Consumers across the world spent some €3.4bn on Fairtrade products last year, a 15 per cent increase on 2008, defying the global economic crisis that gripped many key Fairtrade markets through the year.
Strong growth was recorded in established Fairtrade nations such as the UK, where growth hit 14 per cent and estimated Faitrade retail sales jumped 12 per cent to £800m (€935m).
The US reported on sales growth of 7 per cent for the year, while some countries saw sales grow by over 50 per cent, including Australia/New Zealand (up 58 per cent) and Canada (up 66 per cent).
Fairtrade gained new customers outside many of these traditional markets, with exponential sales growth in Eastern Europe, South Africa and countries in the global south, the Fairtrade Foundation revealed.
'As 2009 began in the midst of the worst recession in 70 years, we worried that Fairtrade producers could lose sales,' said Rob Cameron, CEO of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International. 'Instead, consumers across the globe bucked the trend and proved their deep commitment to giving producers a fair deal. Fairtrade sales grew in all countries.'
Sales have a large impact on the 1.2m farmers and workers selling through the label, who benefited from stable, higher-than-market income including Fairtrade premium funds for development projects. Banana producers invested more than €12m into community and business development last year.
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