and ensuring high standard o f living to societies are the most acute problems to be solved in the contemporary world.
Poverty is the main reflection of these ineąualities. Independently o f whether we are dealing with the reduction o f global ineąualities or with their exacerbation, special attention must be paid to combating poverty so that all those who inhabit the planet Earth could satisfy at least their basie needs.
Reduction of poverty is addressed by the currently dominant concept o f development, i.e. sustainable development, which responds to the problems that emerged with an unprecedented force in the mid-20th century, connected with environmental (environmental crisis), social (combating poverty), economic (resulting from globalisa tion), or political and legał (obligations undertaken by governments and International organisations) issues. The idea is a socially recommended, economically viable and environmentally desired development strategy. It strongly accentuates goals resulting from the social deal, in particular those connected with ensuring enhanced welfare to families, fostering their materiał independence and security.
Fair Trade movement2 is one of the initiatives connected with cooperation aimed at combating poverty, promoting economic and social development, gradual limitation of the hegemony of States and multinational corporations from rich North, opening markets to partners from the South, and finally elimination of unfair trade practices, which, through classical exploitation, keep millions of people trapped in poverty.

Fair Trade M o vem en t
Fair Trade is an organised social movement whose history began almost 60 years ago. Its outset, although presented in a variety of ways, is deeply rooted in the years following the World War II. In 1946 Edna Ruth Byler, an American and a member o f the Mennonites community, upon her return from a travel to Puerto Rico with handmade embroidery pieces created by impoverished women, she started selling these products in Pennsylvania, USA. Shortly afterwards she expanded the volume o f imported products, as well as the rangę o f countries, from which they originated and her original project named SELFF1ELP Craft of the World developed into a phenomenon in its own right and in 1996 it earned itself a new name of Ten Thousand Villages. The first storę to sell "Fair Trade" products opened in the United States in 19584. The intention of these efforts was to assist poor people in little developed countries, especially those, who wanted to work and develop in order to be able to support their families and get sustainable income opportunities.
The first Fair Trade initiatives in Europę emerged in 1959 when a British organisation Oxfam began to sell handmade products created by Chinese refugees in its Stores. Increasingly active Oxfam engagement led to the launching of the "Bridgeprogramme" in 1964, which later has become Oxfam Trading, an initiative of alternative trade, which offered fair prices and new distribution channels to smali manufacturers. Simultaneously, similar initiatives emerged in the Netherlands. In 1969 Oxfam and other humanitarian organisations in Europę opened the first storę selling Fair Trade products "Third World Shop" (or Fair Trade Shop as they were called in other parts 3 Rynek produktów Sprawiedliwego Handlu wPolsce ( of the world) in the Netherlands. These Stores were crucial for the Fair Trade movement, not just as outlets for products but also as places where consumers' awareness was actively built5. Fair Trade idea has also come to Poland. Tbere are organised efforts that support fair trade goingbeyond a mere selling of Fair Trade products, such as the Polish Fair Trade Association called the "Third World and Us" (Polish: Polskie Stowarzyszenie Sprawiedliwego Handlu "Trzeci Świat i My").
In accordance with the currently approved definition "Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seeks greater eąuity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalised producers and workers especially in the South6. Fair Trade organisations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade"7. Fair Trades strategie intention is to cooperate with marginalized producers and workers to help them to move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency, to foster the position of producers and workers as stakeholders in their respective organisations, and to achieve greater eąuality in international trade8. As stressed in literaturę, Fair Trade is based on a holistic vision of trade that takes account of the impact of social and environmental factors on pricing decisions, as well as on the commitment to the philosophy of social justice and development. Fair Trade goals have been very well captured by Littrell and Dickson, according to whom they concern the "empowerment and improved ąuality of life of producers"9.
Many years o f practical experience of Fair Trade organisations have produced basie principles, which reflect the diversity of relationships involved in such trade. The most relevant o f these principles are fair trade specific and inherently linked with its developmental objectives.
These include: -Market access for marginalised producers: Fair Trade helps producers realise the social benefit to their communities based on traditional forms of production, sińce many producers cannot get access to mainstream and high value-added markets or the access is granted via a lengthy and inefficient trading chain.
