UK Fairtrade gold volume sales up 440% in 2015

Volume sales of Fairtrade gold increased by 440% in the UK in 2015, according to new figures from the Fairtrade Foundation.

The foundation also said Fairtrade mining co-operatives in Latin America sold 170kg of Fairtrade gold to the global market, generating a ‘Fairtrade premium’ of $340,000 (£240,000) on top of the selling price to invest in community projects.

Meanwhile, the number of registered goldsmiths using Fairtrade gold across 11 markets increased to 389, 142 of which are based in the UK.

Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “These figures show that British shoppers remain committed to Fairtrade. That’s good news for those businesses offering Fairtrade products.

“We’re delighted to see increases in most of the categories for which Fairtrade is best known – this means more producers are getting a better deal for the food they grow for us”.

Fairtrade said it remains “cautiously optimistic” for 2016, with a range of businesses extending their commitment to buying on Fairtrade terms.