Japan Fair Trade Forum Releases "National Survey on Fair Trade and Ethical Consumption 2026" Overview Report

The Japan Fair Trade Forum (FTFJ) has released an overview report of the "National Survey on Fair Trade and Ethical Consumption 2026," conducted by a research team led by Dr. Tatsuya Watanabe (Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Keizai University / FTFJ Advisor).

The survey revealed that fair trade awareness reached 57.0%, estimated recognition rate 42.2%, and purchase rate 15.2%, all marking new record highs since the survey began in 2012.

The percentage of respondents who had "heard of or seen" the term fair trade (awareness) was particularly high among younger generations, with 73.0% for those in their teens and 62.4% for those in their twenties. The research team suggests that an increase in opportunities to learn about fair trade in schools and universities may be a contributing factor.

In addition to the national survey, this year's research also included eight certified fair trade towns (Kumamoto City, Inabe City, Nagoya City, Obu City, Hamamatsu City, Zushi City, Kamakura City, and Sapporo City).

As a result, both Kamakura City and Zushi City significantly exceeded the national average in fair trade awareness, recognition, and purchase rates. Nagoya City also surpassed the national average in awareness and recognition, indicating a strong trend in regions that have continuously engaged in fair trade initiatives as certified fair trade towns.

Recognition Rate Reaches 40% for the First Time

When respondents who had heard of or seen the term fair trade were asked which term they thought was "most closely related to fair trade," the estimated recognition rate, calculated based on the percentage of those who selected "poverty" or "environment," was 42.2%.

Furthermore, the estimated recognition rate for those aged 60 and under, comparable to past surveys, reached 41.7%, marking the first time it has exceeded 40%.

Fair Trade Product Purchase Rate Also Reaches Record High

The percentage of people who have purchased fair trade products (purchase rate) was 15.2%, setting a new record high. Additionally, the percentage of people who continuously purchase fair trade products at least once a year, excluding trial purchases, was 7.6%.

In all certified fair trade towns, the purchase rate exceeded the national average, with particularly high rates observed in Zushi City (44.9%) and Kamakura City (36.3%).

Opportunities to Learn About Fair Trade Expand to "Schools" and "Stores"

When fair trade-aware individuals were asked about how they learned about fair trade, "newspapers, TV, radio" was the most common answer at 36.2%, followed by "seeing fair trade products/goods in stores" (21.3%) and "seeing websites or articles on the internet" (17.7%).

By age group, "through classes or activities at school/university" was particularly high among teens and twenties, indicating that educational settings are becoming an important opportunity for younger generations to learn about fair trade.

Moreover, the percentage of respondents who answered "seeing fair trade products/goods in stores" has been on an upward trend since 2012, suggesting that in-store exposure is becoming a key trigger for encountering fair trade.

Supermarkets are the Most Common Purchase Location

Supermarkets were the most common place to purchase fair trade products, accounting for 51.5%, followed by "organic food/product stores" (31.7%) and "natural food/product stores" (25.6%).

Compared to 2012, purchases at "supermarkets" have increased approximately 3.6 times, making them the largest distribution channel used by over half of purchasers. Purchases at natural food/product stores, organic food/product stores, health food/product stores, ethnic shops, department stores, convenience stores, etc., have also increased, indicating a diversification of retailers handling fair trade products.

Awareness of Ethical Labels/Marks Also Rises

This survey also investigated ethical labels/marks, including fair trade certification labels.

Among international ethical labels/marks, FSC label, Rainforest Alliance label, WFTO label, and FLO label showed relatively high awareness. Since 2012, the overall awareness of international ethical labels/marks has shown an upward trend.

Future Outlook

This survey also covered ethical consumption beyond fair trade, and detailed survey results are scheduled to be released around autumn 2026.

The research team notes that the addition of a "don't know" option in this survey may have influenced the analysis of recognition rates, and they plan to continuously conduct surveys while striving to improve the accuracy of the survey design.