The Fairtrade Foundation

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The Fairtrade Foundation

Type of co.	Charitable organization
Founded	1992
Headquarters	London, UK
Key people	Harriet Lamb, Director
Employees	~41 (2006)
Website	www.fairtrade.org.uk

The Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), which unites 20 national Fairtrade initiatives across Europe, Japan, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The organization, registered as a charity, promotes the sale of Fairtrade labelled products in the United Kingdom.

Its three key activities are:

licensing the International Fairtrade Certification Mark in the UK;
raising awareness about Fairtrade and boosting sales of Fairtrade products;
developing criteria for Fairtrade products, in association with its partners in Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International.

The Foundation was established in 1992 by CAFOD, Christian Aid, New Consumer, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement. These founding organisations were later joined by Britain's largest women's organisation, the Women's Institute.

The Fairtrade Foundation organizes and coordinates several promotional campaigns and events every year, such as the Fairtrade fortnight (which typically runs in March), the British counterpart of Max Havelaar France's Quinzaine du Commerce Équitable. The Foundation also coordinates the Fairtrade Town campaign, which designates areas and towns committed to the promotion of Fairtrade labelled goods.

Fairtrade certified products are today widely available in the United Kingdom. The products can be found at Asda, Budgens, Booths, Co-op, Londis, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Safeway, Sainsburys, Somerfield, Spar, Tesco, Waitrose as well as in dozens of coffee shops, small retailers and online shops.

In 2005, Fairtrade labelled sales in the United Kingdom amounted to approximately £195 million, a 40 % year-to-year increase.^[1] It was also estimated that approximately 50% of the British adult population could identify in 2005 the Fairtrade Certification Mark, up from 25% in 2003 and 39% in 2004.