UK sales soar as Fairtrade Fortnight begins
This year's Fairtrade Fortnight was launched on Monday on London's South Bank along with the announcement of record estimated sales figures for Fairtrade goods in the UK.
The Fairtrade Foundation revealed that retail sales in 2007 totalled £493 million, an amazing increase of 81% on 2006 figures. Bananas top our Fairtrade shopping list, with coffee, cotton and tea all featuring highly.
The annual public awareness campaign, this year entitled Change Today, began with a Fairtrade Fairground, games and activities, and the chance to meet growers and sample some of the 3,000 products now certified as Fairtrade. Over 10,000 events are expected to take place across the country between now and Sunday 9 March. The Fairtrade branded bus is touring with stops including London, Ipswich, Leeds, Sunderland, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation said, “The fantastic increase in sales of Fairtrade goods in 2007 shows the UK’s public’s huge and growing appetite for Fairtrade.
After years of chipping away, Fairtrade supporters are finally beginning to make some significant impression on the way companies trade. Increasing numbers of people in the UK are buying Fairtrade goods as a practical action everyone can take to help tackle poverty in the developing world...
But 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. That means more companies offering more Fairtrade products and the public putting those Fairtrade goods in their shopping baskets...”
Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Debenhams have all switched certain product ranges to Fairtrade. Tate & Lyle have announced that they are switching their entire retail cane sugar range to Fairtrade within two years.
Fairtrade focuses on better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
Written by: Maxine Clarke
Book your airport parking with Holiday Extras at unbeatable prices
Related News Articles
New hotel opens in Las Vegas - 18/12/2024
A new hotel, the Palazzo Las Vegas, has opened on the Las Vegas Strip, the first hotel to open there in almost three years.Top summer holiday hotspots named | Spain and France most popular with Brits - 13/12/2024
Travel insurance company Mondial Assistance has produced a new survey showing the most popular summer holiday destinations for Europeans.Swine flu travel insurance from £10 - 18/10/2024
Holiday Extras travel insurance will cover you if you catch swine flu while you are away or if you catch it before you are due to fly and have to cancel.
