People are buying Fairtrade

from The Guernsey Press

By Thom Ogier

FAIRTRADE’S popularity grew globally by almost half last year and Guernsey’s Mondomundi shop owner thinks he knows why.

Phil Soulsby, 42, said the 47% sales boom was not just down to retail buying but it was also thanks to employers who had started opting to supply their staff with more ethical products.

‘More workplaces are deciding to offer their staff the option of Fairtrade tea and coffee and some have begun to stock Fairtrade and nothing else,’ he said.

He said companies in Guernsey were very aware of the need to act with respect for their global responsibilities.

‘Managers over here have done a great job of putting Fairtrade on the menu,’ he said.
Mr Soulsby, or Fairtrade Phil, as he is often called, said he had noticed that sales increased steadily as more products were included in the Fairtrade range.

‘It used to be just tea, coffee and chocolate mainly but now you can buy everything from footballs to clothes and, of course, the increasingly popular cola.’
He said the statistic was very good news for him.

‘It’s very pleasing because I believe very passionately in the cause,’ he said.
‘It shows the public’s recognition of the Fairtrade logo and what it stands for has increased and that people are accepting that fair trade is needed to play a great role in poverty reduction.’

The chairman of Fairtrade Guernsey, Steve Mauger, said he thought the island had played a significant part in the achievement.

‘As a registered Fairtrade island, we can feel proud to be a part of the success and are determined to continue to push sales even further.’