-Sustainable and eąuitable trading relationships: economic dimension of these relationships takes account of direct and indirect costs of production, including the protection of natural resources and meeting futurę investment needs. Trading terms offered by Fair Trade buyers enable the producers and workers to maintain a sustainable livelihood. -Capacity building and empowerment: Fair Trade relationships help organisations of producers understand market conditions and trends, as well as develop knowledge and skills to better control their lives. -Consum er awareness raising and advocacy: consumer support enables FT organisations advocate and campaign for wider reforms of International trading framework to achieve the goal, which is fair trade. -Fair Trade as a "social contract": Buyers, including finał consumers, agree to pay morę than conventional markets would reąuire (e.g. fair price), while producers will use the benefits to improve their living conditions, especially amongst the most disadvantaged members of their organisation. Additional Fair Trade dimension concerns decent working conditions. Fair Trade favours and actively promotes organisations of producers and workers as integral parts of Fair Trade developmental objeclives. By ensuring transparent trading terms it enables and supports decent working conditions. Workers are supported in improving health and safety conditions. The rights of children are also respected as the involvement of children in family-based production units may not take place at the cost of their well-being, security, educational opportunities and the need for play.
Fair Trades vision and goal is to support smali producers and workers at the margins of benefits resulting from trade. It strives to create the world where all smaliscale producers and workers would be able to benefit from secure and sustainable subsistence, use their potential, and decide about their futurę. The vision is identified through the following long-term goals: Goal 1: Make trade fair -by creating conditions, in which small-scale producers may develop their businesses, workers may exercise their rights to freedom and decent pay, consumers are informed and expect (demand) fair trading practices, while public and private sectors support and enable arriving at economic, social and environmental sustainability in trade. Morę just trading terms are supposed to contribute to the accomplishment of other goals and the ultimate goal of a fair and sustainable trading system, to which Fair Trade aspires. Goal 2: Empower smali producers and workers -by improving their negotiating position vis-a-vis buyers/employers, making joint investments and increasing their collective impact, as well as supporting them in building independent democratic organisations. Goal 3: Foster sustainable livelihoods -by enabling (via producer and worker organisations) improvements in income, decent working conditions, improved living conditions, and sustainable ecosystems10.
The above-listed Fair Trade' goals are clearly linked and inter-dependent in as much as they lead to the achievement ot sustainable livelihoods.
Fair Trade is the most important and the fastest developing market mechanism designed to improve the standard of living of producers in developing countries.
Its objective is to offer them morę eąuitable trading relations, including guaranteed minimum price higher than world prices and development aid.
Fair Trade is also criticised. It is perceived as a form of interventionism, which may bear positive fruits in a short-term rather than in a long-term perspective. On top of that, critics claim that its mechanism invites corruption, artificially increases supplies of Fair Trade products, and introduces out-of-the market regulations. High certification costs are also highlighted together with negative impact upon small-scale producers remaining outside of its framework.

.W h a t Do Polish Consum ers Know A b o u t Fair Trade
Results o f a study conducted in 2013 for the research project Rynek produktów Sprawiedliwego Handlu (Polish Market ofFair Trade products) revealed that Fair Trade idea is not very much appealing to wider groups of Polish consumers. The ąuestion:

F T is a concept connected with ensuring decentpay fo r work and the shortening ofdistance betweenproducers and consumers. Areyou interested in the idea
? was positively answered by slightly morę than 1/3 rd of respondents (out of who 30% were rather not interested), the rest were not interested at all (Figurę 1).
The interest in Fair Trade increases with age, although educational background, income and domicile also have an impact. The idea appeals mainly to women, not men, people from the age group 50-59, not younger (below 39) or older (above 60), living in big cities with morę than 500 k inhabitants, not in towns of the population between 100-500 k (statistically significant relationships), with net income exceeding PTN 2,500 rather than below PTN 1,500 (statistically significant relationship), and with net income per household higher than PTN 5,000, rather than in the PTN 2,001-3,000 rangę (statistically significant relationships). We must bear in mind that Fair Trade products are normally sold at a higher price, they are also much morę easily available in big cities, which surely effects consumer awareness and buying habits. Among reasons why Fair Trade idea does not appeal to them, respondents mentioned first of all lack of faith in the efficiency of such efforts. This was followed, -the difference being 7 percentage points, -by major doubts as to whether consumer choices can make a real difference and improve living conditions in developing countries. Respondents also invoked their trust in the free market, unwillingness to change their habits, lack of faith into the idea itself, as well as fear of being misunderstood by their friends (Figurę 2). Polish equivalent of Fair Trade, "Sprawiedliwy Handel", is little recognised by Polish consumers. The original term Fair Trade is morę familiar as it is associated with products originating from Africa, Asia or South America and the Fairtrade certificate known from packaging. Most respondents associated Fair Trade with Fairtrade certified products.
