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A fair trade future

GLOBAL - The world needs an independent trade watchdog to properly regulate the international food supply chain if we as a society are to truly create a more sustainable and ethical food market.

This article argues that such a watchdog is in the vital interests of farmers, food firms and consumers.
Growing consumer awareness and concern about sustainable and ethical food sourcing is putting firms in industries like coffee and cocoa under pressure.

Images of striking cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast were last week beamed around the world, while a new film, Black Gold, vividly depicts the poverty and uncertainty in the lives of Ethiopian coffee producers.

Coverage like this has seen ethical food sales rise strongly in several developed markets. Shoppers in the UK alone were set to spend more than £2bn on ethical foods this year, up 62 per cent from 2002, according to a recent report from Mintel. It said spending would double again in five years.

The various certification schemes that allow consumers to make this choice are not going to be a viable option for the whole market, however, whether we are talking coffee, cocoa or cut flowers.

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Source: Cee-Food Industry

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