Firms urged to go Fairtrade to reduce global poverty

COMPANIES, local authorities, schools and universities across the country are being encouraged to go Fairtrade as part of a nationwide campaign to encourage ethical consumerism.

The call is part of an initiative headed by the Fairtrade Foundation to highlight the success of its labelling scheme and the important role it plays in reducing global poverty.

It wants individuals, community groups, schools, universities and businesses to scale up their current buying activity, which has helped see the introduction of nearly 3,000 Fairtrade certified products to the nation's shelves.

According to Harriet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation, although the sale of Fairtrade products is continuing to soar, change is still not happening quickly enough for the millions of farmers still trapped in “trade poverty”.

“With two billion working people earning less the $2 a day the Fairtrade Foundation believes that it's critical to increase the momentum for change,” she said.

“The fantastic increase in sales of Faitrade goods in 2007 shows the UK public's growing appetite for Fairtrade.

“This is good news for the seven million people, growers and their families around the world who benefit from the Fairtrade system.”

Research published by the Fairtrade Foundation shows that sales of Fairtrade products increased by 81% in 2007 to reach £493m.

Bananas top the best selling list with one in four of the three million sold daily now Fairtrade. Tea sales reached £30m with coffee £117m.

The movement is quickly gaining the support of big business. Sugar giant Tate & Lyle is the latest food group to retail Fairtrade along with the supermarkets such as Sainsburys, Co-op and Marks & Spencer.

All of its retail cane sugar with be sold as Fairtrade over the next two years, with rest of its retail range coming on line by 2009.

The move will benefit small-scale growers in Belize and will add £60m to the value of Fairtrade sugar inside a year.

Steven Hermiston, sales and marketing director for Tate & Lyle, said.

“Now every time you buy a packet of Fairtrade sugar, farming communities will benefit.”

However, the cane sugar provided to manufacturers is not yet included in the Fairtrade conversion plan.

Fairtrade is a growing industry: http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/fairtrade-is-a-growing-industry.html