A +41% GROWTH REGISTERED FOR FAIR TRADE SALES

In 2006, consumers world wide spent 1.6 billion euros (+41%) in acquisitions of Fair Trade products. This is the data that has been recently verified by FLO (Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International). This incredible growth includes many categories of products, but particularly cacao, which has grown by 93%, coffee by 53%, tea 41%, and bananas 31%.
And with the increase in sales the number of companies that sell fair trade goods has also increased. In 2006, the number of licensed shops grew from 1,514 to 1,954. And in the fair trade market there is still much more room for expansion. FLO has estimated that most cooperatives dedicated to sustainable commerce earn, on average, 20% of their total earnings with certified fair trade goods. FLO and its members are working to open new markets and to identify new opportunities so that producers in the future will be able to sell higher percentages on the fair trade circuit. The English supermarket, Sainsbury, for example, announced in December 2006 its conversion of all bananas to exclusively fair trade bananas.
Another English supermarket chain, Mark & Spencer, has responded to the requests of its clients to turn all of its coffee and tea products into exclusively fair trade goods (since April 2006). The American donut chain, Dunkin Donuts has also adopted a fair trade policy of using solely fair trade coffee at its shops. In September 2006, the Insomnia Coffee Company of Ireland announced that all of the coffee served in its shops would be fair trade. And Scandic and Hilton, one of the most important hotel chains in Sweden, announced in October that it would convert all of its coffee products to solely fair trade coffee.
The Details, Country by Country…
Canada
In 2006, certified fair trade products like coffee, tea, sugar, and cacao were introduced to the largest Canadian supermarket chains, among which, Costco, Loblaws, and Sobey. The national train service serves solely fair trade coffees on its rail system.
Ireland
Fair trade sales have increased by 75%. In 2006 new products like roses and jeans made of fair trade cotton were introduced. Norway
An art campaign has been organized to promote fair trade goods that includes 33 sculptures made by consumers and which are on display in supermarkets throughout the country.
Switzerland
Certified fair trade bananas make up 55% of total banana sales. Fair trade banana and rose sales have also been successful with online sales.
Sweden
In Sweden, fair trade sales have increased by 63% for a total of 16 million euros. Some Swedish chains, like "Scandic and Hilton" and "Barista Fair Trade Coffee", serve solely fair trade coffee. Fair trade rose sales increased by 46% in 2006.

Fairtrade TransFair Italy
This is the name on the certification seal for fair trade goods in Italy. It is a cooperative consortium that is made up of 26 members active in cooperative, organic, environmentally and socially responsible commerce. It is a member of FLO, which coordinates and controls certifications in 20 different countries in Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. Fairtrade Transfair Italia currently certifies 69 licensed producers that sell their goods in 4,500 shops, from family run to large scale distribution points, for total earnings of 35 million euros.