The expansion of Fairtrade sales in the UK to nearly £200m is a great way to mark a decade of exhaustive efforts from the purveyors of a more-than-worthy concept.

Awareness levels have risen steadily - more than half of the UK population now recognises the Fairtrade brand - and the trade, slow at first to catch on to the potential, has welcomed the products into the fold in increasing, if not industry-changing, volumes in the last five years.

The ideal has turned into a very marketable brand in a short space of time. That in itself is positive, but the intelligible merchandising of that brand is key to ensuring that consumers know exactly what they are buying into.

Trade insiders are already concerned that the lines between Fairtrade and organic are being blurred, to the detriment thus far of organic sales. The two “brands” should be complementary, but of course they compete for shelf space and both are chasing volume sales.

Inevitably, retailers will choose to give more prominence to whichever of the two appears to be the flavour of any particular month, and therefore offers the greatest bottom-line prospects.

Stocking products that offer huge margin potential should not be mistaken for long-term commitment to an ideal. Just ask any number of struggling organic growers.