Fairtrade sales could hit £2bn by 2012, says foundation

The executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation believes product sales could hit £2billion by the end of 2012.

Harriet Lamb announced this week that sales of Fairtrade goods increased by 40 per cent in 2010, despite the recession and increasing pressure on consumers' disposable income. The retail value of goods sold during the year has been estimated at £1.17billion, up from £836million in 2009.

Ms Lamb believes this momentum will continue so long as the public, businesses and producers are willing to build on the achievements made so far.  She admits a target of £2billion in two years is ambitious, but believes it’s achievable.

She said: "It is fantastic to break the first billion. Fairtrade is going from strength to strength because the public want it, it makes business sense and most importantly because it is working for the millions of farmers, workers and their families who see Fairtrade as their lifeline in these tough times."

There is now far more environmental awareness and a greater desire to use Fairtrade products in healthy recipes. Over three million Fairtrade bananas were eaten in the UK last year, along with 2.3 million chocolate bars. Brits also drank 9.3 million cups of Fairtrade tea and 6.4 million cups of Fairtrade coffee. Organic cosmetics that include Fairtrade ingredients are also proving popular, with over one million items sold last year.