The tables illustrate the changes in the sales of Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas in five different European nations during the period of 1999 and 2004.
The general trend shows a significant increase in the sales of both items in all countries, with the UK experiencing the most dramatic growth. Conversely, Denmark had the least noticeable rise in sales for both commodities.
In 1999, the UK had the highest sales of Fairtrade coffee at 1.5 million Euros, which surged to a staggering 20 million Euros by 2004. Similarly, the sales of bananas also skyrocketed from 2 to 47 million Euros. In contrast, Denmark’s sales only saw a modest increase from 0.8 to 2.9 million Euros for coffee and 0.6 to 1.8 million Euros for bananas.
The other countries, namely Switzerland, Belgium, and Sweden, also followed a similar upward trend, but none of them experienced a growth as substantial as the UK. For instance, Switzerland’s coffee sales rose from 3 to 6 million Euros, while banana sales went up from 15 to 25 million Euros. Belgium and Sweden also saw increases, but these were less dramatic.
