Fairtrade taking off in new countries

More and more people are choosing to buy Fairtrade goods, according to the latest figures from Fairtrade International.

The organisation said that retail sales of Fairtrade certified products increased by 12% worldwide between 2010 and 2011.

In the UK - Fairtrade's biggest market - shoppers spent 12% more on Fairtrade goods in 2011 than in 2010.

Global sales of Fairtrade products came in at just under £4bn in 2011.

“Fairtrade is the norm for millions of people," said Tuulia Syvaenen, Executive Operations Officer at Fairtrade International.

"It is a part of the regular weekly shopping. And now sales of Fairtrade certified products are taking off in new countries, as entirely new groups of people discover Fairtrade for the first time.”

The last decade has seen a huge shift towards Fairtrade in the UK, where nearly half of all bagged sugar on sale in UK stores is set to be Fairtrade certified. In Switzerland, more than half of all bananas bought bear the Fairtrade mark.

In addition to established markets, Fairtrade International said sales in new countries were "skyrocketing".

In South Africa, people spent more than three times as much on Fairtrade certified products in 2011 than they did in 2010, while in South Korea, sales registered at £13 million.

Even in countries where no national Fairtrade organisation is present, sales rose to almost £58 million.

Sales grew steadily across all of the leading Fairtrade products, with coffee by 12%, cocoa by 14%, bananas 9%, sugar 9%, tea 8%, and flowers by 11%.

More than 1.2 million people work at 991 Fairtrade certified producer organisations around the world.

“The strong Fairtrade sales mean big wins for the farmers and workers trying to make a decent living,” explains Joseph Ayebazibwe, from Mabale Growers Tea Factory in Uganda.

“Thanks to support from consumers around the world we were able to invest in many business and community projects.

"And Fairtrade doesn’t only help improve the living standards of producers; the impact also extends to the wider community.

"Fairtrade consumers are supporting sustainable development across our beautiful continent.”