Market size of Fairtrade products in Japan 2013-2022

The sales value of products certified as Fairtrade in Japan has continuously risen within the last decade. In 2022, the market was estimated to have grown by 24 percent annually, reaching sales of almost 20 billion Japanese yen. While the segment is only emerging within the Japanese consumer markets, as hinted by an average per person spending of only 157 yen, fair trade has become a recurring term amid an increasing focus on Sustainable Development Goals and sustainable consumption habits.

The three Cs of the fair trade market

Products labeled with the Fairtrade International certification are supervised by the Japanese branch, Fairtrade Label Japan. Certified sales are carried by coffee, cacao, and cotton, with these three market segments accounting for a 90 percent share. Other emerging product segments imported to Japan include sugar, tea, and spices.

Development of the fair trade movement

The fair trade movement took form globally in the post-war period. However, Japan's fair trade movement has only experienced significant growth in the past decade. Amid the recurring discussions of sustainability, major retailers in Japan like AEON and consumer cooperatives have been including Fairtrade-certified products into their private label strategy to boost their ESG commitment. While consumer awareness of fair trade has been growing, the recognition of the label as a sustainable certification is still lacking, resulting in only a slow growth of spendings on fairly traded products.