Terra Roxa and Oxfam: 30 Years of Partnership in Fair Trade

Fair trade has been a cornerstone of the DNA of Luxembourg-based company Terra Roxa – fair & bio for over 30 years. As a wholesaler, Terra Roxa supplies organic and fair trade products to its clients, mainly dry food products and beverages.

Its customers include Wereldwinkels, grocery stores, the hospitality sector, offices and other businesses, associations, and public sector actors such as municipalities, government agencies, and schools.

How did your collaboration with Oxfam Fair Trade start? Why this partnership?

“When my former business partner and I founded the company in 1994, we took over the previous owner’s business, who was already representing Oxfam in Luxembourg. Today, Terra Roxa represents several European fair trade importers in the Grand Duchy – all members of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) – and Oxfam remains our main supplier.”

Which Oxfam Fair Trade products are the most popular among your clients?

“We offer the full Oxfam range to our customers, including seasonal products for Christmas and Easter. The most in-demand items throughout the year are the chocolate bars.”

What message do you want to convey to your audience and customers by offering Oxfam Fair Trade products?

“When we started selling fair trade products, it was still a niche market. Even in Luxembourg, they were mostly available only in a few outlets, primarily the Magasins du Monde. Today – thankfully – more and more people are aware that much of the food we consume daily is the result of hard work in the Global South. Once you understand how much effort goes into growing coffee, cocoa, rice, or tea, fair trade becomes the obvious choice.

A fair price is essential to ensure a dignified life for workers in producing countries. And this is becoming increasingly vital.

Thirty years ago, it was about access to education and basic health security. Today, entire lives are at risk due to climate change and repeated crop failures. This can lead to migration, hunger, or even conflict. Fair trade is a crucial mechanism to confront these challenges.

For us, Oxfam is a supplier that gives us the highest level of certainty that fair trade principles are being upheld. We trust that Oxfam’s products contain the highest possible proportion of fair trade ingredients and that supplier relationships are fair and highly direct.”

Jo Bausch, Director and Owner of Terra Roxa