Fairtrade sales have broken the £1 billion barrier with a 40 per cent jump to £1.17bn in 2010.
The results, released this week, mean that retail sales have risen from £836 million in 2009 even against the background of the economic downturn.
UK consumers are now buying 3.1m Fairtrade bananas a year, as well as 9.3m cups of Fairtrade tea, 6.4m cups of Fairtrade coffee and 2.3m chocolate bars.
The announcement marked the start of Fairtrade Fortnight on Monday. This year, the Fairtrade Foundation is asking the nation to boast about buying ethically in a campaign called Show Off Your Label.
More than 12,000 events will be held over the two-week promotional drive, which is set to end on 13 March.
Hariet Lamb, executive director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “Bananas are closely associated with Fairtrade and the public has continued to buy them even, I have to say, in the face of some pretty ruthless price cutting.”
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