Abstract
In 2004, on the tenth anniversary of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK, Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, declared that, ‘Fairtrade, backed by a vibrant social movement of people throughout the country, is now bedding into the mainstream, giving thousands of producers in developing countries the chance to build a better future and to compete in the all too cut-throat global markets.’1 The successful mainstreaming of the FAIRTRADE Mark has been acclaimed as one of the most significant retail trends of the past decade.2 With sales growing at an annual rate of 40 per cent and total sales reaching £493 million in 2007, Britain has become the leading European Fairtrade market. This success has prompted speculation as to why Fairtrade has taken root so firmly in Britain. Many commentators in answering this question have looked to the British consumer. Journalists have reported that ‘Britons over the past decade have become a nation of ethical shoppers.’3 Some have looked to investigate ‘How consumer power sparked a Fairtrade revolution on our high streets.’4 Fairtrade’s success in mobilising consumer support has certainly been impressive, but is this the full story?
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Notes
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© 2009 Matthew Anderson
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Anderson, M. (2009). NGOs and Fair Trade: The Social Movement Behind the Label. In: Crowson, N., Hilton, M., McKay, J. (eds) NGOs in Contemporary Britain. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230234079_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230234079_13
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