Fair Trade Facts

Here’s a round-up of some fair trade facts about the fair trade market in the UK.

In 2010, the Fairtrade market in the UK (United Kingdom) was worth £1.17bn, a 42% increase on 2009.There is more than 4,500 Fairtrade certified food carrying the Fairtrade Mark. More than 7.7 million people across more than 60 increasing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

Fairtrade Mark

Tradecrafts were one of the organizations that helped set up the Fairtrade Foundation in 1992.The Fairtrade Foundation award the Fairtrade Mark to products which meet up international fair trade standards, set by almost 3-quarters (74%) of the UK people recognize the Fairtrade Mark.

Fairtrade status

• Number of Fairtrade schools: 482

There are also a further 4000 schools working towards Fairtrade status. Tradecrafts schools website has more information on becoming a Fairtrade school.

Quantity of Fairtrade churches: 6558

Visit the church part of the Tradecrafts website for information on how to become a Fairtrade church.

• Number of Fairtrade synagogues: 47

• Number of Fairtrade mosques: 2

• Number of Fairtrade town, cities and villages: 500

• Number of Fairtrade university and colleges: 120

Fair trade?

The Fairtrade Mark is awarded to products that meet internationally agreed standards. However, there are many products for which an ordinary has yet to be agreed. These are naturally crafts, paper and textiles.

For many years, Tradecrafts has source these types of products and ensured they reach the same standards as those practical to Fairtrade certified products.

To distinguish between these categories of products we use Fairtrade in relation to those that carry the Fairtrade Mark. We use fair trade to describe the extensive range of products for which the Mark is not yet available.