UK ethical consumer spending hits record high, report shows – The Guardian

"Twenty years ago, the total Fairtrade market was worth £22m, whereas today the Co-op estimates that UK consumers shell out almost £290m a year on Fairtrade bananas alone, with the total retail Fairtrade market now worth £1.6bn." – The Guardian

"Ethical" shopping is on the rise. In the UK, it’s outgrown all household expenditures – increasing the average spend from £202 a year in 1999 to £1,278 in 2018. The category, which now includes Fairtrade, organic, vegetarian, plant-based alternatives and free-range, have transformed the modern marketplace. Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food, said: “UK businesses and NGOs have pioneered many of these developments and today we have multi-billion pound markets that either didn’t exist or if they did, other mainstream businesses were unconvinced of their potential to succeed. Ethical consumerism will continue to play a pivotal role in the pursuit of more sustainable products, businesses and markets. However, now is not the time to rest on our laurels, it’s the time double down on our efforts.”

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‍Read The Guardian's full article with more details from the latest Co-op study.