What does Fairtrade mean to UK consumers? While this was once a mark recognized and loved only by a small niche market, the Fairtrade logo is now present on a variety of formerly conventional goods and bought by a growing force of UK customers. As a matter of fact, Uk sales of fair trade products increased by twelve percent last year, which provided a better life for 7.5 million residents of developing nations.

The Fairtrade Foundation logo is seen on products from candy bars to body butter, but the organization is not ready to stop there. For two weeks, called the Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation is using methods seen in The Big Swap to encourage UK consumers to make a switch from their current product to a more humane option. Although the goal number is one million and one consumers, it is eay to see this campaign reaching far beyond that in its impact on UK culture and shopping habits.

Uk consumers looking to find a fair trade product to switch to will have no trouble in their search. Every major supermarket chain carries products with the Fairtrade logo. Well-known grocer Sainsbury’s is currently the world’s largest carrier of fair trade products claiming about a quarter of UK fair trade sales and is the host of the world’s first fair trade suppliers’ conference.

Social responsibility, however, is not the sole component of the Fairtrade brand. Quality is another key value, one that has encouraged many UK consumers to give these products a chance. Fair trade coffee, tea, and other products were once seen as inferior products, but high product standards have created an impression of consistent quality and value that keeps people coming back for more.

Ecological responsibility is another important part of the Fairtrade brand. Fair trade products usually are more eco-friendly and use growing and manufacturing methods that have less impact on the environment. Cafédirect, which is one of the UK’s first fair trade brands, has launched a programme designed to help fair trade farmers and suppliers deal with the negative effects of climate change while taking measures that will prevent worsening the situation.

Like all successful charities, the Fairtrade Foundation has a charity logo that expresses their intentions. A circular shape is used to express the inclusive aims of the foundation. Blue and green, the colors of the earth, hint at the ecological aspirations of fair trade products. The rough outline of a human holding up its arm adds a personal touch that is created out of the negative space in the circle.

What’s next for the Fairtrade Foundation? Although enticing more than a million people to try a new fair trade product will be a true accomplishment, this organization does not plan to stop there. It is currently in the process of working with the Olympic Committee to increase the proportion of fair trade products sold at this high profile event. This once small organization and its charity logo are set to make their impact not just on third world growers, but on the UK as well.