World: High on fair trade

Global sales of the ethical Fairtrade label rose by 47 percent last year, with juices and sugar among the fastest growing products, according to figures released by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Worldwide consumers spent more than 2.3 billion euros, with the United States at 731 million euros and Britain at 704 million euros by far the most important markets, the report, issued by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, said.

The consumer label, which covers a wide range of products including fresh fruit, coffee and flowers, aims to give a better deal to workers in developing countries. "The (Fairtrade) premium has enabled members to build new schools, provide clean water and improve health for their communities," Raymond Kimaro, chairman of the African Fairtrade Network (AFN), said in a statement.

"However, more is needed. Some groups are still selling just a small percentage of their produce to Fairtrade. It is crucial to grow the Fairtrade market so that these producers can benefit more from Fairtrade sales."

Sales of Fairtrade juices almost quadrupled, sugar doubled and bananas rose by 72 percent. Coffee, the first and one of the most established Fairtrade products, saw growth of 19 percent, the group said.

Sweden was the fastest growing market, with Fairtrade sales climbing 166 percent to 42.5 million euros, while Switzerland had the highest per-capita consumption in the world, spending an average of 20.8 euros on Fairtrade products.