FAIRTRADE SALES IN SOUTH AFRICA REACH R18,4 MILLION IN 2010
31.05.2011 - Fairtrade Label South Africa (FLSA) is glad to announce that Fairtrade is growing from strength to strength with sales in 2010 reaching ZAR 18,4 million, a steep increase from the ZAR 5,7 million estimated in 2009. This shows that awareness and demand for Fairtrade products in South Africa are on a rise. The bulk of the sales are mainly accounted for by local Fairtrade wine and African Fairtrade coffee, which are currently the key Fairtrade products available on the local market.
"This is a great achievement for Fairtrade in South Africa," says Mr Boudewijn Goossens, executive director of FLSA. "Soon local consumers will find more Fairtrade products such as cocoa, sugar and tea. With the support of local businesses and retailers such as Pick 'n Pay, we aim to expand the market further in the next few years, bringing even more benefits to producer organisations and farm workers across South Africa and Africa".
The production and trade of Fairtrade commodities in 2010, both locally and for export, has hugely benefitted South African farming communities, with over ZAR 10,4 million received in Fairtrade Premium. Over a third of the Premium (37%) was invested primarily into education and training programmes, including skills development projects for farm workers as well as scholarship and other education funding schemes for the youth. The remaining was used mainly in infrastructure improvements and other social projects, including sport programmes, job creation and health. There are currently over 60 Fairtrade certified producer organisations in South Africa, representing over 12.500 farm workers.
The growth of Fairtrade sales in South Africa follows the trends in other countries worldwide. Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand has registered average annual growth rates between 38 and 64% since 2005, whereas the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK recorded a 40% increase from 2009, with volumes of Fairtrade chocolate almost quadrupled. In the USA, Fairtrade experienced tremendous growth of over 60% in products such as coffee and cocoa.
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