Discover the brilliant experienced people who are helping SmartPlanet through the green and ethical minefield.
Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off today and if you thought you were the only one putting their certified bananas, coffee and other ethical goodies in your jute shopping bag, then think again -- recent figures show sales of Fairtrade products have soared to a huge half a billion pounds.
Despite research suggesting a lack of public knowledge about what Fairtrade does, the success of the brand has astonished many, with recently released figures showing an increase in estimated retail sales of Fairtrade products to £493m -- that's 81 per cent up on 2006 sales. Fairtrade bananas, their best-known and also the best-selling product, has sales topping £150m. In fact, one in four bananas sold today in the UK are Fairtrade.
Makandianfing Keita, a cotton farmer from Mali, was one of the Fairtrade producers at yesterday's event
Items made with Fairtrade certified cotton -- found at places like People Tree and even highstreet stores like Marks & Spencer, Topshop and Debenhams -- have also increased from over half a million to just under 9.5m. And as sales rise, so does the Fairtrade range, which now encompasses everything from tea and smoothies to nuts and fondant.
As the public wakes up to Fairtrade's ethical ethos, the food giants are clamouring to get involved the Fairtrade stamp of their goods. Tate & Lyle recently announced plans to keep ethical shoppers sweet by switching their cane sugar range to Fairtrade, Sainsbury's has moved all its bananas, Red Label tea and own-brand sugar to Fairtrade; all Co-op hot drinks are now Fairtrade and Waitrose has switched all their bananas to Fairtrade.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "After years of chipping away, Fairtrade supporters are finally beginning to make some significant impression on the way companies trade." However, she said more needs to be done: "The pace of change must quicken. The scale and level of poverty worldwide demands that we all urgently play our part to scale up Fairtrade."
The two-week campaign, entitled 'Change Today. Choose Fairtrade', was launched with a Fairtrade Fairground on London's South Bank. If you missed out, you can catch up on all the action by watching our video of the launch party.
BBC newsreader George Alagiah, patron of the Fairtrade Foundation speaking at the Fairtrade Fairground yesterday
Events are also planned across the UK over the next two weeks and a special Choose Fairtrade Bus will be stopping off at Ipswich, Leeds, Sunderland, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Middlesbrough, Durham, Carlisle, Garstang, Stoke-on-Trent, Lichfield and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Photos: Simon Rawles for Fairtrade Foundation
Please note: Your email address must be entered but will not be displayed
Please note: All submitted content becomes the sole property of CNET Networks UK and may be used, edited or rejected at CNET Networks UK's sole discretion. You acknowledge that you, not CNET Networks UK, are responsible for the contents of your submission.
Discover the brilliant experienced people who are helping SmartPlanet through the green and ethical minefield.
