If you asked someone five or ten years ago what “fair trade” was, it’s unlikely that you would have gotten an informed answer. Now, “fair trade” products dot the aisles at grocery stores everywhere, even retail superstores not necessarily known for their fresh produce. 2011 ended up being the year of fair trade products and demonstrated just how far fair trade products have come in terms of capturing the attention (and dollars) of the consuming public. In both the UK and in the US, surges in sales of fair trade products made headlines.
For example, in the UK, fair trade sales have increased by 12% between t 2011 and 2012, totaling the equivalent of 2.05 billion dollars. Considering that a severally depressed UK is willing to pay a premium for products that have been sustainably manufactured shows a definite and heartening shift in mindset among consumers from first-world countries.
Why, suddenly, have fair trade products surged in popularity? According to Joe Satran of the Huffington Post, the reasons are two-fold. One, more and more consumers are demanding products that are made in an ethical manner. As the public becomes more privy to the unsavory things happening behind the scenes, all along the chain of production, they’ve become aware that their consumer choices do make a difference in how both the environment and workers around the world are treated.
Another interesting reason that fair trade products have experienced an unprecedented surge in sales is that more and more very large companies that offer consumers an array of products are diving into the fair trade certified market. One example is the ice cream company Ben and Jerry’s, which committed to using fair trade ingredients in 2010. As such, consumers who’ve already bought these brands for years are simply continuing to be loyal to the products they already enjoy. Other examples include Cadbury’s
In the final analysis, the success of fair trade in the grocery store is heartening because it demonstrates that it’s not just consumers who care about where their food comes from and how, precisely, it’s made. It’s bigger corporations who are starting to care, too. As more and more consumer products companies jump on the fair trade bandwagon, the notion that fair trade means good business becomes increasingly apparent.
This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of online universities advice. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.


