Sales soar in Czech Republic

Czech consumers go fair trade. According to data revealed recently by the Czech Republic’s Fair Trade Association, sales of fair trade products increased by 60 per cent in 2010. The main difference appears to be the fact that large retail chains started selling fair trade products, making these products more widely available to consumers than they had been before.

“More than 100 supermarkets now offer fair trade products,” explains Tomas Bily, head of the Czech Fair Trade Association, who adds that “at the same time we have launched campaigns to raise awareness of fair trade principles”. Thanks to their efforts, fair trade sales soared above the 3 million euro mark.

The first fair trade products arrived in the Czech Republic back in 1994 but then it was mainly handicrafts. “It was only in 2004, when we joined the EU, that we began selling agricultural products like tea, coffee, sugar and cocoa,” says Bily. “In terms of price, some items are comparable to domestic items sold here or in other parts of Europe. Chocolate is about the same, but teas is a little more expensive. In any case, we hope it because a bit of a fashion here, like in neighbouring countries. Certainly the situation is incomparable to five years ago.”

This Saturday hundreds of Czech consumers are expected to be among those marking World Fair Trade day, with a number of events being offered including a Fair Trade breakfast for those who come out. Some forty towns around the country are taking part. Look up the Czech Fair Trade Association at www.fairtrade-asociace.cz.