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

The Japan Fair Trade Forum (FTFJ) has released a summary 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 latest survey shows that the awareness rate of fair trade is 57.0%, the estimated recognition rate is 42.2%, and the purchase rate is 15.2%, all reaching their highest levels since the survey began in 2012.

The proportion of people who have "heard of or seen" the term fair trade (awareness rate) 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 this trend may be due to increased opportunities to learn about fair trade in schools and universities.

In addition to the national survey, this time, surveys were also conducted in eight cities certified as Fair Trade Towns (Kumamoto City, Inabe City, Nagoya City, Obu City, Hamamatsu City, Zushi City, Kamakura City, Sapporo City).

As a result, Kamakura City and Zushi City significantly exceeded the national average in all three metrics: fair trade awareness, recognition, and purchase rates. Nagoya City also surpassed the national average in awareness and recognition, indicating a higher trend in regions that have continuously engaged in fair trade initiatives as certified Fair Trade Towns.

Recognition Rate Reaches 40s for the First Time

When people who had heard of or seen the term fair trade were asked what word they thought was "most closely associated with fair trade," the estimated recognition rate, calculated based on the proportion 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, was 41.7%, reaching the 40s for the first time.

Fair Trade Product Purchase Rate Also Reaches Record High

The proportion of people who have purchased fair trade products (purchase rate) was 15.2%, updating the past record high. Additionally, the proportion 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 people aware of fair trade were asked about how they learned about it, "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 in school/university" was particularly high among those in their teens and twenties, indicating that educational settings are an important opportunity for younger generations to learn about fair trade.

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

Supermarkets are the Most Common Place of Purchase

The most common place for purchasing fair trade products was "supermarkets" at 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 labels, Rainforest Alliance labels, WFTO labels, and FLO labels showed relatively high awareness, and overall, the awareness of international ethical labels/marks has shown an upward trend since 2012.

Future Outlook

This survey also covered ethical consumption in addition to 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 this time may have affected the analysis of recognition rates, and they plan to continue conducting surveys while striving to improve the accuracy of survey design.

Survey Outline

Survey Name: National Survey on Fair Trade and Ethical Consumption 2026

Period: March 2-5, 2026

Method: Quantitative online survey

Sample Size:

National Survey: 1,496 people

Fair Trade Town Survey: (details to be released later)