Fairtrade in Great Britain

Fairtrade UK has announced that Fairtrade products have experienced a rapid growth in the past an in the current year. More people than ever recognise the Fairtrade mark in the UK – 70 %. Farmers and workers in 54 countries supply Fairtrade goods to the UK. One of four bananas sold in the country is a Fairtrade product. More than 1,800 new products were licensed in 2007. Almost £ 500 million were spent on Fairtrade products in that year. Sales grew by 72 %. The organisation has also published “Tipping the Balance” – their plan to increase the impact and reach of Fairtrade.

60 more producer groups started supplying Fairtrade products to UK markets from February 2007 to February 2008. 90 % of farmers in the Windward Islands are growing Fairtrade bananas. In 2007, for the first time, more Fairtrade coffee was sold by cafés, restaurants and kiosks than by supermarkets and independent shops. Waitrose started selling 100 % Fairtrade bananas and all Co-op hot drinks and sugar are Fairtrade. Marks & Spencer now uses Fairtrade sugar in all their preserves. Virgin trains converted all its hot drinks to Fairtrade. Top Shop and Fairtrade pioneer company People Tree created a Fairtrade cotton clothing range. 6,000 farmers in Belize benefited from Tate and Lyle’s sugar switch.

A full list of all Fairtrade products is available at: www.fairtrade.org.uk/products.

Source: www.fairtrade.org.uk