Fair play isn't just a concept in sport – it goes beyond simply following the rules. More and more producers of food and fine goods are also taking it to heart. As pioneers in Bio, sustainability, and the fair sourcing of raw materials, Doris and Josef Farthofer accepted the "FAIRTRADE Community" award on 15 June on behalf of their home town of Oed-Öhling near Amstetten.
Proud faces at the FAIRTRADE Community award ceremony: Doris Farthofer of Destillerie Farthofer accepts the certificate on behalf of her home town. From left to right: fair banana, GGR Otmar Lagerreiter, Thomas Wackerlig (FAIRTRADE Österreich), Doris Farthofer, GGR Mathias Hahn, Father Michael Prinz, OSB (Parish of Mauer-Öhling), Michaela Granzer (Photo: Marktgemeinde Oed-Oehling)
Bio & fair
"Conventional? That was never an option for me," recalls Josef Farthofer, owner of Destillerie Farthofer. Even 20 years ago, in the early days of what is today both his livelihood and a workplace for seven employees, this ambitious Mostviertel native was already sourcing Bio and fairly traded raw materials wherever they were available. "I saw Bio as the only way forward – I genuinely couldn't have imagined doing it any other way," he adds, "and I was absolutely right." The fair trade movement has been around for nearly 40 years, with the goal of creating fairer conditions for smallholder farmers and plantation workers across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Doris and Josef Farthofer feel good about the way they work – with a strong commitment to Bio, FAIRTRADE and sustainability. This dedicated Mostviertel native is considered one of the most exciting distillers in the German-speaking world. (Photo: Manfred Horvath)
Products from fair trade
Doris and Josef Farthofer are tireless pioneers when it comes to high-quality, fairly sourced raw materials. Today, 36 out of 40 products from Destillerie Farthofer are Bio-certified. For certain fruit brandies and liqueurs, the Farthofers source ingredients carrying the FAIRTRADE seal. Although Josef Farthofer has built his name as a vodka producer and expert in crystal-clear spirits from home-grown fruit, one of the distillery's top sellers is a liqueur whose key ingredient Josef Farthofer sources through fair trade: the Bio-Schokoladenlikör.
Childhood memories for grown-ups
Since 2008, the Bio-Schokoladenlikör has been part of Destillerie Farthofer's extensive range. Its taste of delicately creamy milk chocolate with a gently bittersweet note quickly won a devoted following – after all, this liqueur is something of a childhood memory for adults. Farthofer sources the dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic. "It was always clear to us that the chocolate had to carry the FAIRTRADE seal," says Doris Farthofer. FAIRTRADE chocolate is also used in the Bio-Schokoladengeist and in the Mostello pralines crafted by Zotter. (0.35 litres, available from specialist retailers, approx. EUR 24.00)
Award for Oed-Öhling
The home community of Doris and Josef Farthofer set out on this journey over a year ago and submitted its application for FAIRTRADE Community status at the start of the year. On 15 June, Doris Farthofer formally accepted the FAIRTRADE certificate. To earn this recognition, five objectives must be demonstrably met. Since 2007, 154 communities in Austria have carried the title of FAIRTRADE Community. Around the world, more than 1,800 communities and towns in over 25 countries are involved in the "Fair Trade Towns" campaign, actively working to improve the living and working conditions of people in developing countries. The campaign itself was founded back in 2000 in Garstang, a small town in England.
About FAIRTRADE
The first fair trade organisations were founded in 1946 in North America within a church context, and the first shop selling fair trade products opened in the USA in 1958. The fair trade movement came to Europe in the 1960s, at a time when international corporations were on the rise. The movement initially focused on handicrafts and agricultural products; today, fair trade also encompasses cosmetics, IT, and electronics production. Since 2003, the same certification mark and the standardised spelling FAIRTRADE have been used worldwide.
About FAIRTRADE Communities
The English town of Garstang laid the foundation for FAIRTRADE Communities in 2000. To enable other communities to follow the example of this English town, the local FAIRTRADE working group defined five goals together with the FAIRTRADE Foundation. Communities of all sizes have since applied for the designation by committing to meet those five goals. In Austria, the campaign has been running since 2007, and there are now 154 FAIRTRADE Communities across the country. The non-profit organisation FAIRTRADE Österreich, which runs the FAIRTRADE Community project in Austria, is largely financed through licensing revenue from FAIRTRADE products sold. Germany currently has 416 FAIRTRADE Communities, and Switzerland has two so far (the initiative has only just launched). Worldwide, all FAIRTRADE Towns share one thing in common: the vision of a fair, better world and local commitment to global change!
Stockists
Stockists in Austria
» Merkur Hoher Markt, 1010 Wien
» Die Höllerei, 1080 Wien
» Weinhochvier, 1030 Wien
» Sussitz, 9020 Klagenfurt
Stockists in Germany
» Feinkost Böhm, 70173 Stuttgart
» Kulinarikwelten Stengel, 90763 Fürth
