Fairness to Farmers: Accounting for the True Cost of Food
12 September 2025 – On the opening day of Fair Week 2025, IFOAM – Organics International highlighted the importance of True Cost Accounting (TCA) in grocery pricing.
Under the title “Can It Be a Bit Fairer? What Our Food is Really Worth!” (Translated from the German “Darf’s ein bisschen fair sein? Was unsere Lebensmittel wirklich wert sind!”), Thomas Cierpka, Senior Manager for Operations and Membership, called for a shift in how we value food – one that accounts for the hidden costs of food production, including environmental degradation, climate impact, health consequences, and social inequalities.
Cierpka’s presentation was part of the “Food is Political” (“Essen ist Politisch!”) event series within Fair Week 2025, Germany’s largest annual campaign week for fair trade. Held every September since 2001, Fair Week features a wide range low-threshold, diverse events hosted by actors across society, including supermarkets, schools, restaurants, consumer advice centres, and more. These events invite the public to engage with fair trade and explore its broader social and environmental relevance.
Earlier in July, Cierpka also spoke on the importance of True Cost Accounting at an event hosted by Slow Food Germany at Apfelbacher Hof in Bornheim Brenig.