WHEN AgroFair held its tenth birthday party there was plenty to celebrate.
Early 2006 figures from the Fairtrade fruit company, co-owned by farmers in Africa and Latin America, show turnover running at £ 41m, up from £ 14m in 2000 ? approaching a threefold increase in just over five years.
Celebrities and growers mixed with supporters at AgroFair's birthday breakfast, held at Borough Market, the oldest functioning fruit and vegetable wholesale market in London.
Comedian Harry Hill and TV's Linda Barker (pictured right) were joined by pineapple growers from Costa Rica.
Clive Marriott, Commercial Manager of AgroFair UK, said: "We are sure that our success will continue as more and more consumers recognise that they too can bring tangible progress to farmers in developing countries through trade."
Other producers and growers had participated in AgroFair's shareholders meeting held the week before in Rotterdam.
Peruvian banana farmer Manuel Castro said: "I am pleased I am here because I can see with my own eyes that AgroFair is growing. This gives me confidence that we can grow our production and that what we grow will be sold."
It was AgroFair which supplied the first Fairtrade bananas to Co-op stores in 2000. It has since gone on to develop a wider range of Fairtrade fruit, sold under its Ok? and Eko-Ok? brands, including mangoes and pineapples.
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