We need to notę that Fairtrade is one of the best recognisable certification marks. In the European Union, 36% of respondents were familiar with Fairtrade logo in 2012. However, its recognition varies significantly across Member States. Morę than half of the respondents in 17 out of 27 EU Member States declared they recognise it and recognition ratę in the "old" Member States was much higher (43%) than in others where it was only 6%. Fairtrade logo is the most recognisable in the United Kingdom (81%) and the least recognisable in Spain (only 3%); in Poland it was recognised by 5% o f the respondents11.
The study conducted by GlobeScan in March 201112 demonstrated that 25% of Polish consumers covered by the study (it was the first time when Poland was included in a study that has been conducted regularly sińce 2008) associated the logo, and 44% declared they trust it, which gave Poland a place in the bottom five among 24 Member States included in the study. Fairtrade logo was the most trusted in the UK (90%), and the least trusted in Italy (21%).
The trust has rather solid foundations as certified products must comply with specific standards connected with fair pricing, improved working and living conditions of farming communities and promoting farming practices that do no harm to people and are environmentally-friendly13. Almost every second person who recognised the Fairtrade mark was able to list some benefits that the system brings to smali producers in the Tbird World countries, such as, e.g. higher income, ban on child labour or environmental protection.
As demonstrated in the discussion during qualitative studies14, Fair Trade is understood in two ways. Firstly, it is believed to be an aid scheme and its impact upon individual farmers was strongly accentuated. Thus the Fair Trade concept was narrowed to assistance activities.
Aid-related naturę of Fair Trade was stressed mainly by respondents, who relatively rarely buy Fair Trade products. Their interest in the problems o f Global South was occasional, often resulting from media reports on accidents resulting from incompliance with safety standards (e.g. the Bangladesh disaster). Fair Trade was presented as a way of subsidising farmers from poor countries of Asia, Africa, and South America. We may say that buying a Fairtrade certified product was considered an act of charity. In this case stress was put on direct flow of funds from a buyer to a given farmer.
The second approach to Fair Trade was based on associations with conscious consumption and was represented by people interested in this theme15. These were mainly people who before buying a product carefully study its composition, origin or environmental impact. To these people Fair Trade meant not only purchasing products with Fairtrade certificate. To those consumers borderlines between Fair Trade and buying local products, minimising ones consumption needs and recycling or interest in environmentally-friendly products and food production that does no harm to the environment were rather thin.
Consumers who declared interest in the idea associated Fair Trade predominantly with respect to other human beings, their dignity and needs (31% of responses; respondents could choose three answers) and caring for consumers (28%) but also with what people do for other people (23%), and taking care of the environment (22%).
Consumers decided their knowledge about problems of developing countries, sustainable development or Fair Trade was very limited. Knowledge connected with Fair Trade movement/idea scored the highest as 12% o f respondents stated they knew a lot and 44% that they knew much about it; the highest proportion of respondents, however, declared they knew a lot about problems faced by developing countries (14%). Respondents, who knew much about Fair Trade (a lot and much) were women (61%) aged 3 0-34 (55%) with higher education (59%), and income ranging from PLN 3.001 to 4.000 (59%).
As social problems addressed by Fair Trade most respondents (the highest pro portion of responses) enumerated: combating poverty (29%), disconsent to child labour (28%), equal opportunities (24%), and observing human rights, which were most often listed first. "Allocating funds to relevant social goals that meet the needs o f the majority" and "allocating funds for education" were the least appreciated (below 5%) among social issues to be sorted out by Fair Trade. 15 Conscious consumption is often understood as taking informed consumer decisions considering their economic, social, eiwironmental, and political conseąuences.

