We love smoothies round here, so I was happy to find out that there's a new type, OKÉ, that's made from all fairtrade fruit. What's more, even though the drinks have distinctly exotic flavours (mango, orange and pink guava as well as raspberry, blackberry and banana), none of the ingredients are air-freighted. The drinks are also from a very trustworthy source, as the range was created by AgroFair, pioneers of fairtrade fruit. The drink's launch coincicdes with some good news for fairtrade announced earlier this week...
The Fairtrade Foundation held its annual conference in London yesterday with various industry big-wigs and government officials, announcnig the good news that sales of fairtrade products for April to June 2008 grew by 55% from an estimated retail value of £113 million to £176 m in the same period last year. A few examples of where growth has been seen include:
• Sugar (including retail, catering and composites) which increased in volume by 467%, an increase in sales value from £10 m to almost £24 m
• Items made with Fairtrade cotton creased by 323% from 1.4 million units to 6 million units
• Tea grew in volume by 186%, an increase in sales value from just under £7 m to almost £16 m
Good news, when you consider how only a couple of years ago you'd be surprised to see anything other than coffee, banans and some chocolate carrying the fairtrade marque.
OKÉ smoothies are available now at ASDA and Whole Foods
Fine information. Thanks so much, have a good day!