Per head spend on Fairtrade products in the UK outstrips that of the rest of Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand and Japan.
The UK’s Fairtrade market was worth £395 million (£6.50 per capita) in 2007, followed by France and Germany with a value of £152m (£2.50 per capita) and £99m (£1.20 per capita) respectively.
Sales across Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand and Japan have experienced double-digit growth since 2002.
The figures, revealed in a report from independent market analyst Datamonitor entitled ‘The next step in the ethical consumer revolution’, show the US has the largest Fairtrade market of the regions covered, worth £455.3m. Meanwhile, with per capita expenditure at 50p and under, consumers in Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Japan spend the least on Fairtrade goods.
Datamonitor expects the UK market for Fairtrade lines to exceed £800m by 2012.
Nick Beevors, consumer market analyst at Datamonitor and the report’s author, said: “Ethical consumerism will increasingly come to the fore as people shop for products they feel akin to politically, ethically and aesthetically. Consumers will choose brands that are actively making a difference in a transparent and trustworthy manner.
“Another important driver of Fairtrade purchases is the perceived authenticity, detail and overall sense of provenance associated with such products.”
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