UK Fair Trade Sales Dramatically Increase

The latest Ethical Consumerism Report 2009, published in December 2009 by the Co-operative Bank, reports that sales of ethical products have tripled during the last decade in the UK. Despite the recession, the ethical market reached £36 billion in 2008, rising from £13.5 billion from 1999.

Fair trade product sales have shown the most dramatic growth: rising from £22 million in 1999 to £635 million in 2008, an increase of over thirty times. The Report predicts that during 2010, fair trade purchases will break the £1 billion barrier in the UK.

Clearly, UK consumers are increasingly recognises the importance of ethical issues when making purchases. The report notes that in 2008, one in every two UK adults stated that they have purchased a product primarily for ethical reasons, compared to one in every four in 1999.