"While the general coffee market has been static for a number of years, fair trade alternatives have shown considerable growth, almost doubling between 2001 and 2003.
Coffee with the trademark of the Fairtrade Foundation - the UK's leading ethical certification body - accounts for 4% of all coffee drunk in the UK, and 20% of the premium roast and ground sector.
Some of the giants in the coffee sector, such as Kraft Foods in the US, Lavazza, Italy's biggest coffee-maker, and the 100-year-old Lyons Original Coffee brand have responded to fair trade coffee's growing popularity.
These three big players, however, have chosen not to go to go down the fair trade route, preferring instead to work with the Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based international conservation organisation"
This may not be the whole answer but it's a huge step in the right direction. The growth must surely represent an increase in awareness that ethical trading is important. The hope is that this will spill over into other areas too.
Guardian Unlimited | Economic dispatch | Full of beans:
No comments:
Post a Comment