Fairtrade International (FLO), the dominant certifier of Fair Trade products worldwide, released retail sales data by consumer country and product for 2011. Tens of millions of consumers in over 120 countries spent around $6.6 billion in 2011, an increase of 12% over 2010. Growth in the UK was 12%, in the U.S. around 10%, in Canada 3%.
Meanwhile, growth of Fairtrade sales in new countries increased even more. South Africans spent more than three times more on Fairtrade certified products in 2011 over 2010. In its first year with a national Fairtrade organization, sales in South Korea registered at €17 million.
Sales grew steadily across all of the leading Fairtrade products: coffee by 12%, cocoa by 14%, bananas 9%, sugar 9%, tea 8%, and flowers by 11%. FLO’s system now includes over 1.2 million farmers and workers working at 991 Fairtrade certified producer organizations in 66 countries. In addition to the income they earned from sales of Fairtrade products, farmers and workers earned an extra €65 million in Fairtrade Premium in 2011.
More at FLO news release
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