The Challenges of Marketing Fair Trade - Wynne, Sandy

organized into hundreds of organizations and cooperatives in over 50 developing
countries. Fair Trade certified (FTC) products are found throughout the developed world
in thousands of World-shops or Fair Trade shops, supermarkets and health food stores,
convenience stores, restaurants and fast food outlets, small and large retail outlets, and
numerous online stores. While most FTC products are sold in developed countries (the
North), sales outlets in developing countries (the South) are starting to grow. The largest
Fair Trade markets in the North are the U.S. and the European Union.
In the U.S., Fair Trade Certified products include: coffee, tea, honey, rice,
sugar, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, bananas, mangoes, grapes, pineapples, spices, vanilla
and flowers. In addition to these products, the European list includes: sports balls, wine
and beer, nuts and snacks, fruit juices and cotton, yogurt and numerous fruits.
Although Fair Trade’s share of the global marketplace is considered small, FLO
reports that consumers worldwide spent approximately $2.2 billion on FTC products in
2006, a 41 percent increase over the previous year, benefiting millions of people in
developing countries (Downie, 2007). The U.S. has experienced a similar impressive
growth pattern, with Fair Trade Certified sales increasing on average 55% annually
since 2000 (TransFair USA 2006 Annual Report, p.15). U.S. 2006 Fair Trade
Certified sales were $750 million (TransFair USA, 2006 Annual Report, p.4). In the
U.S. over 600 companies are licensed to sell certified products and can be found in over
45,000 U.S. retail outlets (TransFair USA 2006 Annual Report, p.19). Coinciding with
the growth in Fair Trade Certified product sales in the U.S. is the increased level of
consumer awareness. In 2006, 27 percent of Americans said they were aware of Fair
Trade certification, up from 12 percent in 2004 (Downie, 2007).
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