FairTrade Products
Fair Trade is currently a global movement. It brings together (2013) 1210 producer organisations from all over the world, including 624 organisations from Latin America and Caribbean, 404 from Africa and the Middle East, 182 from Asia and Oceania, which is by 5% morę than in 2012 and over 1.4m farmers and workers in 74 countries across the globe. Fair Trade products are sold in 125 countries and in 2012 consumers spent morę than EUR 4.8 bn on them. In 2013 Fairtrade product buyers spent EUR 5.5 bn, which was almost 15% morę than in 2012. Further increases in Fairtrade products buys were reported in all European markets with the strongest increases in new markets, such as the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, and the USA. In 2011 Polish consumers spent EUR 1.2 m, by 10% morę than in 2010.
Fair Trade products include mainly: coffee, tea, cane sugar, cocoa, tropical fruit, spices, nuts, rice, winę, cotton, as well as handmade products and gold. Changes that took place over the period 2004-2013 -or shorter depending on the availability of data -in the value of sales are presented in Table 1.
Sales of most Fair Trade products listed in the table exhibits an increasing trend. The highest growth dynamics in the years 2004-2013 was reported for sugar, flowers and cocoa. Sales of some products, such as tea, cotton, dried fruits, and rice dropped in 2013 compared to 2012. However, taking account of sales in previous years, it is difficult to predict if the trend will continue.

Polish Consumer's Behaviour Pattern
The main reason, and the most often selected first answer explaining why Polish people buy Fair Trade products was higher awareness of environmental issues followed by the reflection over what and how we buy and higher awareness of health aspects and eating preferences of respondents and their families (Figurę 3). Respondents morę aware of environmental issues buy Fair Trade products once a month or morę freąuently (statistically significant relationship). Moreover, they are people aged 45 and morę (the highest ratę of responses), who live in Kielce. Consumers aware o f what they buy live in Warsaw, they have strong views and beliefs about Fair Trade idea. Tbose driven by their own or family s health and eating preferences are aged 45 and morę, with at least one child and net income per household up to PLN 3,000; they buy Fair Trade products at least once a month.

Figurę 3. M a in Reasons W h y Polish C onsum ers Buy Fair
Food products from poor countries can be bought in restaurants, coffee shops, hyper-and supermarkets, as well as in the Internet Stores. Only in Europę these products are available in morę than 75,000 supermarkets. The biggest number -800 -Stores with Fair Trade products can be found in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands16.
In Poland Fair Trade products are distributed predominantly by specialist food Stores, the Internet and delicatessen chains. At the start these products were sold by smali retailers, healthy food products and online Stores. However, today coffee, tea, sugar, honey or spices originating from Fair Trade and labelled with its logo can increasingly often be found on shelves of big retail chains, such as Tesco, Carrefour or Marks & Spencer. Online Stores also play their morę and morę important role.

Figurę 4. Fair Trad e Products M o s t O fte n B o u g h t in Poland interior decoration products ■ 5% other industrial products ■ 4%
Source: see Figurę 3. Stimulants, tea, and coffee were the most often purchased Fair Trade products. Food products were also a popular category purchased by 43% people. Every tenth respondent would buy FT clothes (Figurę 4). Stimulants, tea, and coffee were pur chased by the biggest number of people (the highest ratę in answers) aged between 3 0-34, with no children, living in Wrocław (statistically significant relationship). People, who buy food products, and whose responses show statistically significant relationships, are also from the age group 30-34, employed, their household income does not exceed PLN 3,000, they live in Warsaw and purchase Fair Trade products once a month or morę freąuently.
