More than 20% of bananas sold in Belgium were Fairtrade-certified in 2025, according to Fairtrade Belgium's annual report published on Tuesday.
The organisation said 20.2% of bananas on Belgian supermarket shelves now carry the Fairtrade label, marking what it described as a symbolic turning point.
"Fairtrade bananas are no longer a niche product. They are now helping to define the norm," the organisation said.
Bananas are among the most widely purchased Fairtrade products in Belgium, second only to chocolate. Last year, 22.7% of chocolate bars sold in the country carried the certification.
Both product categories continued to gain ground in 2025, with market shares increasing by 0.8 percentage points for bananas and 0.4 points for chocolate.
Coffee, however, lagged behind. Just 4.1% of coffee sold in Belgium carried the Fairtrade label, down 0.3 percentage points compared with the previous year.
According to Fairtrade Belgium, rising global coffee prices over the past two years have contributed to the decline.
Philippe Weiler, chief executive of Fairtrade Belgium, said the growth of Fairtrade bananas sends an encouraging signal for the wider sector.
"Bananas are one of the largest product categories in our supermarkets. Despite strong price pressure, they are increasingly moving towards a fairer trading model," he said.
"One in five bananas being Fairtrade shows that change within the system is possible, even in the difficult economic context we face today."
The Fairtrade label, which promotes fairer prices and working conditions for producers in developing countries, is now found on more than 3,000 products in Belgium.
