Fairtrade sales up 30% despite recession

SALES IN Fairtrade products grew by more than 30 per cent despite the recession, new figures reveal. The Irish public bought €30.5 million worth of Fairtrade products last year, up from €22.1 million in 2007.

The market for Fairtrade products in Ireland has almost tripled in the last three years.

Fairtrade Fortnight, which starts today, will see three new towns, Cashel, Tralee and Leighlin, joining the list of 35 Irish towns which have already been certified as Fairtrade towns.

Fairtrade Mark Ireland, which monitors the sale of Fairtrade products in this country, estimates the figures will grow next year despite the belief that such products are more expensive than their non-Fairtrade alternatives.

Fairtrade was set up 20 years ago to ensure that producers in developing countries get a fair price for their products. The market is worth an estimated €2.5 billion globally.

Fairtrade Mark Ireland executive director Peter Gaynor said they are expecting an increase in sales this year following the decision of Musgraves/Centra and the oil company Topaz to sell Fairtrade as their take-out coffee.

Both companies, which have thousands of outlets nationwide, converted to Fairtrade coffee in the last quarter of 2008.

Starbucks has committed to converting all its espresso-based coffee sales to Fairtrade-sourced produce from September this year. Mr Gaynor said: “While it might seem inevitable that Fairtrade sales will decline, there are sound commercial reasons to believe that any decline won’t be universal. We are confident that we will continue to grow sales and expand our product range.

“Fairtrade products are now competitive in price. That is important because the movement has always been consumer-led,” he said. “What we have seen in recent years has been big business catching up with Irish consumers in recognising the life-enhancing difference a fair price can make for producers.”