Although the Fair Trade ofFer of handmade craffs includes a wide rangę of products from all over the world, such as baskets, sculptures, jewellery (pendants and necklaces), musical instruments, toys, textiles (towels, table cloth), interior decorations, ceramics they appear not to be very much appealing to consumers. Smaller interest is also surely due to little attractive ofFer: both when it comes to the assortment and the arrangement of outlets. Storę owners claim that by limiting themselves to handmade craffs only they would ąuickly go bankrupt. Stores that sell only this linę of FT prod ucts are usually treated as an additional source of income to its owners or as a hobby FFowever, little diversified product ofFer and little availability of products in ordinary Stores are the aspects noticed only by those who have come across Fair Trade products during their stays abroad or those who invested some effort in finding information about them in the Internet. Our respondents in Poland told us that FT certified fresh fruit is unavailable (banana, pineapples), fruit juice or soya milk are also hard to find. Nevertheless, the rangę of products available in Poland and abroad is assessed as comparable. Our respondents complained, however, about limited number of products within one category when in the best case scenario they can choose between one or two types o f certified cofFee, while abroad they can choose from a rangę of products o f different brands sold at different prices. According to people covered by the study, the selection of products other than food -shoes, clothing madę of certified cotton, handmade craffs or cosmetics -is bigger abroad while in Poland they are rarely available (respondents noted that products that can be purchased in Poland come almost exclusively with environmental not Fairtrade certificates). In Poland respondents have not come across Fairtrade certified Flowers or furniture although they saw such products abroad.
The freąuency of buying Fair Trade products varies. They are bought once a week by only 6%, l/5th buy them once a month, almost one in four respondents do it several times a month. Most answers, however, did not specify the freąuency of such purchases and selected option "from time to time". Most people usually buy one or two Fair Trade products at a time. Almost 14th of the respondents buy several different categories o f Fair Trade products and the least answers suggested they buy them only in times of sales or at reduced prices. Respondents who buy 1-2 Fair Trade products at a time are usually (the highest ratę o f answers) men, aged 45 and morę with income per household above PLN 4,000. This group of consumers includes also people living in Wrocław and Tri-City who most offen do shopping in organie food Stores (statistically significant relationship).
Those, who buy several FT products each time are mainly women, reassured about what they know about Fair Trade idea and doing shopping at least once a month. Respondents who buy FT products in the times of sales or at reduced prices do it morę rarely than once a month.
In most cases respondents buy a Fair Trade product placed on the market rather ąuickly although they give it some consideration. Every eleventh person likes being the first to have such a product. Ca. ' /ilh buy after their friends have already tested a particular product. People, who relatively ąuickly decide to buy a product are predominantly working women with university background, living in the Tri-City, reassured and aware of the Fair Trade idea.
Like any storę, Fair Trade outlets need marketing effort. It has already been demonstrated on multiple occasions that the way products are arranged on display and shelves impacts sales and consumer interest. Merchandising exerts an impact upon consumer behaviour by interior decorations in the point-of-sale (e.g. Fairtrade logo) and the presentation of products (e.g. their descriptions together with the presentation of Fair Trade idea) and by that boosts sales, customer interest, as well as subjective value of product in consumers' eyes.
Vast majority o f people (73%) believe Fair Trade products are not properly presented, which no doubt translates into demand and interest in them. Only 16% o f respondents were of dilferent opinion. The rest were unable to come with an unambiguous answer. We need to notę that among those, who purchase Fair Trade products morę rarely than once a month the ratio increased to 78% (statistically significant relationship); similar result was scored with respect to those who are less reassured of their Fair Trade idea awareness17. According to buyers of Fair Trade products, Poles' buying decisions concerning these products could be influenced the most by advertising (38% of answers) and the promotion of the FT idea/social campaigns (31% of answers) (Figurę 5).
It is quite likely that the increasing of the awareness of Polish consumers through, inter aha, educational activities and well prepared promotional campaigns in the points-of-sale could translate into higher dynamics of sales of Fair Trade products.

Conclusion
Fair Trade is based on the concept of responsible consumption and production. It is a social and economic model of development for firms and families, which enables meeting basie needs, development and improved living conditions. The goal is to fairly treat the producers in developing countries and help them receive fair prices for their products. That should contribute to the reduction o f poverty, as well as ensure ethical treatment of workers and farmers.
Fair Trade products may face difficulties in competing with other products because of their price. However, many consumers decide to buy them taking account of ethical and environmental aspeets. Increased interest in Fair Trade products is confirmed by data on their sales, which are increasing value-wise globally, in Europę, and in Poland.
In Poland the best-selling products include stimulants, tea, colfee, and food products. Other products are less popular. The rangę of Fair Trade products on offer available in Poland is still less impressive than in other countries. Nevertheless, we might expect that with adeąuate educational and marketing efforts interest in FT products could inerease.