Fairtrade product sales hit record €8.5bn worldwide

Global sales of Fairtrade certified goods and products rose nine per cent to almost €8.5bn last year, generating €178m in premiums for farmer and worker organisations, according to the sustainability scheme's latest annual report.

Published today, Fairtrade International's annual report reveals 30,000 different products carried the Fairtrade mark across 150 countries last year, with the UK continuing to lead the world as the biggest market by retail sales volume, followed by Germany and the US.

Most other Fairtrade markets also grew by double digits, the report said, while sales volumes of key products surged "significantly" in 2017, including a 57 per cent increase in worldwide Fairtrade cocoa sales.

Moreover, Fairtrade sugar sales also grew by 30 per cent last year, coffee by 15 per cent and bananas by 11 per cent, according to the report.

Last year Fairtrade International said it worked more than 1.6 million farmers and workers across 75 countries.

Premiums generated from sales of Fairtrade products enable farmers and worker organisations to invest in local communities, such as in projects which mitigate the effect of climate change and work towards meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Organisations carrying the label also have to adhere to a rnge of environmental and sustainability standards.

However, while welcoming the record sales performance CEO of Fairtrade International, Darío Soto Abril, said more work was needed to deliver long-term sustainable development for farming communities.

"We believe that all farmers and workers deserve to earn a decent living for what they produce," he said. "Over the past two years, significant drops in coffee and cocoa prices on the global market - borne by farmers themselves - have made clear that a fair price must be a critical element of a holistic approach to living incomes for smallholder farmers."