Fairtrade ‘well positioned during recession’

Posted by Patrick

April 28, 2009

One of the most often asked questions asked at events that we attend is, ‘how is Fairtrade holding up in this economic downturn?’ The answer we give is always, ‘so far so good.’ I’ve just come across another blog post that quotes Giles Robertson, interim director of marketing at the Fairtrade Foundation, providing further evidence that Fairtrade is flourishing in spite of the current economic climate. Good news indeed!

Businesses committed to accounting for carbon emissions may be pleased to hear that one sector commentator has claimed Fairtrade is well positioned to take advantage of people’s “disillusionment” with global financial markets.

Giles Robertson, interim director of marketing at the Fairtrade Foundation, said Britons were beginning to question the way the economy is run amid the collapse of trusted organisations, which would result in an “explosion” in the growth of Fairtrade.

“People increasingly look for new ways to potentially make a difference and increasingly we are seeing that people see buying a Fairtrade product as a real opportunity to make a development impact,” he added.

Mr Robertson went on to note that 70 per cent of UK consumers recognise the Fairtrade mark on the products.

According to research commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation, one in four (25 per cent) of the UK’s shoppers now regularly buy several products carrying the Fairtrade mark.