The world's first Fairtrade label launched in 1988 to protect small-scale coffee farmers

In 1988, the Netherlands introduced the Max Havelaar label, marking the birth of the modern Fairtrade movement. Named after a fictional character who fought against colonial exploitation, the initiative sought to fix a broken global market where coffee prices often plummeted below the cost of production. By guaranteeing a minimum price, it gave small-scale farmers the stability to send their children to school and invest in their land.