Spain: a report analyses the impact of fair trade

Last year, the sale of fair trade articles amounted to nearly 4 million ?, three times over the figure in 2000. This means that the average annual increase of this sector in the last five years is around 30%. This positive evolution is, however, uneven and unsteady: there have been excellent periods (2001-2002 and 2003-2004) together with slowing-down periods (2004-2005). However, Setem estimates that if sales keep the increasing pace of last years, fair trade could amount to around 12 million ? in 2010. The main source of income relates to vending, that is, the popular machines of food articles which are to be found in enterprises, public institutions and in places where many people gather. The star product is clearly coffee: Catalans drank more than three million cups last year. Although these figures are optimistic, Setem wishes to draw the attention to the fact that fair trade is symbolic both because of its scarce weight in the global market and its dimension as an alternative phenomenon. Fair trade must try to go beyond the third sector and to attract a greater number of consumers, in this way it can become a broader phenomenon. In this regard, Setem is confident that when fair trade certificate is introduced, coffee, sugar and cocoa fair trade brands will be sold in bars and cafés and will continue to be present in food machines. Setem is confident that this increasing competitiveness will further promote the consumption of fair trade articles. Another challenge is to make people resort to this alternative not only once a year, when the fair trade fair is held, but on a daily basis. www.pangea.org/setem